Ninety years after thousands of East End residents came together to stop a fascist march through Stepney, Tower Hamlets is bringing the story of Cable Street into the present with two exhibitions opening this week.
The exhibitions, at Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives and Tower Hamlets Town Hall, explore the events of 1936 alongside the longer history of migration and community that has shaped the borough.
The Battle of Cable Street
Opening at Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives, the exhibition brings together photographs, newspapers, ephemera and archival records telling the story of 4 October 1936, when local residents and people from across the East End resisted the planned fascist march.
The exhibition explores the rise of fascism in East London, the communities who came together to oppose it and the events of the day when the march was stopped.
A borough built by newcomers
At Tower Hamlets Town Hall, this exhibition looks at the much longer story of migration and community in the borough, from Huguenot refugees and Jewish migration to Bengali migration and today’s global Tower Hamlets.
It explores how successive communities have shaped the same streets, buildings, businesses and institutions, contributing to the character of the borough today.
Mayor Lutfur Rahman said:
“Cable Street is an important part of our shared history and a reminder of what can happen when people from different communities come together to stand up to hatred and division. Ninety years on, we should remember the people who stood together that day and the courage they showed.
But this is not simply a story from the past. Tower Hamlets continues to be shaped by people from different backgrounds making their homes here, building communities and contributing to the life of the borough. The fact that 91 per cent of our residents say people from different backgrounds get along well in their local area shows how relevant that spirit of community remains today.”
As part of the anniversary, residents are also being encouraged to support the council’s No Place for Hate campaign by signing its pledge and making a commitment to stand against hate and discrimination.
The Battle of Cable Street exhibition opens at Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives, 277 Bancroft Road, London E1 4DQ, on Thursday 1 October and runs throughout October.
A Borough Built by Newcomers opens at Tower Hamlets Town Hall, 60 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1BJ, on Thursday 1 October.
Posted on Thursday 8th October 2026