Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf

YOUTH AGAINST FASCISM
Mosley decided to add a greater deal of respectability to his movement by courting
potential upper and middle class supporters through mass rallies in 1934. At a large rally
in Olympia, located in a predominately Jewish area of London's east end, the BUF
organized an evening that they asserted would "be a landmark, not only in the history of
fascism, but in the history of Britain." 80
On June 7, 1934 Mosley's Olympia rally took place with over 12,000 in attendance
including "MPs, peers, diplomats, big businessmen and leading journalists." 81 Mosley's
Olympia rally was intended to court the support of "respectable" social elements, but
communist directed counter-initiatives produced a very different result. The London
branches of the YCL issued "special invitations" to branches of the Labour League of
Youth and the ILP Guild of Youth to coordinate militant actions to disrupt the Olympia
rally. 82 Outside of the rally over 10,000 antifascists demonstrated against Mosley's event,
often getting in random violent skirmishes with the police. Inside the rally several
hundred antifascists began disrupting Mosley's speech. Mosley began directing Blackshirt
stewards to violently eject anyone who spoke up during the meeting.
The violent outbursts of Mosley's Blackshirts resulted in mass public revulsion against
his movement. Many of the Tory MP's who were present made public statements condemning
BUF violence as "wholly unnecessary," contending they had been "appalled by
the brutal conduct of the Fascists." 83 After the Olympia rally the membership base of the
BUF quickly dropped from 40,000 to 5,000 and Mosley lost the vital public support of
Lord Rothermere.
After Olympia John Gollan, the National Secretary of the YCLGB, questioned if different
anti-fascist tactics would be more effective in the future. The new Public Order
legislation of the National Government targeted both communists and the BUF. 84 The
YCL contended that the National Government "seemed to fear bolshevism more than the
Nazi terror." 85 In order to prevent further government actions being taken against the
communists, many urged the redirection of youth anti-fascist militancy into more constructive
forms. John Gollan expressed that in the future "the way to develop the campaign
against fascism was in the town meeting hall, the churches, and the councilmen's
offices – not in the streets." 86
Gollan reflected on new anti-fascist strategies in his speech at the Sixth World Congress
of the YCI. Gollan suggested the most effective way to counter British fascism and
the policies of the National Government was to focus YCL activities on the youth peace
movement. The British YCL needed to adapt the broad contours of the Popular Front to
specific British conditions:
This Congress has heard how such wide movements are developing in France and America.
Our Congress, however, in our opinion, must guard against any tendencies to automatically
transfer the experiences of these countries to every other country. The wide
front of the young generation must be built in each country around burning, vital interests,
that really affect millions of youth, that all the youth are discussing. Undoubtedly,
that question in England is Peace.... The British Youth Organizations are the most pow-
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