Today 45 years ago - the National Front marched in Lewisham . Severe violence and rioting broke out that day, committed by violent extreme left-wing and communist mobs.

It was labelled by the media - The Battle of Lewisham. 

 On 13 August 1977,demonstrating against street crime, they were protesting about a spate of violent street robberies committed by black muggers, according to figures released by the Metropolitan Police. 

The National Front (NF) organized a march from New Cross to Catford, passing through Lewisham. Attempts to have the march banned in the High Court by the All Lewisham Campaign Against Racism and Fascism (ALCARAF) had failed. So on the morning of the 13 August 1977, hundreds of NF members began to assemble in Achilles Street in New Cross.

At the same time, thousands of communists, anarchists and many other extreme left wing Marxist groups 'whipped up' local people and community leaders, including the Mayor of Lewisham, extreme left winger Roger Godsiff, the 'Red' Bishop of Southwark, Mervyn Stockwood, and the leader of the British Board of Jewish Deputies, Martin Savitt. This mob came together at Ladywell Fields, to hold a counter-march under the ALCARAF banner.They organised their mob to finish at the exact location and time where the National Front were forming up . They totally disregarded Police advice . 

 By mid-day in New Cross, huge crowds of local people and members of extreme left wing political organisations, had gathered on Clifton Rise to block the NF’s intended route. 

Police faced forceful violent opposition when they attempted to clear Clifton Rise, and there were violent confrontations when they tried to reroute the NF march through Pagnell Street away from the Red mob. 

Later that afternoon, violent clashes continued in Lewisham town centre as the communist counter-demonstrators clashed with police, after the NF had finished their march and been escorted out of the area. At that point, and for the first time on the British mainland. The Metropolitan police who had deployed over 5,000 police officers that day, employed the large rigid-plastic riot shields used in Northern Ireland then, that would become such a hallmark of 'law and order' in the 1980s. The events of 13 August 1977 became known as the ‘Battle of Lewisham'