Protest! The Battle for Equality

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In the 1970s, racial tensions in the East End were running high. The far-right National Front became a visible presence in the area, fuelling hostility towards immigrant communities, especially those of South Asian or Caribbean descent. In response, local residents rallied and organised demonstrations, such as the march (above) on Whitechapel Road in June 1976, led by the Anti-Racist Committee of Asians in East London.

“Paul Trevor’s beautiful and empathetic pictures record the daily lives of people here with an acute eye, while also recording the vast physical changes and witnessing the social tensions too – manifested particularly in the demonstrations by the Anti Nazi League against the National Front.”

The Gentle Author, Spitalfields Life

Artist Dan Jones depicts the strike of 800 children in support of their teacher, Chris Searle, at Sir John Cass School in Stepney

The 1889 dockers’ strike procession, marching along Commercial Road

The mural commemorating the Battle of Cable Street