Today, 4th October, marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, a momentous event in which the working people of London united to deliver a decisive blow against the menace of British fascism.

A little over five years since the shooting by police of Mark Duggan in Tottenham and two years since the beginning of the movement in the USA, Black Lives Matter (BLM) has finally taken shape in Britain. To commemorate Duggan’s death and continue to challenge police racism, big protests were organised in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham on 5th August, as well as smaller ones elsewhere around the country.

The question of instituitionalised racism has shot to the surface in the USA as a result of a series of unprovoked killings of black youth by police officers. Vigilante shootings of police officers have recently been seen in response. John Peterson of Socialist Appeal USA explains the background of polarisation that has led to these horrific exchanges.