In the 1930s, Worthing was a hotbed of fascism.
Oswald Mosley, leader of the British Union of Fascists, was a regular visitor to the West Sussex town and held many public meetings.
His presence often resulted in rowdy scenes.
But one night in October 1934, it sparked a riot.
“There was a lot of political fervor at the time,” said Chris Hare, a local historian and author.
“Moseley has a lot of support. He was part of the Labor government and resigned because he didn’t think Labor was doing enough to get the economy going.”
Hale told BBC Secret Sussex that the far-right group was extremely nationalistic and demonized minorities and was seen by many as a “novelty” at the time.
“People don’t really know what it is, and that’s very attractive to a lot of young people who are looking for something new and different in politics.
“Obviously we associate fascism with racism, concentration camps and world wars, but probably a lot of people who joined early on – that wasn’t their reason.
“Other things motivated them,” he said.
Mosley gave speeches in Leeds and other parts of England (pictured) [Getty Images]
On 9 October 1934, Mosley visited Worthing and gave a speech in the pavilion on the dock.
According to Hale, he came to this seaside town because it was the first city in England to elect a fascist MP.
The Victoria Pavilion was packed with Mosley’s supporters, but he said there were “more people out there who were against him”.
“This would have been a big deal for Worthing, a rather sleepy town in 1934.”
Hale told Sussex Secret that Mosley received a “huge response” from the audience, but some anti-fascists managed to get in and began heckling him as he spoke.
“Tall, burly blackshirts from East London grabbed them and threw them out,” he said.
“This creates an electric current in the room.”
Hale said many young people were attracted to Mosley [Getty Images]
As the fascists left the building, Hale told BBC Secret Sussex, fighting broke out, particularly on South Street.
He said Mosley and a group of blackshirts walked into a cafe in the Royal Arcade opposite the pier and were surrounded by a “large and hostile” crowd.
A group of protesters climbed to the top of the building and pushed aside a rock, which smashed through the glass but missed those below.
“There’s a lot of reckless, youthful excess here,” Hale said.
“You often wonder how politically motivated they are [or whether] It’s just an opportunity for a good BS”.
Hale said police eventually escorted Mosley and others to safety, although the street fight continued for several hours.
“It would be very lawless,” he said.
Days later, police decided to charge Mosley and some of his followers for participating in the riot, but they were later acquitted.
“There may be pressure from central government,” Hale said.
“There may be concerns that Mosley might destabilize the country.
“If riots can happen on the streets of a town like Worthing, they can happen anywhere.”
“They don’t want to encourage that.”
When Winston Churchill became Prime Minister in May 1940, he introduced a system of detention without trial, resulting in the arrest of hundreds of fascist sympathizers.
Hale said: “No county in England has more people in custody than West Sussex.
“The county is seen as friendly to Mosley’s goals.”
Mosley speaks at an anti-war protest in London in 1939 (pictured) [Getty Images]
The events of October 9, 1934 became known as the Battle of South Street.
“The local newspaper said there were scenes from the Spanish Revolution on the streets of Worthing, which was a bit exaggerated.
“But I think it highlights how unusual this is.”
He said it was a “very difficult time” with “very high unemployment…political polarization” across Europe.
“Fascism and Nazism arose,” Hale said.
“There are concerns that the UK might go down the same path.”
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