A season of cultural events to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street – full current listings below, but subject to change and addition. Watch this space for updates.
When we have links for booking tickets, they are added below the event.
Grand Union Orchestra “Cable Street 90” concert, 4th October, 7pm, Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, E2 6HG
The East End’s homegrown intercultural Orchestra, stand against racism and negative narratives with music and songs that celebrate diverse stories and voices.
After the local march and rally, join us for powerful songs, big-band jazz with musical traditions from across the globe that honour the unique demographic of Tower Hamlets.
New Cockney Poetry Grand Slam, 4th October, 5pm, St. Geroge In-The-East church, Cannon Street Road, E1 0BH with Michael Rosen and friends
Join our special guests, Michael Rosen and Ovyuki – our in-house poet – to celebrate the modern Cockney (bold, inclusive and generous non-posh Londoners) and the anti-fascist legacy of the Battle of Cable Street.
New Cockney Poetry Grand Slam Tickets, Sunday 4 October • 5 PM – 6:30 PM | Eventbrite
The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff, 3rd October, 3.00pm and 7pm, St George In-The-East church, CRnnon Street Road, E1 0BH, written and performed by The Young’uns
On the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, we are delighted to welcome the brilliant Young’uns to the East End to give to performances of their working class folk opera, The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff.
The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff (Matinee) at St George in the East event tickets from TicketSource
The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff (Evening) at St George in the East event tickets from TicketSource
Film and Discussion: “The Battle of Stockton”, 2nd October, 7pm, The Space, 269 Westferry Road, E14, 3RS
Three years before the Battle of Cable Street, the people of Stockton in the north-east of England, organised to keep the fascist blackshirts out of their town. We’ll be joined by some Stocktonians who will share a film about this important – and too often overlooked – episode in the struggle against the far-right.
The Battle of Stockton – The Space
Open Mic with East Storytellers, 2nd October, 6pm, Streets of Growth Aldgate
6 Middlesex Street, London, E1 7EX
90 years on from the Battle of Cable Street, what are the stories that define us?
Join the East storytellers for an evening of tales from the East End and beyond.
This event brings together storytellers and local cimmunities to share stories of migration, belonging and kindness and showcase the solidarity that has always defined our capital city. If you’d like to tell a story there’ll be an opportunity for you to share at the open mic!
Play: “Kate Kelly”, by Elaine Delay, 1st, 3rd and 4th October, The Space, 269 Westferry Road, E14, 3RS
Local playwright and anti-racist activist, Elaine Delay, tells the story of what her Irish family were doing on Cable Street in 1936, to be performed in the unique environment of The Space on the Isle of Dogs. More info. and booking link below.
Battle of Cable Street Exhibition Launch, 1st October, 6pm, Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives, 277 Bancroft Road, E3 4DQ
Marking the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, this exhibition draws on photographs, newspapers, ephemera and archival documents to revisit this pivotal moment in East End history.
The exhibition explores the events of 4 October 1936, the wider local and international context, the rise of fascism in East London, and the legacy of the Battle — from the build-up, the aftermath to its later commemorations, and the enduring relevance to contemporary political life.
To commemorate this historical event we will be exploring the wider political context with David Rosenbery, Derek Gadd and Jim Jump.
Battle of Cable Street Exhibition Launch Tickets, Thursday, October 1 • 6 PM – 8 PM | Eventbrite
Online Meeting: Comedy v Fascism, with Alexei Sayle, 30th September. 7pm
A free online panel discussion with Alexei Sayle and other comedians
In the 1930s P. G. Wodehouse parodied Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts through his comic creation of Roderick Spode, the leader of ‘The Saviours of Britain’ aka the ‘Black Shorts’. Wodehouse opposed fascists by making them look ridiculous.
Comedy legend Peter Cook however, once dismissed the impact of humour to achieve political change with an ironic tribute to, “All those German political satirists on the Berlin alternative cabaret circuit who did so much to stop fascism in the 1930s”.
The rise of the far right in modern Britain is no laughing matter, but can comedy, irony, or satire be harnessed for political impact?
Select tickets – Comedy v fascism – Zoom
Online Meeting: Voices of Cable Street: Witnesses to the Battle, 29th September, 6pm
What were the voices – on both sides – of those who lived through one of the most defining confrontations in Cockney and working-class history?
What did the people who stood on Cable Street in 1936 really see, feel, and believe? What were the voices – on both sides – of those who lived through one of the most defining confrontations in Cockney and working-class history?
Thanks to a remarkable research project, we can hear the stories being told from both the Blackshirts and the anti-fascists who resisted them. Join Professor Pippa Catterall of the University of Westminster, who, in 1991 assembled a remarkable gathering from both sides of the battle to record a witness seminar – a rare moment where former opponents spoke openly about their experiences. Featuring readings from these testimonies, bringing their voices vividly back to life.
General admission – free, online – Voices of Cable Street: witnesses to the Battle – Zoom
Public Meeting: “Women, Rent Strikes and Cable Street”, 27th September, 7pm, Hason Raja Centre, 117 Vallance Rd, London E1 5BW
In the 1930s, then as now, the fight for better housing went hand-in-hand with the fight against the far right. The East End saw some of the biggest campaigns against slum landlords and evictions, including rent strikes involving some of the same people, often led by women, who were on Cable Street on 4th October 1936.
Banner making workshop: Friends Against Fascism, 27th September, 10.00 – 12.30 and 1.30 – 16.00, Mile End Cemetery Park, Soanes Centre, Southern Grove, E3 4PX
On Sunday 4th October, The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park will be joining the march and celebration in honour of the 90th anniversary of The Battle of Cable Street. We need you to help!
Join us for to make banners for the march with creative facilitator and textile artist F. Zeeshan Choudhury.
Revolutionary Singalong, Battle of Cable Street edition, 24th September, 6.30, The Dundee Arms, Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9LH
Get your singing voices and your revolutionary hearts ready for a night of solidarity and protest songs.
The Black Smock Band – South East London’s premier gay ecosocialist folk band (as far as they know) – has been organising communal music-making for the queer community and for leftie political events since 2010, as well as playing music venues from Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club to The Jamm in Brixton.
As part of Together on Cable Street, they’ll share a few songs from their gig-theatre piece on the history of protest, before inviting you to join in with some revolutionary classics such as ‘Bread and Roses’ and ‘Solidarity Forever’, as well as a few well-known folksong staples. You’ll also have a chance to see a screening of UNITE’s film on Cable Street. Get ready for a really special evening.
Songbooks will be provided!
Book Event: “Bye Bye Black Shirt”, 22nd September, 7pm, Peoples Letters, 395 Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, E2 9RA, with author, Mark Krantz
Mark’s newly published book tells the history of the two years of anti-fascist struggle that successfully broke the rise of Oswald Mosley and his antisemitic British Union of Fascists. Opposition to Mosley took place across the country; from Newcastle to Plymouth, Hull to Liverpool, Scotland to Wales, and reaching its climax in Cable Street. The movement that halted the rise of fascism in Britain was made up of members of the Communist Party, the Independent Labour Party, the Labour party, trade unionists, church and community groups, and social and cultural organisations.
Mark Krantz’s previous works include The 1842 General Strike (Bookmarks, 2014) and The Cotton Famine: Lancashire Textile Workers and the American Civil War (Red Roof, 2017).
Concert: The East London Community Band plays jazz for Cable Street, 19th September, 2pm, The Yurt Cafe, 2 Butcher Row, London, E14, 8DS
A performance by our local community musicians, just a stone’s throw (!) from Cable Street.
Film: “Everybody to Kenmure Street”, 15th September, (with Tower Hamlets Stand Up To Racism), 6.30pm, Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, Bethnal Green, E2, 6HG
The film follows the events of a 2021 Home Office immigration raid on Kenmure Street in Glasgow’s Pollokshields neighbourhood at dawn on the day of Eid al-Fatir. Local residents gathered to prevent the detention of individuals, with hundreds surrounding the Home Office van.
Film Season: “Women Resist’ at The Genesis Cinema, 93 – 95 Mile End Road, London, E1 4UJ
A special season of three films celebrating the vital role of women in social justice struggles, at our beloved independent local cinema.
14 September: Iron Ladies (2025): A celebration of the iron willed women who maintained the 1984/85 Miners’ Strike as they fought for the future of their communities.
21 September: Sisters in Law (2005): documentary about a woman prosecutor and judge in Kumba (Cameroon) tackling domestic violence.
Introduction and Q&A by Christina Blacklaws, a life-time activist for women’s rights. As President of the Law Society of England and Wales, Christina spearheaded a global campaign to promote women in leadership in law. She now sits on the Council of the Human Rights Institute and is actively involved supporting women’s rights.
28 September: I’m still here (2024) tells the true story of a mother who fights for justice after her husband, Rubens Paiva, is taken and disappears during the military dictatorship in Brazil.
Introduction and Q&A by Sue Branford, a journalist who reported from Brazil during the worst years of the military dictatorship. She will talk briefly about the situation in Brazil at the time of Rubens Paiva’s disappearance in 1971.
Whitechapel Freedom Walk, 16th August, 11am, meet Whitechapel Mission, 212 Whitechapel Road, E1 1BJ, with Peter Ashan
The Freedom Walk will celebrate this multi-ethnic, multi-faith community, from the 16th century to today, and the many struggles for equality and justice the community has fought for.
The route is flat and accessible, with many places to stop along the walk for refreshments.
Peter Ashan is an educator, author and anti-racist campaigner. He was born in Hackney to parents from the Caribbean. He has been leading Freedom Walks since 2007.
Cable Street History Walk, 26th july, 11.30am, meet Aldgate East station, with Dave Rosenberg
The walk starts near Gardners Corner, where local anti-fascists gathered on 4th October 1936. It then follows the historic route to Cable Street, finishing at the famous mural. Your guide is noted local historian, Dave Rosenberg, author of Rebel Footprints – Pluto Press
(The walk takes about two and-a-half hours, is flat and about 2 miles long.)
Book event: “A People’s History of the Anti-Nazi League”, 7th July, 7pm, The Common Press bookshop, 118 Bethnal Green Road, E2 6DG, with author Geoff Brown
The Anti-Nazi League (ANL) was formed in 1977, an important example of a “United Front” approach to resisting the far-right. The ANL has a particular connection to Tower Hamlets because of its link to Rock Against Racism and its huge concert in Victoria Park on 30th April 1978, attended by 100,000 people. Tower Hamlets teacher Blair Peach was also a member of the ANL. Geoff’s book looks at the history of the ANL and why its tactics remain relevant today.
Geoff Brown has been an active socialist and trade unionist since the late 1960s and was an ANL organiser in Manchester from 1977 to 1979 and later worked for the University and Collee Union (UCU). He has written extensively on apartheid and anti-racism.
The Common Press bookshop is twenty yards from a particularly important landmark in the resistance to the far right. During the 1970s and 80s, the top end of Brick Lane was where the National Front used to gather and sell their racist materials, until they were driven away by the local Bangladeshi community and anti-racist activists, including the ANL.
Public Meeting: Women and the Spanish Civil War, 2nd July, 7pm, Peoples Letters, 395 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9RA, with Meirian Jump
There are close and important links between the Battle of Cable Street and the Spanish Civil War. Many people from the East End went from one, to the other and joined the International Brigade to fight fascism. Meirian Jump will tell the often-overlooked story of women who went to Spain to support the Republican government against Franco.
Meirian is the Director of the Marx Memorial Library & Workers’ School (MML). An archivist, she has worked at MML – home to the most significant and comprehensive archive on the Spanish Civil War in the UK – for over a decade. She is also granddaughter of international brigader, Jimmy Jump.
Public Meeting: Cable Street and the Bryant and May Matchwomen, 23rd June, 7.30 pm, St Paul Old ford, 84 St Stephens Road, E3 5JL, with Louise Raw
In her groundbreaking 2011 book, “Strike a Light”, Louise Raw uncovered the stories behind the historic 1888 strike at the Bryant and May match factory in Bow. Like The Battle of Cable Street, this was a pivotal episode in labour history, centred on the East End. Louise will talk about her book and the women who also went on to play a role in fighting the far-right.
Book event: “A People’s History of London”, 9th june, 7pm, The People’s Letters, 395 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9RA, with Lindsey German and John Rees
Lindsey, a co-convenor of Stop the War, will talk about the second edition of her book (written with John Ress). When the book was first published in 2012, The Guardian review recommended it for “those who continue to uphold London’s living traditions of protest”. At a time when there is again talk of banning marches. It will be fascinating to hear Lindsey relate this on-going tension to the issues that swirled around the Battle of Cable Street in 1936.
Public Meeting: Remembering Blair Peach
2nd June, 5.30pm, Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, Bethnal Green, E2 6HG, organised by Tower Hamlets and City National Education Union (NEU)
Blair Peach (1946 – 1979) was an anti-racist activist, Tower Hamlets teacher and member of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), predecessor of the NEU. He was murdered while taking part in an Anti-Nazi League demonstration against the neo-Nazi National Front in Southall on 24th April 1979.
The Tower Hamlets and City NEU banner proudly bears Blair’s image. This meeting will discuss his life and death, and link it to the wider struggle against the far-right and the violent threat it poses.
Guest speakers will include Kevin Coutney, former NEU General Secretary and other union members who knew Blair Peach.
Launch Event: 10th May, 1pm, Genesis Cinema, including screening of “From Cable Street to Brick Lane”
TOGETHER on Cable Street will be formally opened by Abdullah Faliq, a leading local anti-racist campaigner and a member of the national Together Alliance steering group that organized the huge anti-racist demonstration in London on 28th March, when hundreds of thousands marched for Love, Hope and Unity.
“From Cable Street to Brick Lane” (2011, 74 mins) was made by local film makers Phil Maxwell and Hazuan Hashim to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street. It tells the story of 4th October 1936 through the words of people who were there, while celebrating the tradition of anti-racism in the East End.
Followed by Q and A with the film directors.