Saturday protest march is planned on East End’s new Jack the Ripper ‘museum’

Women dressed as suffragettes protest outside new Jack the Ripper venue before it opened (Image: Archant)

It is set to be the fourth demo in Cable Street since the East London Advertiser first revealed the planned opening of a tourist attraction about the 1888 Whitechapel Murders instead of the heritage museum promised about women’s achievements.

Members of Class War plan to march at 2pm to the museum at 12 Cable Street, demanding its closure.

“What was promised as a museum about women’s history in East London has turned out to be a tawdry, cheap and lurid exhibition glorifying violence against women,” protester Jane Nicholl, a retired charity worker, told the Advertiser.

“It has no place in our community. No-one was asked or consulted about it.

Venting anger outside the Ripper venue in Cable Street (Image: Archant)

“Women and children have to walk past this ‘museum’ every day on the way to schools and shops. Children are even promised half price admission to see pictures of women’s bodies ripped apart.

“Our community cannot tolerate this—enough is enough!”

The commercial tourist venue describing itself as “a museum” has been running the gauntlet since the Advertiser’s online world exclusive on July 28 which led to the first protest by women dressed as suffragettes the following week.

Tower Hamlets Mayor John Biggs boycotted the opening, claiming the council had been misled.

Women picket Ripper venue after its planning application was switched (Image: Archant)

It had become clear that “the council’s planning department was misled by the applicant”. So he withdrew from the opening, declaring the decision to run a ‘Jack the Ripper’ attraction instead of a heritage centre celebrating the history of women in the East End as disappointing.

The owners have since erected a metal security shutter after the front window was smashed during an incident last week.

The venue has now had three protests outside, the first by families and East End activists and two by Class War political protest movement, who plan tomorrow’s 2pm march from St George’s Gardens near Shadwell station with up to 500 expected to turn up from all over London—the first demo to be held on a weekend since the controversial ‘Ripper’ venue came to light last month.