oryx
Sitting on the bok of the day
Sounds like the People's March For Jobs, May 1981. The London demo was my first one.
What was the first demonstration you ever went on?
- Thread starter Geri
- Start date
Sounds like the People's March For Jobs, May 1981. The London demo was my first one.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
That was one of the welling ones.
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
Yeah, but given the running bit either May 8th, which was fun, or October 16th, which wasn't so much fun.
Johnny Canuck3
Well-Known Member
A protest against the detonation of a nuclear test in the Aleutians, at a place called Amchitka Island.
That protest saw the birth of Greenpeace.
1971, I guess.
That protest saw the birth of Greenpeace.
1971, I guess.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Anti Nazi League in 94 which ended up in Brockwell park where I saw Billy Bragg, The Manics and The Levellers for the first time. I was 15 and went with Geoff who really didn't want to see 2 of the above.
You saw them again after that!
Voley
🐭
Anti Nazi League in 94 which ended up in Brockwell park where I saw Billy Bragg, The Manics and The Levellers for the first time. I was 15 and went with Geoff who really didn't want to see 2 of the above.
Ha!
I had the same problem that day, too.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Sometimes sacrifices must be made.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Is it any wonder the BNP now have 101 seats?
(rather than the *one* that event was designed to combat )
(rather than the *one* that event was designed to combat )
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Put it on e-bay, they're worth something now Was a great mag for the time, production vlaues not brillant, content usually very good. And, of course, only part of the struggle.
Was a great mag for the time, production vlaues not brillant, content usually very good. And, of course, only part of the struggle.
Voley
🐭
Was Oct 16th the one where the police basically stopped the march on Wickham Lane?
Treacle Toes
Time
A CND one probably.... 70s.
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
I'm not sure which was the first. The chronology is a bit hazy in my memory, they were close timewise. I've a feeling that the Battle of Lewisham was first but it might have been St Nicks. I'll err on the side of St Nicks, cos there's loads of other accounts of Lewisham.
'Save St Nicks' was a campaign in the late 70s. St Nicholas was the local hospital in Plumstead, and threatened with closure. It was very much a community hospital. Quite small but the nearest for people living in Thamesmead, Abbey Wood, Plumstead, Welling, and Woolwich. The Brook hospital on Shooters Hill was big (and Victorian/imposing) and there was Greenwich hospital too - but both of these were a bit of a pain in the arse to get to quickly when St Nicks was just up the road.
So loads of lobbying and a march. The march was from St Nicks to the Elephant. It didn't seem like loads of us at the time, maybe 30 max, but we held up the traffic and got some TV coverage. They still ended up closing the hospital although I've found a Hansard report which (for me) is interesting reading. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1978/jun/22/st-nicholas-hospital-plumstead
'Save St Nicks' was a campaign in the late 70s. St Nicholas was the local hospital in Plumstead, and threatened with closure. It was very much a community hospital. Quite small but the nearest for people living in Thamesmead, Abbey Wood, Plumstead, Welling, and Woolwich. The Brook hospital on Shooters Hill was big (and Victorian/imposing) and there was Greenwich hospital too - but both of these were a bit of a pain in the arse to get to quickly when St Nicks was just up the road.
So loads of lobbying and a march. The march was from St Nicks to the Elephant. It didn't seem like loads of us at the time, maybe 30 max, but we held up the traffic and got some TV coverage. They still ended up closing the hospital although I've found a Hansard report which (for me) is interesting reading. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1978/jun/22/st-nicholas-hospital-plumstead
Paulie Tandoori
shut it you egg!
a protest against the NF at the council chambers in kingston-upon-thames in the winter of 1984. much pushing and jostling but not much more, i was surprised how normal they all looked tbh, slightly smug and corpulent white middle-aged-men, i thought we'd be having a ruck with a load of boneheads but it was the cops who were the lairiest lot.
We organised a protest on our housing estate in 1985 when I was still at school.
Everyone had had enough of the poor housing conditions so we marched into the council offices based on the estate with banners and placards. We told them that we were having a sit-in protest which would continue until the council invested some cash to improve conditions. And the staff promptly got up and left the building!!!
We were there for 3 weeks night and day, and used the offices as a base to organise tenants meetings, disruption of council meetings at the town hall and press releases.
We managed to get £2 million from the government for improvements.
Everyone had had enough of the poor housing conditions so we marched into the council offices based on the estate with banners and placards. We told them that we were having a sit-in protest which would continue until the council invested some cash to improve conditions. And the staff promptly got up and left the building!!!
We were there for 3 weeks night and day, and used the offices as a base to organise tenants meetings, disruption of council meetings at the town hall and press releases.
We managed to get £2 million from the government for improvements.
Guineveretoo
Mostly bewildered
I genuinely cannot remember the first demo I went on. There were lots when I was a teenager and at uni in the 70s... 
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
Yes I was there and saw the SWP throw bricks at the BNP headquarters before things kicked off. It was meant to be a peaceful protest in memory of Stephen Lawrence, but I guess the violence got the press interested 
I was chatting to a cab driver recently who lived near the demo and said his newly built garden wall was totally demolished by the protestors who used the bricks as missiles. He was laughing as he said it though.
During the run up to those demos we orgainsed workshops at the local community centre called 'Young, Black, Gifted and Alive' where we taught photography, filmaking, dance, costume making and poetry.
I think I still have some photos somewhere.
I was chatting to a cab driver recently who lived near the demo and said his newly built garden wall was totally demolished by the protestors who used the bricks as missiles. He was laughing as he said it though.
During the run up to those demos we orgainsed workshops at the local community centre called 'Young, Black, Gifted and Alive' where we taught photography, filmaking, dance, costume making and poetry.
I think I still have some photos somewhere.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
No one got near the HQ though. The OB made a deliberate diecison to block people from getting there at the top of the cemetry park. And i certainly don't remember it as being being a demo in memory of stephen lawrence. It was ceratin,y at the smame time, but i don't hink the march had any aim other than to close the BNP HQ.
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