During the 1930s in Bristol and nationally much of the working-class identified Oswald Mosley and his British Union of Fascists (BUF) as a major threat to their freedom, their organisations and to ethnic and religious groups within their number.
This walk visits the venues that welcomed Mosley’s Blackshirts and celebrates the community that vigorously rejected him along with Mussolini, Hitler and General Franco. It will introduce some of the flashpoints in the city-centre marking a proud history of physical anti-fascist resistance during the 1930s. Resistance which was city-wide, especially in the south. Also, recently released documents from the security services (2014) will be discussed relating to Mosley’s rallies at the Bristol Beacon (Colston Hall).
Presented by a descendant of a participant in the nationally reported ‘Battle of the Ropewalk’, Bert Cornish’s great grandson will orientate you all towards some of the major confrontations with the ‘blackshirts’ by the Bristolian working-class that pre-empted and also predicted the events of WWII, asking the question: ‘Why did the Bristol establishment support Mosley and his paramilitaries whilst on the streets thousands physically rejected his supremacy?’
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Eleanor Larmour
Is it OK to bring a we behaved dog on this walk/talk?
Roger
Yes, should be no problem.
David Larcombe
My dad + his dad ( both CPGB) would fight with the fascists up on the downs.
Do you have any details of these confrontations?
Rosemary Caldicott
Hi, Thank you for your comment. We are currently working on a pamphlet documenting the resistance to the fascists in Bristol. If you have any memories or stories about those confrontations, including dates or any other details, please drop us an email and our research author will take a look and get back to you.