IR1501 Protest Movements 2: the 1980s

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IR1501 Protest Movements 2 the 1980s
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Protest in the 1980s

• The next big wave of protest with international
  significance 1980s Europe
• protests against the nuclear arms race - the
  Greenham Common
• Environmental politics
• Social protest against communism in Eastern
  Europe Poland

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Anti-Nuclear Protests

• Importance of CND Campaign for Nuclear
  Disarmament
• Mirrors the development of deterrence and the
  Cold War historically
• Most prominent as aspect of anti-war protest in
  Europe in the 1980s
• inspired by anti-Vietnam War movements
• But not questioning a Hot War challenges
  deterrence as a balance of terror
• Can peace be won by threatening millions of
  civilians?
• Levels of armaments are obscene and futile arms
  control deals of the 1970s have given way to
  Reagans renewed antagonism and spending
• Unimpressive to a generation of Europeans at the
  frontline of superpower rivalry

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The Greenham Common

• March against nuclear silos of Greenham Common
  USAF base
• Critique of British support of US putting an
  instrument of nuclear warfare abroad - alliance
  is suicide?
• Critique of logic of Cold War is echoed in places
  like Germany the front line of potential nuclear
  warfare
• Turns into a womens-only Peace Camp
• Permanent, non-violent, creative protest
  throughout the 1980s
• Vehicle for empowerment, protest and solidarity
• Harassed by police...
• Protests marches, hugging the camp, jumping
  the fence to dance on the silos

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Greenham Common Peace Camp
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The Bases for Ecopolitics

• Lack of sense of responsibility of common
  resources air, oceans
• importance of interdependence among humans
• Each states behaviour affects the whole system
• E.g deforestation of the Amazon forest
• questions myths of benefits of technological
  progress
• Economic/development gains vs. sustainability
• symbiosis with other living systems
• Pollution, greenhouse effect, global warning
• putting environmental questions as core of
  politics (nationally and globally)
• E.g. Influential on genetic modification
• proposing alternatives energy policy, eco-living

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Types of Ecopolitics

• non-violent protest groups
• violent/terrorist groups
• Political parties e.g. Germany
• State policies
• most created in 1960s and 1970s, but popularity
  increasing in 1980s
• Institutionalised into the political agenda
  nationally and internationally in the 1990s (e.g.
  Kyoto Protocols)
• popularity linked to anti-nuclear movements

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Greenpeace

• Read at greenpeace.org
• Main attributes
• Individually-sponsored NGO - political
  independence from states and multi-national
  corporations
• actions campaigning and direct action to stop
  abuses and promote alternatives
• E.g. whaling, seals, nuclear testing, pollution,
  climate change
• methods non-violent, high-profile
• geographical focus global
• Seen as politically dangerous French secret
  service planted a bomb on the Rainbow Warrior to
  stop nuclear test protest

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The Rainbow Warrior Whaling Campaign Campaign
against nuclear waste dumping at Sellafield
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Impact

• More systematically international in orientation
  than the 1960s wave
• These issues stem from international problems
  instead of simply having international
  implications
• Closer focus on institutionalising new values
  into the process of politics
• 1960s protests often focused on being
  anti-establishment
• 1980s are about infiltrating the establishment
  ecopolitics or connecting dimensions of protest
  gender peace.
• Effectiveness?
• Agenda is now on nuclear proliferation, not
  disarmament
• Environmental issues are very high profile, but
  destruction has accelerated despite some
  successes e.g. whaling, industrial pollution

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Today

• The most high profile movements are animal rights
  campaigns often nationally focused, and the
  anti-globalisation movement
• Climate change has become mainstreamed as a core
  issue, but only very recently
• The importance of direct participation for the
  next generation?
• What does it mean for a social movement to be
  successful?
• Evidence shows that direct political changes are
  gradual and partial
• But what are the right criteria of assessment
  e.g. the end of nuclear weapons, or the nurturing
  of a culture of peace?
• Most of all it protest changes the participants
  success in the creation of news ways to think and
  to live, bringing freedom and empowerment to
  participants