The NF fielded a candidate in Southall for the May 1979 General Election and proposed to hold a meeting at Southall Town Hall. The IWA coordinated mass community mobilisation, set up a Coordinating Committee to bring together all local organisations at a meeting at Dominion Cinema on 11 April 1979. It organised a March and a mass demonstration to Ealing Town Hall on 22 April 1979 and presented a petition with 10,000 signatures to Ealing Council to refuse permission to NF to host any meeting in Southall.
In spite of widespread community opposition, Ealing Council allowed the NF to hold a public meeting in Southall Town Hall on 23 April 1979.
The IWA promoted protest in the form of a ‘Hartal’ (a common protest of civil disobedience used in the Indian freedom struggles), decided ‘not to resort to confrontation with the police’ and planned a ‘massive peaceful sit-down’ outside Southall Town Hall.
2,875 police officers were deployed to protect the NF’s right of assembly and against the wishes of the community. Over 800 protestors were arrested of which 342 were charged.
Blair Peach, a teacher and an anti-racist who had come to Southall in support of the community, was killed by police and over 800 protesters were arrested and many injured.