[2] In response to this, the All Lewisham Campaign Against Racism and Fascism (ALCARAF) was launched with the support of local trade unions, anti-racist and anti-fascist groups.

[3] On 30 May 1977, the police staged dawn raids in southeast London and arrested twenty-one young black people, including a 24-year-old woman, in connection with a series of muggings.

Following the arrests, the police said they believed the "gang" was responsible "for 90 per cent of the street crime in south London over the past six months.

Up to 200 National Front supporters turned out to oppose it, throwing "rotten fruit and bags of caustic soda at marchers".

The NF national organiser, Martin Webster, told the press: 'We believe that the multi-racial society is wrong, is evil and we want to destroy it'.

This meant that any ban would have to be imposed, manned and enforced across the entire Metropolitan Police district, which would still not prevent the NF from marching outside of the proscribed area.

A ban on marching would also not prevent the NF from holding a static public meeting "perhaps in provocative circumstances", which would still attract a counter-demonstration.

Later, on 13 August, the Ad Hoc Organising Committee urged people to occupy the National Front's planned meeting point at Clifton Rise in New Cross.

[12] In the week before the demonstration, a meeting took place in a pub in Deptford between ARAFCC and the Socialist Workers' Party (SWP) Central Committee member responsible for their mobilisation.

Thus, ARAFCC appointed its own stewards and made detailed plans to combine support for the ALCARAF demonstration in the morning with a physical blockade of New Cross Road in the afternoon.

Anti-NF demonstrators managed to briefly break through police lines and attack the back of the march, separating them from the main body.

Due to the inability to gather in the town centre, the National Front conducted a brief rally in a parking lot on Connington Road and then were escorted onto waiting trains by the police.

[20] Prominent in the design is the civil liberties campaigner, Darcus Howe, in recognition of his role in the events of 13 August 1977 and wider impact on UK society.