Battle of Lewisham - Saturday, 13 August 1977

Saturday, 13 August 1977

At 11:30 am, the All Lewisham Campaign Against Racism and Fascism (ALCARAF) demonstration gathered in Ladywell Fields, a park in Lewisham. Over 5000 people from more than 80 organisations heard speeches by the Mayor of Lewisham, the Bishop of Southwark, the exiled Bishop of Namibia and others. By agreement with the police the ALCARAF march halted at the top of Loampit Vale between Lewisham and New Cross. However, the Anti Racist/Anti-Fascist Co-ordinating Committee stewards encouraged many marchers to go with them through the back-streets from Loampit Vale to New Cross Road. By this means a great many people from the ALCARAF march succeeded in getting into New Cross Road and onto the route of the NF march. Meanwhile, many of the protestors mobilised by the SWP had gathered in Clifton Rise, a side-street off New Cross Road, but were then contained there by police and unable to get into the main road.

There were clashes when the police tried to move push demonstrators further down Clifton Rise, away from where the National Front demonstrators were assembling in nearby Achilles Street. Police horses were sent into the crowd, and smoke bombs thrown.

At 3.00 pm, the police escorted National Front marchers out of Achilles Street, up Pagnell Street and into the main New Cross Road, behind a large 'Stop the Muggers' banner. Although the police had cleared a route along New Cross Road, it was still lined with a great many people (many who had come from the ALCARAF march in the morning). The marchers were pelted with bricks, smoke bombs, bottles and pieces of wood. Anti-NF demonstrators managed to briefly break through police lines and attack the back of the march, separating them from the main body. The protesters then burnt captured National Front banners.

The police separated National Front and anti-fascists, and mounted police cleared a path through the crowd attempting to block progress of march towards Deptford Broadway. Police led the march through deserted streets of Lewisham with crowds held back by road blocks over the whole area. Marchers were flanked by police three deep on either side, with 24 mounted police in front.

Meanwhile the anti-NF demonstrators, joined by increasing numbers of local people (especially youths) made their way to Lewisham Town Centre, where they blocked the High Street. Unable to meet in the town centre proper, the National Front held a short rally in a car park in Connington Road, before being led on to waiting trains by the police.

Clashes continued between the police and counter-demonstrators, the latter largely unaware that the National Front had already left the area. The police brought out riot shields for the first time in England, and baton charges and mounted police were used in an attempt to disperse the crowd. Bricks and bottles were thrown at police and police vehicles damaged.

There was a brief period when the police completely lost control of the centre of Lewisham (later dubbed the People's Republic of Lewisham Clock-Tower). There was also an apparent break-down in the police chain of command, with officers driving Transit-vans at high speed up and down the High Street under a hail of bricks and bottles - until one crashed by the Railway Bridge and the police charged to prevent the injured driver from being seized by the enraged crowd. There was also some minor looting of shops and a vehicle was set on fire before police restored control of the area.

214 people were arrested and at least 111 injured.