Revision protest
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Transcript of Revision protest
REVISION: Protest, Law and Order in the
Twentieth CenturyComplete your sheets as you hear about each
protest
The Suffragettes• Suffrage = the right to vote• Womens’ rights had improved
after 1900: more women were able to go to University and worked in roles like nursing and teaching• Many (not all!) in society
believed that a woman’s role was at home and that women lacked the intelligence to vote
Two main groups:National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) •Founded in 1897.• Led by Millicent Fawcett.•Believed in peaceful
protest.•Were prepared to work
with politicians •Known as SUFFRAGISTS
Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) • Founded in 1903.• Led by the Pankhursts.• They were impatient with the
NUWSS’ lack of progress• They were nicknamed
“suffragettes” by the Daily Mail newspaper• Their motto was “Deeds not
Words”
“Deeds not words”
The Suffragettes’ CampaignThe Suffragette campaign became more violent after 1906 because:• They had realised that being sent to
prison got publicity, which = support• The campaign had started in 1897 and
had achieved little – they were impatient• When Herbert Asquith (a Liberal)
became Prime Minister, he challenged the Suffragettes to show they were popular. 500,000 women marched through London on “Womens’ Sunday” in 1908. Asquith did nothing.
Gaining further publicity• Frustration grew – huge
demonstrations outside Parliament in 1908 and ‘rushes’ into Parliament• Those who went to prison went on
hunger strike to create martyrs for the cause• They were force fed
The Conciliation Bill and Black Friday• The Liberal Government (led by Asquith)
promised to give women the vote in Jan 1910• This still had not passed into law by
November 1910• An angry demonstration on 18th November
1910 turned into a riot. Police were heavy handed and there were complaints bout sexual and physical violence against protestors. This was known as Black Friday.• Asquith dropped plans to give women the
vote in November 1911. This triggered the most violent phase of the campaign
Violence after 1911• Bleach poured into post boxes• Bombs• Attacks on mens’ clubs• In 1912 Mary Leigh threw an axe at the
Prime Minister• Mary Richardson slashed a famous
portrait at the National Gallery• In June 1913 Emily Davison threw
herself in front of the King’s horse during the famous Derby race and died
1914 – 1918: a very different kind of campaign• The campaign was suspended in
1914 because of the outbreak of WW1• As most men were away at war,
women stepped into “mens’” jobs and some argue they “proved” their equality through their contribution• Women over 30 were given the
vote in 1918 after the war. Women over 21 received suffrage in 1928
The General Strike: 1926
The Background to the General Strike• Union membership was growing • The Triple Industrial Alliance (TIA)
had promised to support each other in strikes – this was the transport, railway and miners’ unions• There was a fear of revolution (after
the Communists had taken over Russia in 1917)• There was an economic slump,
which harmed Britain’s economy
The effect of WW1: Black Friday• The Government had controlled coal mines
during the war. Miners were crucial to success, so had high wages, good working hours and safety improved. • After the war in 1921, mines were returned
to their owners. This was unpopular with miners. • Miners thought pay would decrease and
hours go up. They called a strike but the TIA thought they had done this too quickly and didn’t support them. The Strike failed and was known as Black Friday.
Red Friday: 31st July 1925• When owners proposed a further cut in
wages and an extra hour of work every day, miners called a strike.• The Government stepped in and:• Paid the owners a subsidy to stop the
changes• Set up the Samuel committee to investigate
problems in the mining industry
• This was a success for the miners but it led to a belief that mine owners were greedy.
/minute
The Samuel Report and the trigger for the strike• In March 1926, the Samuel Report
recommended that miners take a pay cut• The Trade Union Congress (TUC) steps in
and begins to organise a General Strike to support the miners – they thought the threat of a strike would be enough to scare the government into action• The Daily Mail tried to print an article in
May 1926 attacking the strike. The printers refused to print the article and the Government broke off negotiations with the TUC. The Strike had started…
How did the Strike unfold?• The TUC’s plans were disorganised and
strikers did not follow the plans• Local groups coordinated action in
their areas (rather than the TUC) and were very successful in bringing transport and other services to a complete stop• It was generally a peaceful strike but
5,000 were arrested for disorder
The Government’s response• They launched The British Gazette, a
propaganda newspaper attacking the strike• The BBC refused to let Labour politicians or
strikers on the radio• The courts ruled that the Strike was illegal• The government had coordinated local
resistance, including stockpiling supplies• Emergency Powers Act (1920) allowed more
police to be called up• The army was used to defend London
The end of the strike and its impact• The TUC called off the strike after 10
days. They had been portrayed as trying to overthrow the Government• This was not their aim but their
decision was fuelled by the widespread fear of communism• The strike was too big to control• The Miners remained on strike for
another 10 months, until hunger forced them back to work. They failed• Trade Union membership had fallen by
50% by 1930
The Miners’ Strike: 1984-5
Background to the Strike• Miners had gone on strike in 1974 and forced
the Conservative party out of power. • They had gone on strike again in 1979,
forcing the Labour party out of power, with Margaret Thatcher becoming Conservative Prime Minister• Coal mining was in serious trouble – it was
cheaper to buy coal from abroad• The Government announced plans in March
1984 to close 20 pits, including Cortonwood in Yorkshire. This started the Strike.
Key figuresMargaret Thatcher, Conservative Prime Minister
Arthur Scargill, NUM (National Union of Mineworkers leader
BUT THERE WAS A BIG PROBLEM!The Miners had not held a ballot (vote) to decide whether to strike.
This made the Strike ILLEGAL.
Miners’ tactics• Flying pickets helped to spread the
strike quickly• Relied upon local media support• Solidarity in mining communities• NUM gave financial support to striking
miners• Women supported by taking on extra
work and setting up soup kitchens• Tried to stop “scabs” from crossing the
picket line (going back to work)• Posters, badges, leaflets
Government tactics• The government had stockpiled coal
and bought from abroad• Responded to the illegal strike by
confiscating £5 million from the NUM• They promised the Miners’ of
Nottingham that their jobs were safe, so they didn’t go on strike• Brought in Police from all over the
country to support “scabs” in getting back to work• Road blocks used to stop flying pickets• The Government fed the national press
stories about corruption in the NUM
Outcomes of the Strike• Support for the miners faded after a
number of violent incidents: the death of a taxi driver in Wales• In December 1984 the TUC began to
pressure the NUM into settling• Miners began to drift back to work• Mass pickets were banned in Yorkshire –
they could only now be 6 people• In Feburary the NUM voted to end the
strike, against the will of Scargill• It ended without the NCB (National Coal
Board) changing anything – they still went ahead with planned pit closures.
The Poll Tax: 1990s
What was the Poll Tax?• It replaced the rates system• It was a charge on every
adult above 18• The money raised was to be
spent on local government• It was to be £417 per person
when introduced• Surveys showed that 70% of
the population would be worse off under the Poll Tax
Protest and Resistance• The Poll Tax was
introduced in Scotland first• The Labour Party and
trade unions tried to organise traditional marches and protests• People handed out leaflets
and wrote to their MPS. But others decided that more needed to be done…
Grass-roots protest and Resistance• Ordinary people set up
opposition to demonstrate against and resist the poll tax. • This shows two kinds of
protest:• Protest within the law:
campaigns to build public protest e.g. demonstrations• Resistance to the law: people
prepared to break the law (by not paying the tax) and take the consequences.
Methods of resistance
41. Non-registration: not registering
and ignoring the fines given as a result of non-registration
2. Non-payment: local groups (Anti Poll Tax Unions or APTUs) often did this together so they could support each other if taken to court
3. Non-implementation: putting pressure on your local council to ignore the tax
4. Non-collection: asking trade union members responsible for collecting the tax not to do so.
How effective was resistance?
£• By September 1989, 15% of Scottish
people were not paying the tax• By April 1990, the government
declared that 1 million Scots had not paid a penny of the tax• By July 1990 in England there were 14
million non payers. 97,000 of these were in Haringey• By March 1991 over 18 million people
had refused to pay• In total, £2.5 billion of the tax was not
paid before it was scrapped in 1993
The Battle of Trafalgar Square, 31 March 1990
• The All-Britain Federation (a group of APTUs) called for a national demonstration• They expected 20,000
people. 200,000 attended• The protest began with
peaceful marches including families, young people and pensioners. But then…
The Battle of Trafalgar Square, 31 March 1990
“The majority of those who became embroiled in the running battles had nothing to do with our protest”Tommy Sheridan, The Chair of the All-Britain Federation
• Some protestors wanted to deliver a petition to 10 Downing Street but the Police refused• Protesters then tried to
climb over railings into Downing Street and the Police charged on protestors• Most protestors left but
3,000 stayed in Trafalgar Square and rioted
The end of the Poll Tax• The response of the Police
made it look like they had no control• The Conservative party
then performed poorly in local council elections in May 1990• Thatcher was forced to
resign in November 1990• In April 1991 it was
announced that the Poll Tax would be replaced by Council Tax. But…
The end of the Poll Tax• Protests continued as
the Poll Tax was still charged until April 1993
The media’s role• The media mostly reported
what protestors were doing• The media blamed left-
wing members of the campaign, calling them extremists and a “rent-a-mob”. They were blamed for turning protests violent• These groups included
Militant Tendency and the Socialist Workers Party• The media criticised the
rioters in Trafalgar Square.