New information on the Battle of Wood Green, 23rd April 1977

New information on the Battle of Wood Green 23^rd April 1977

As we approach the 42^nd anniversary of the Battle of Wood Green some interesting new information has come to light about the day, when anti-fascists opposed a National Front march from Ducketts Common, Turnpike Lane in North London on Saturday 23^rd April 1977.

On 16^th April 2019 a memorial event was held at the Bernie Grant Centre in Tottenham for the sadly late Narendra Makajani, a former Haringey Labour Councillor and a key figure in the setting up the Labour Party Black Sections in the 1980s.

I knew Narendra from the 1970s on and he was himself at the Battle of Wood Green as Jeremy Corbyn, who was the spokesperson for the anti-fascist protest, recalled.

The Labour leader also recalled that he had come under pressure not to front-up the protest as it might not look good image wise. He told the event he had refused and underlined that he felt at the time, and now, that the lesson of Germany in the 1920s, was that if you didn’t oppose fascism when it was on the rise, then it could get into a position to win power.

The compere of the event broadcaster Dotun Adebayo recalled that as a young Tottenham resident he had also been there and recalled particularly the red smoke flares (earlier tested on Tottenham marsh) which were let off as the National Front march started to cause confusion. He also recalled shouting the National Front is an Afront from the platform, not such a bad slogan, worthy perhaps of a badge back in the day

Details of the Battle of Wood Green

https://kmflett.wordpress.com/2017/08/13/the-battle-of-wood-green-23rd-april-1977/