Battle of Carfax
1936 British political brawl / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Battle of Carfax (1936) was a violent skirmish in the city of Oxford between the British Union of Fascists (BUF) and local anti-fascists, trade unionists, and supporters of the Labour Party and the Communist Party of Great Britain. The battle took place inside Oxford's Carfax Assembly Rooms, a once popular meeting hall owned by Oxford City Council which was used for public events and located on Cornmarket Street.[1][2]
The Battle of Carfax | |||
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Date | 25 May 1936 | ||
Location | Oxford, Cornmarket Street, Carfax Assembly Rooms | ||
Caused by | Violent attempts by Blackshirts to remove the journalist Basil Murray | ||
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Historians disagree on the exact details of the events that took place. Some historians argue that the fighting was sparked primarily by fascist violence against attendees, others credit attempts by local communists to disrupt fascist activities, or some combination of these two factors.[3][4]
Despite the anti-fascist opposition in Oxford being led by communists, the aftermath of the Battle of Carfax saw a sharp decline in the support for fascism among the vast majority of Oxford's population, both liberals and conservatives, and across all social classes and mainstream political parties.[citation needed]