A Jewish group has been barred from a 90th anniversary commemoration of when fascists were chased out of Leeds, because it ‘platformed a Reform speaker’.
Stop The Hate Leeds, a pro-Israel campaign group, was told its presence at the event on Sunday would be ‘divisive’ due to its members’ political views.
Organiser Philip Marks said he was devastated as his father, Eric, and grandfather, Howard, were involved in the 1936 Battle of Holbeck Moor, when fascist politician Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists (BUF) clashed with the people of Holbeck.
Mr Marks said: ‘The organisers have told us they consider our members far-Right because they support Reform.
‘It’s deeply disappointing that only Jewish people of a certain political persuasion can attend. Can you imagine any other group being told what political views they can and can’t have?
‘Our members are really upset. The Battle of Holbeck Moor is directly related to many Jewish families in Leeds. They stood up for liberal democracy in this country.’
The Battle of Holbeck Moor took place on September 27, 1936 when Mosley’s Blackshirts held a rally in Leeds.
Police officers within a crowd of British Union of Fascists members during a Leeds rally in 1936
Mosley struggles to address his supporters as the people of Holbeck drown him out
A blue plaque commemorating the Battle of Holbeck Moor, unveiled in Leeds in 2024
Around 1,000 Blackshirts marched to Holbeck Moor, where they were met by an anti-fascist crowd of about 30,000 people, organised by the Communist Party.
Mosley tried to address his supporters, but protesters drowned him out by singing The Red Flag and shouting. The confrontation turned violent, with protesters throwing stones at the Blackshirts, who were eventually forced to retreat from the moor.
The anniversary, which will include a march through Leeds, is being organised by the local branch of Stand Up To Racism.
In an email to the group, Stop The Hate Leeds said it intended to attend the march ‘with our own flags and banners, as an expression of our identity and of our community’s direct connection to the history being commemorated’.
Yesterday, Stand Up To Racism replied: ‘You have shown to not support SUTR and have welcomed Reform officials to your events. You also support a far-Right government in Israel conducting a genocide in Gaza.
‘We want to unite people against the far Right and feel that your presence as an organisation would be divisive and we will regard it as countering our event.
‘In light of this we would respectfully request that you do not attend the event as an organisation and hope you can appreciate the reasons why.’
Mr Marks denied that his group had ever hosted a Reform speaker and distanced himself from a national pro-Israel organisation called Stop The Hate UK.
In a statement, Stand Up To Racism Leeds said it would welcome involvement from people such as Mr Marks whose families were involved in the Battle of Holbeck Moor. However, it would not welcome Stop The Hate as a group.
‘We also reassert our unwavering commitment to opposing antisemitism from the 1930s to today,’ the statement added.
Katrina Mayer, of Stand Up To Racism, added: ‘As someone whose family were killed in the Holocaust, I encourage everyone who opposes fascism and antisemitism to join us on Sunday.
‘Stop the Hate are certainly not welcome at an anti-fascist event. They are trying to disrupt an event that is remembering the struggle against fascism in the 1930s and building unity against the far-right today.’

You must be logged in to post a comment Login