Monthly Archives: May 2012

Justice for Kitson Campaign, May 1988

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Gavin Brown

David Kitson was not directly involved in the formation of the City of London Anti-Apartheid Group; but, without him, City Group would not have come into being.  David was the longest-serving white political prisoner in apartheid’s jails until his release … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival research | 7 Comments

A motley crew: Tory MP attacks ‘world conspiracy’ of communists and lesbians

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Gavin Brown

Some things never change. While rooting around in the archival material about the City of London Anti-Apartheid Group recently, I was reminded of the time a Tory MP launched a vitriolic attack on the Non-Stop Picket of the South African … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival research | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Standing by Ivan Toms: lesbians and gay men against apartheid #IDAHO

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Gavin Brown

As today is IDAHO, the International Day Against Homophobia, I thought it was appropriate to reflect on the campaigning that the City of London Anti-Apartheid Group undertook to support lesbian and gay detainees in apartheid South Africa.  In particular, I … Continue reading →

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Material aid and the 1989 Constituent Assembly elections in Namibia

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Gavin Brown

This week this blog received its first readers from Namibia. Welcome!  As luck would have it, the theme of the article I had planned for this week relates to Namibia too.  The main focus of the City of London Anti-Apartheid … Continue reading →

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Zephania Mothopeng in London, 1989

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Gavin Brown

Zephania Mothopeng, President of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, was released from his third term of imprisonment in apartheid South Africa in October 1988 due to his rapidly declining health.  In April 1989, he travelled to London for medical … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival research | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Defiance of ban on anti-apartheid protest continues

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Gavin Brown

The day after the Metropolitan Police banned the City Of London Anti-Apartheid Group’s Non-Stop Picket from demonstrating directly outside the South African Embassy the civil disobedience against the ban continued.  On the evening that the ban was imposed (6 May … Continue reading →

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Defending the right to protest (and a right to the city)

Posted on May 5, 2012 by Gavin Brown

Following on from yesterday’s post about the Metropolitan Police’s imposition, under Commissioner’s Directions, of a ban on protests outside the South African Embassy in London on 6 May 1987, here are some further photos of anti-apartheid protesters defying that ban. … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival research | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Metropolitan Police ban protests outside the South African Embassy

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Gavin Brown

On the evening of 6 May 1987, anti-apartheid activists from the City of London Anti-Apartheid Group’s Non-Stop Picket of the South African embassy should have been rallying to protest against the white-only elections that were taking place in South Africa … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival research | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Voting for Mandela (in an imaginary election)

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Gavin Brown

As Londoners vote in the mayoral elections today, I am reminded of an entirely different election campaign that took place on the streets of London in early May 1987.  On 6 May 1987, there were parliamentary elections in South Africa. … Continue reading →

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