Categories: uncategorized
Date: 03 March 2008 07:04:10
If you fancy a bit of retro activism this spring there's plenty of opportunity.
CND are off to Aldermaston on Easter Monday (24th March) to celebrate 50 years since the original CND march to the weapons research establishment, oh and to protest about the current research being done there relating to the new generation of nuclear submarines and warheads which the government voted for a year ago.
Then in April (27th) you can head off to Victoria Park in London to celebrate the 30th anniversary since the Rock Against Racism Concert . Oh and as the website says "Just as important as commemorating such an historic event & movement, the 2008 Carnival will also aim to inspire thousands today to vote against racism in the Greater London Assembly and local council elections taking place a few days after the Carnival, and to get actively involved in opposing today's fascist parties."
Whilst Retro Activism appears to be the fashionable look to go for this Spring and a very sensible way to protest I do have a couple of worries. Firstly, that through supporting the popular "folk memory" we are losing the full picture of the story of those events. Secondly, I worry that through constantly looking back to the past we may be surpressing the future and stopping the emergence of the next big thing (which we are about due). That said as the publicity for both events shows the original issues are still there, all be in slightly different forms. What I hope these events will do is enable children to hear about the hopes their parents and grandparents had and also to enable those parents and grandparents to reconnect with the ideals they held back then.
As for me, hopefully I'll be off to both. My dad took me to the original RAR carnival, and whilst I was only 6 at the time and so have no memory of seeing the Clash, it's something my dad often talks about. Oh and as for CND at Easter, when I was about the age Third Party is now, my friend and I managed to pursuade my dad to take us to Molesworth to protest at the US base being used to store nuclear weapons.
So yup, whilst I do want to stand up against racism and say no to weapons of mass destruction being produced by our government, (if it's wrong for them why is it right for us?), I admit it - I'll be going for the nostalgia factor.