Cable Street: proud of our past, hope for our future

THE 90TH anniversary of the battle of Cable Street was marked on 4th October. It was not just an occasion to be nostalgic – it also marked the subsequent history of immigration and growing Tower Hamlets into a harmonious borough.

Now the Council is running two exhibitions to remind us of the past and the future. Let Mayor Lutfur Rahman explain.

Mayor Lutfur Rahman

“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,” he said.
“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% of our residents say people from different backgrounds get along well in their local area shows how relevant that spirit of community remains today.”

The Council refers to the Battle of Cable Street being an occasion when “residents came together to stop a fascist march through Stepney”. Most historians recall the fascists’ muster point being at Tower Hill, with the anti-fascist crowds putting up barricades at Gardiner’s Corner (the junction of Whitechapel High Street and Commercial Road) and, of course, in Cable Street. This is why the event is called “The Battle of Cable Street” rather than “The Battle of Stepney”. Not all protestors were “residents”: many were local, but supporters came from the trade unions, the Communist Party, Jewish and other anti-fascist organisations – but we digress.

The Battle of Cable Street
Tower Hamlets Local History Library, 277 Bancroft Road, E1 3DQ, throughout October.
This is an exhibition showing “photographs, newspapers, ephemera and archival records” of the build up to the Battle and the events of the day.

A borough built by newcomers
Tower Hamlets Town Hall.
This exhibition looks at the story of migration to and community in the borough and how the newcomers all shaped the streets, buildings, businesses and institutions we see today.

●Read more about it:
Mayor Lutfur Rahman speaks at Cable Street anniversary
Deputy Mayor and colleagues mark Cable St anniversary