Statement from United East End
Friday 12 June, 2026
UNITED EAST END EVOKES BATTLE OF CABLE STREET IN CONDEMNING RACIST VIOLENCE AND ISLAMOPHOBIA IN BELFAST
LONDON — 12 June, 2026
United East End (UEE), a community coalition rooted in Tower Hamlets’ historic resistance to fascism, unreservedly condemns the recent outbreak of racist violence and escalating Islamophobia in Belfast.
Drawing a direct parallel to the 1936 Battle of Cable Street—where East London’s diverse communities united to stop Oswald Mosley’s fascists—UEE warns that modern far-right extremists are using the exact same playbook of division, scapegoating, and terror.
The recent appalling attack on Stephen Ogilvie is being cynically exploited by far-right actors to stoke hatred against immigrants, people of colour, and Muslim communities. UEE echoes the statements of Mr Ogilvie’s own family, emphasising that these targeted groups play a vital role in society and must not face collective blame for the actions of one individual.
The targeting of Muslim families and children, including burning them out of their homes, draws chilling parallels to historical pogroms. UEE notes that for years, both far-right extremists and mainstream politicians have provoked racism and Islamophobia, directly fueling the violence witnessed on the streets today.
Speaking on behalf of United East End, founding members Dr Glyn Robbins and Dr Abdullah Faliq, stated:
“Ninety years ago at the Battle of Cable Street, Irish dockers, Jewish residents, and local workers stood shoulder to shoulder to declare that hatred would not pass in Tower Hamlets. Today, we bring that same spirit of absolute solidarity to our neighbours in Belfast.
We are entering an incredibly dangerous period if we allow bigotry and prejudice to reign. Unity defeats division. We urgently call on all politicians, faith leaders, and community representatives to reject racist scapegoating and actively work for peace, unity, and mutual understanding.”
[Ends]
Statement from United East End
Thursday 22 January, 2026
RACIST UKIP NOT ALLOWED IN TOWER HAMLETS
We have been informed by the Metropolitan Police that UKIP will not be permitted to hold their “Walk with Jesus” in our borough on 31st January.
We warmly welcome this. It is recognition of our community’s determination to stand together and insist that Tower Hamlets is No Place for Hate. From the Battle of Cable Street 90 years ago, to the defeat of the racist groups such as the National Front, British National Party and English Defence League, we will always oppose racism and prejudice.
On this occasion, the UK Independence Party (UKIP) tried to use Christianity as a false flag for sowing division. In response, many churches have joined local people, of all faiths and none, to say UKIP are not welcome here.
Mthr. Bernadette Hegarty, a Vicar of St Paul’s Church Bow Common since 2014, said,
“Churches and church groups in Tower Hamlets work closely with the Mayor and United East End to oppose the Far-Right because its politics of division harm the common good and threaten vulnerable people. We are particularly concerned when Far-Right groups use Christian symbols, language or imagery at their events which distorts the Gospel and misrepresents the faith. In Tower Hamlets, we seek to strengthen trust, encourage understanding and stand with our neighbours against extremism with compassion rather than fear.”
But the danger of fascism has not gone away. Across the country, we are facing a growing threat from the Far-Right, including the Reform Party, who repeatedly use racist scapegoating to try to win support.
That is why, on 28th March, there will be a national demonstration against the Far-Right in central London, organised by the Together Alliance, calling for hope, love and unity.
Recent research found that 91% of Tower Hamlets residents think people from different backgrounds get along well together. We are not an “island of strangers” as the Prime Minister has said, and we don’t need Nick Tenconi of UKIP or Nigel Farage of Reform telling us how we should live, pray, or who our neighbours should be.
United East End (UEE) was founded in 2010 to oppose the EDL. It is a non-party political alliance of local community organisations, faith groups, trade unions, and anti-racist groups.
We encourage everyone to sign our statement which can be accessed here: https://unitedeastend.org.uk/ukip-walk-with-jesus/
Thank you.
Dr Glyn Robbins & Dr Abdullah Faliq
Founding Members, United East End
info@unitedeastend.org.uk
www.unitedeastend.org.uk
Image Credits: Salam Jones & Rehan Jamil
PRESS RELEASE
United East End
Monday 27 October, 2025
UEE hails success of peaceful Victory Parade after the Far-Right were prevented from entering Tower Hamlets
Thousands of people from across the East End (UEE) and beyond gathered on Saturday afternoon to declare: “Tower Hamlets is no place for hate.” The event was originally planned as the Tower Hamlets Unity Demo Against the Far-Right and Islamophobia, after UKIP announced plans to rally in Tower Hamlets. However, serious concerns from the community prompted the Metropolitan Police to stop the proposed UKIP demonstration in the borough.
Following the police announcement last Tuesday, UEE rebranded the Unity Demo as a Victory Parade, celebrating the community’s unity and diversity in preventing a group of neo-Nazis, under the guise of UKIP, from marching through the borough.
United East End (UEE) was formed in 2010 to successfully block the English Defence League from entering Tower Hamlets. The organisation went on to prevent them again in 2011 and 2013, with the mass mobilisation during that period contributing to the collapse of the English Defence League.
Once again, a broad, non-party political alliance came together on Saturday under the UEE banner. In just a few weeks, nearly 60 organisations (www.unitedeastend.org.uk), including national bodies, faith groups, trade unions, and community organisations, pledged support for the unity demonstration. The celebration was also backed by the elected Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman who said,
“The Far-Right has never succeeded in dividing the East End and they never will. Thank you to everyone who came together from across our community to celebrate our diversity and stand united against racism and hate”.
Mayor Rahman joined a wide range of speakers. They included David Rosenberg from the Jewish Socialist Group; Somali leader Safia Jama from the Women’s Inclusive Team; Sufia Alam from the Maryam Centre; Revd. James Olanipekum, co-chair of the borough’s Inter-Faith Forum; Junaid Ahmad, CEO of the East London Mosque; Faisal Ahmad, community activist from Tower Hamlets Palestine Solidarity Network; Weyman Bennett, co-convenor of Stand Up To Racism; Shabbir Lakha from Stop the War and a member of Counterfire; Abul Khayar Ali, Chair of the Brick Lane Community Forum; Mother Bernadette Hegarty, Anglican vicar at St Paul’s Bow Common Church and a member of TELCO; Hamid Azad, President of the Muslim Community Association; and Samira Ali from Women Against the Far-Right.
Jeremy Corbyn MP made a surprise appearance and delivered the closing remarks.
“Thank you Lutfur for your work as Mayor of Tower Hamlets to prevent the fascists marching down these streets. Thank you for standing up for the entirety of our community in opposition to the Far-Right. And thank you everyone for being here today. Look around you in the crowd, what do you see? People from all ethnic communities, nationalities, languages, young, old, black, white, men, women – because we are united in the kind of community we want to live in.”
Mother Bernadette Hegarty said: “So my message today is let’s keep building bridges, not walls. Let’s keep showing that love is stronger than hate, unity is stronger than division.”
Spoken word artist Kinan Salam, whose work blends raw lyricism with faith, identity, and social truth, inspired the crowd with a powerful performance titled “Get out of my country!”
Dr Glyn Robbins, co-founder of UEE, read a statement from Ruth Levitas, niece of the late Max Levitas, a former supporter of UEE who took part in the Battle of Cable Street in 1936. Ms Levitas’ message reminded the rally:
“The title of Saturday’s rally, Unity, is exactly right. Cable Street reminds us that if we refuse to be divided by race, colour or creed, it is possible to defeat the Far-Right.”
The newly formed national campaign Women Against the Far-Right had a strong presence at the rally.
There was also a large contingent of Tower Hamlets youth, mobilised from across the borough to defend the community. The usual detractors in the media as well as racists and Islamophobes focused on the youth because they covered their faces due to concerns about facial recognition and Far-Right agitators with cameras intent on provoking a reaction. The youth conducted themselves very well with not a single incident or arrest.
The campaign for both the Tower Hamlets Unity Demo and the Victory Parade was led by Dr Abdullah Faliq, who also co-chaired Saturday’s event. Faliq, President of the European Network on Religion and Belief and a founding member of United East End, urged the crowd to maintain its determination not to be divided and to defend the multicultural, inclusive tradition of Tower Hamlets. He added,
“This is one of the largest and most diverse mobilisations in the borough against the Far-Right. These racist groups have long had a symbolic interest in our borough, frequently attempting to protest near locations like the East London Mosque, which they view as emblematic of multicultural Britain.”
Faliq was joined by Sabby Dhalu, co-convenor of Stand Up To Racism, who stressed the continued need for mass mobilisation against the Far-Right in Tower Hamlets and beyond.
In contrast to the repeated violence and disruption seen at Far-Right marches, including attacks on the police, Saturday’s Victory Parade was entirely peaceful, with no arrests or disorder. UEE thanks everyone involved, and all our supporters, for contributing to this landmark community mobilisation against the Far-Right.
[End]
Media and other queries:
info@unitedeastend.org.uk
Image Credits:
Salam Jones
Rehan Jamil