No pasarán

175280017 That’s Pussy Riot – or at least the three members that were put on trial after staging their 40-second protest performance at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Nadya (right) in a t-shirt that my deeply fashionable other half owns. We spotted this when watching this documentary at the NFT in association with Yoko Ono’s Meltdown.

Since it’s Friday, since the news is bleak and you’d be forgiven for thinking all humans are terrible, here’s a tiny piece of the story behind the phrase ‘No pasarán’. It has been used in a number of contexts, most famously as an anti-fascist rallying cry during the Spanish Civil War. It also played a role closer to home, at The Battle of Cable Street in east London.

Cable St Mural 542-78

In 1936, Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists marched into the area, but local residents stood against them in protest and to show solidarity with their Jewish neighbours. Their rallying cry was ‘No pasarán’ or ‘You shall not pass’ and this plaque (and above mural) are both in place today to commemorate the event.

Battle-of-Cable-Street-red-plaque

Humans can be good! Read more about the history of The Battle Of Cable Street here.

5 Responses to “No pasarán”

  1. patsy
    June 28, 2013 at 11:17 am #

    Very interesting read, and something which will be of interest to my elder son who is at the moment in Spain researching the Spanish Civil War. I had not heard of the Battle of Cable Street but it presents me with the rare ability to pronounce that it was “before my time”.

  2. Helene
    June 28, 2013 at 1:56 pm #

    Yes, very interesting indeed. I hadn’t heard of the Battle of Cable Street either at which Mr Myfriendshouseparent expressed surprise. I request to be taken to see the wonderful mural and the plaque in Cable Street next time I’m in London.

    • myfriendshouse
      June 29, 2013 at 9:32 am #

      Well thank you. A timely post by Jill. Meg and I are going to photograph at a Jewish old people’s centre in the heart of the area in July, to try and get stories before this bit of east London history disappears forever. We’ll post our stories on the blog x

  3. MB Home
    June 28, 2013 at 5:48 pm #

    I traveled to Spain a few years back (the home I stayed at had the most amazing interior design ever, this was over a decade ago and I would love to have it in my home today!); I had never heard of the Battle of Cable Street, very interesting and enjoyable read.

  4. carolscreativeworkshops.net
    June 29, 2013 at 8:00 am #

    Must pass this bit of London history on to my daughter who is bereft because her favourite nightclub http://www.cable-london.com/ has closed down. She is studying art at City Lit and must have seen the mural but maybe not realised its significance. Thank you for an interesting post.

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