The London Borough of Lewisham is a multicultural borough with a large Black and Asian community, as many of the Windrush generation settled in Lewisham from the late 40s onwards.  

Just like Brixton and Notting Hill, Lewisham has experienced its share of racism and fascist uprisings. It was in Lewisham that British fascism suffered a historic defeat as anti-racist groups pushed back against right-wing extremists in a historic event known as The Battle of Lewisham.

Lead up to the Battle of Lewisham

The National Front

The National Front (NF) is a far-right fascist political party in the UK that was founded in 1967 when the British Union of Fascists and the League of Empire Loyalists merged. They are opposed to a multiracial society, believing that Black people, in particular, are a direct threat to White society.

Lewisham proved to be a stronghold for the party when, in the February 1974 elections, they secured 1000 votes, which increased to over 1100 in the October elections. By 1976, in a by-election for the Borough’s Deptford ward, the fascist parties only missed gaining a seat on the council due to the split of their vote between the National Front and its splinter group, the National Party. Between them, the parties obtained more votes than the winning Labour candidate.

Their campaigns targeted the Black and Asian communities, promoting the repatriation of non-white residents and seeking to exclude these communities from the British identity.

The opposition

After the NF’s march through Wood Green in April 1977, which was met by a large but disorganised mass opposition, local anti-racist/anti-fascist groups became established across London and affiliated with one All London Anti-Racist Anti-Fascist Co-ordinating Committee (ARAFCC).

Lewisham 21

On 30 May 1977, police raided several homes and arrested 21 young Black people. All 21 were charged with involvement in recent muggings in the area, and the Metropolitan Police Service even went so far as to claim they were a gang responsible for a majority of street crime in South London for that year so far. The raids were intended as a publicity stunt to show police awareness of ‘residents’ concerns’.

In the end, 21 young residents of Lewisham were handed a dubious charge of ‘loitering and conspiracy to steal’. Believing this to be a case of racial profiling and citing allegations of police heavy-handedness, the local community formed a defence committee to help fundraise and provide support to the Lewisham 21. The group also organised protests to raise awareness of the case. These protests drew their own counter-protests from the National Front, sparking conflict.

On 2 July 1977, the Defence Committee held a demonstration in New Cross, which was attacked by members of the National Front (NF) who threw caustic soda and rotten fruit at protesters.

NF counter protest

Later that month, the NF, keen to exploit the tensions, announced that it would hold an ‘anti-mugging’ march on 13 August 1977. The route would take them from New Cross through Lewisham to Catford. Given the multicultural makeup of Lewisham, the NF’s plans were seen by many as extremely provocative. But their support in the Deptford by-election obviously played a part in their decision to march in Lewisham.

On 11 August, Lewisham Council approached the High Court to obtain a writ compelling Police Commissioner David McNee to prohibit the march. In his affidavit, Ronald Pepper, the Deputy Leader of Lewisham Council, expressed deep concern that the planned marches on 13 August posed a danger to the residents of the Borough and would likely incite racial hatred and discrimination.

However, in his affidavit, McNee stated that after considering all the circumstances, he found no reasonable grounds to believe that either procession would lead to serious public disorder. He was confident that the police could maintain control and prevent any significant disorder. After four hours of testimony, Judge Slynn dismissed the Council’s case.

In response to the march, two major counter-demonstrations were planned by anti-fascist groups.

The All Lewisham Campaign Against Racism and Fascism (ALCARAF) organised a peaceful march from Ladywell Fields to New Cross on 13 August, intending to avoid any direct confrontation with the National Front (NF).

At the same time, groups such as the Anti-Racist/Anti-Fascist Co-ordinating Committee (ARAFCC) and the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), who believed the NF should be confronted and physically blocked from marching, called for people to gather at Clifton Rise two hours before the NF march. This effort brought together around 4,000 people from 80 organizations across the UK.

The Battle of Lewisham

On the morning of 13 August 1977, around 500 National Front supporters answered the call to attend the march, opposed by several thousand anti-fascists.  

The NF arrived at their assembly point in Achilles Street in New Cross carrying their banners of “Stop the Muggers” and found it was already the scene of clashes. Though the main counter-demonstration organisers had agreed to stop short of the assembly point, some elements of the protest disagreed and decided to try and occupy the assembly point and block the march. This led to clashes with police as they tried to force the protestors back.

Meanwhile, thousands of residents and community leaders, including the Mayor of Lewisham and the Bishop of Southwark, gathered at Ladywell Fields to conduct a peaceful counter-march under the ALCARAF banner.

By midday in New Cross, the crowds had grown in number, and police faced vigorous opposition when they attempted to clear Clifton Rise. The protesters were determined to block the NFs intended route. Though the National Front was able to begin their march, anti-fascists broke police lines and managed to split the National Front in two.

In response, the police diverted the march through Pagnell Street and began actively dispersing the anti-fascists, arresting those who resisted. 200 anti-fascists were arrested on the day, with around 40 of them being from the local community.

The National Front were forced to abandon their march, and the police escorted them out of the area. However, violent clashes continued in Lewisham town centre later that afternoon, as counter-demonstrators clashed with police and police charged at demonstrators with their horses. The police employed large rigid-plastic riot shields for the first time on the British mainland. These shields later became a prominent feature during the 1980s.

Legacy

On the 40th anniversary of the Battle of Lewisham in 2017, Lewisham councillor Joan Millbank unveiled a maroon plaque at 314 New Cross Road, on the corner of Clifton Rise, where the resistance to the National Front march began.

In October 2019, a new public artwork commemorating the Battle of Lewisham was unveiled on Lewisham Way in New Cross. Designed in consultation with local people, it was inspired by 1970s zines and draws heavily on many of the iconic images taken on 13 August 1977. Prominent in the design is the civil liberties campaigner, Darcus Howe, in recognition of his role in the events of 13 August 1977 and his wider impact on UK society.

Further reading:
What was the Battle of Lewisham?