The much-advertised open-air meeting of the British Union of Fascists, led by Sir Oswald Mosley, took place this afternoon at Trafalgar Square and was broken up by a huge crowd after lasting only 20 minutes. Many people in the crowd –Jews and non-Jews– wore the yellow Star of David as an expression of protest against the speakers.
The meeting broke up before Sir Oswald himself could speak. None of the other speakers at the meeting made specific references to Jews. Jewish organizations have appealed to Jews to stay away from Trafalgar Square during the meeting. However, many individual Jews were in the crowd. They were far outnumbered by opponents of nuclear testing which Sir Oswald favors.
The crowd on Trafalgar Square was almost to a man hostile to the Fascist speakers. It broke through the police line and smashed the speakers’ platform. At that point, a Chief Superintendent of Police, in charge of the police forces, officially stopped the rally, announcing he was halting the meeting “to preserve public order and prevent rioting.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
