The Fascists were hemmed in a large square edged by mounted police and police on foot. In the centre of the police-lined square were seven lorries for the speakers. The Fascist demonstration was timed to begin at three o╒clock with a display of physical drill by contingents from all over the country, but this display did not take place, possibly because the arrangements were interfered with by the late arrival of trains.
Although Sir Oswald and his followers did not arrive in the park till half-past five, the police remained at their post for two hours maintaining the empty square for the Fascist demonstration. They were hedged in by a small crowd waiting for the Blackshirts to arrive.
As soon as Sir Oswald and his Blackshirts appeared on the rim of the hill there was a rush from the crowds at the counter-demonstrations to join the crowd round the space kept open for the Fascist meeting. The crowds booed and hissed and chanted ╥We want Mosley╤dead or alive.╙ As the Blackshirts paraded before Sir Oswald, their arms stretched out before them in salute, the crowds raised their arms, too, but with clenched fists. The boos rose and fell in waves. The ╥International╙ was taken up and sung in unison. Men and women organisers from the counter-demonstration made their way through crowds, shouting, ╥Workers go back and join your own demonstration,╙ but few, if any, moved away from the Mosley meeting.
Interruptions
Suddenly five young Fascists sprang on to the lorries and began to harangue the crowds. They were at once greeted by jeers and the chanting of ╥Sit down, sit down╙ to the tune of the Westminster chimes. A youngish Fascist with black hair brushed back from his forehead and a speech of a black moustache rose from another lorry. There were louder groans and more intensive hissing. Word went round that it was Mosley himself who was speaking. The booings and groanings grew still louder. But it was not the ╥leader,╙ for a few minutes later yet another replica of Sir Oswald sprang on to another lorry and began shouting.
Although five or six Fascists were speaking simultaneously not a word of their speeches could be distinguished even by those standing immediately behind the police cordon fringing the square.
Once more another replica of Sir Oswald clambered on to a lorry and began to shout and shake his fists at the groaning, yelling crowd. The crowds had grown hoarse by this time and were relieving their shouts of ╥Down with Mosley!╙ and ╥Fascism means war and hunger╙ with more tuneful strains.
Hands and fists
They were an oddly assorted crowd. At a glance one would have described them as middle-class and lower middle-class men with their wives and children sprucely dressed in their Sunday best. They were a typical Sunday-afternoon-in-the-park-crowd, a sharp contrast to their continued booings and shoutings. There was not a single voice to be heard in support of Mosley, and when the ╥leader╙ himself rose to speak and the Blackshirts in their fold raised their hands in salute only clenched fists were seen among the crowd. Once or twice women could be heard shouting, ╥Give him a chance,╙ ╥What about free speech?╙ but these were quickly followed by hurried explanations from the interrupters that they themselves were not Fascists, or even supporters of Fascism.
Sir Oswald was held up by the booings and hissings for fully a minute before he was able to begin his speech. He walked about the lorry with right hand held in the Fascist salute, smiling and bowing. Then he began to speak at the top of his voice, but it was plain from his expression that he knew his words could not be heard, except by those close by.
╥Marching To Power╙
Sir Oswald, speaking at the top of his voice, made the claim that within two years the Blackshirt movement had proved itself the most vital and active force in British politics. ╥The opposition which the movement meets is the greatest tribute to the Blackshirt strength. But the most vital movement in Britain to-day would be assailed with the venom with which we are assailed by those who know that Blackshirt vigour and strength spells doom to the old political movements of this country.
The Blackshirts, Sir Oswald claimed, had once again done the impossible and held a mighty rally in the face of terror and corruption.
Sir Oswald ended his speech by asking his followers to sing the Fascist hymn in such a way as to make the opposition remember that the Blackshirts had come to Hyde Park in their mark to power in Britain.
