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.

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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.