Exhibition: Unite and Resist

This exhibition showcases original archives from the collections which illustrate the prolific activism of the people of Tower Hamlets in the latter decades of the twentieth century.

From the Stepney School Strike to the Battle of Brick Lane, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Stop Clause 28, the exhibition shines a light on these and other important moments in the borough’s recent history including several lesser known struggles.

This period of rapid change saw Tower Hamlets residents forming independent collectives and rising up in protest in response to a variety of emerging threats. Despite the constant flux in the local area during these three decades, East Enders' persistent resistance to racism and fascism recurs throughout the exhibition.

The display features banners, badges, garments, posters, photographs, pamphlets and other archives which provide important evidence of these sometimes short-lived campaigns. Most of the items on display have been newly acquired or newly catalogued and have never before been on public display.