Modern Protest Movements: CND, Miners' Strike, and Beyond

The second half of the 20th century and the early 21st century saw a wide range of protest movements in Britain. From the campaign against nuclear weapons to the miners' strike, and from environmentalism to digital activism, ordinary people have continued to challenge authority and fight for change.

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The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND)

CND was founded in 1958 in response to growing fears about nuclear weapons during the Cold War.

Feature	Detail
Founded	February 1958
Aim	Unilateral nuclear disarmament --- Britain should give up its nuclear weapons regardless of what other countries do
Key figures	Bertrand Russell (philosopher), Canon John Collins, Michael Foot (later Labour leader)
Methods	Marches, rallies, sit-ins, civil disobedience
Aldermaston Marches	Annual marches from London to the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment at Aldermaston, Berkshire; the first march in 1958 attracted around 10,000 people
CND symbol	The peace symbol (designed by Gerald Holtom in 1958) became one of the most recognised symbols in the world

Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp (1981--2000)

Detail	Description
Background	In 1981, the US announced it would station cruise missiles at RAF Greenham Common in Berkshire
The camp	Women established a permanent peace camp outside the base; at its height, 30,000 women encircled the base holding hands (December 1982)
Methods	Non-violent direct action: blockades, trespassing, cutting fences
Significance	Kept the issue of nuclear weapons in the public eye; inspired women's peace movements worldwide
Outcome	The missiles were removed in 1991 following the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty (1987) between the US and USSR

Exam Tip: CND and the Greenham Common women are important examples of protest movements that used non-violent methods to challenge government policy. Compare their methods with earlier movements (Chartists, suffragettes) to identify patterns of continuity and change.

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The Miners' Strike (1984--1985)

The miners' strike of 1984--85 was the most significant industrial dispute since the General Strike of 1926.

Background

Issue	Detail
Declining coal industry	Cheaper coal imports and the growth of oil, gas, and nuclear power made many British mines uneconomic
Pit closures	The National Coal Board (NCB), led by Ian MacGregor, announced plans to close 20 pits, with the loss of 20,000 jobs
Margaret Thatcher	Conservative Prime Minister (1979--90) who was determined to reduce the power of trade unions
Arthur Scargill	President of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM); called a strike without holding a national ballot

The Strike (March 1984 -- March 1985)

Feature	Detail
Duration	12 months (March 1984 -- March 1985)
Scale	Around 142,000 miners went on strike, though miners in Nottinghamshire refused to join
Picket lines	Miners tried to prevent coal deliveries and stop other miners from working; violent clashes occurred
Battle of Orgreave (June 1984)	A mass picket at a coking plant in South Yorkshire led to violent confrontation between thousands of miners and police; many miners were injured and arrested
Police tactics	Large-scale policing; roadblocks to prevent miners travelling to picket lines; allegations of police brutality
Community support	Mining communities organised food banks and support groups; women played a key role through Women Against Pit Closures

Why Did the Strike Fail?

Reason	Detail
No national ballot	Scargill's refusal to hold a ballot divided the miners; the Nottinghamshire miners continued to work
Government preparation	Thatcher's government had stockpiled coal and prepared contingency plans since 1981
Financial hardship	After 12 months without pay, miners could not hold out any longer
Police and legal action	Mass policing, sequestration of NUM funds, and court injunctions weakened the strike
Media coverage	The media often portrayed the strike as violent and politically motivated

The Aftermath

Consequence	Detail
Pit closures accelerated	Most of the threatened pits were closed; by the mid-1990s, the coal industry had virtually disappeared
Communities devastated	Former mining areas suffered long-term unemployment, poverty, and social decline
Trade union power reduced	The defeat of the NUM, combined with anti-union legislation, significantly weakened the trade union movement
Political legacy	The strike deepened political divisions between north and south, and between Labour and Conservative supporters

Exam Tip: The miners' strike is a key example of a protest that failed. Be prepared to compare it with the General Strike of 1926 and evaluate the different reasons for failure. Consider the roles of leadership, government, and public opinion.

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Other Modern Protest Movements

Movement	Date	Issue	Methods	Outcome
Anti-Apartheid Movement	1960s--1990s	Opposition to racial segregation in South Africa	Boycotts, demonstrations, lobbying	South Africa ended apartheid (1994)
Anti-Poll Tax Campaign	1989--1990	Opposition to Margaret Thatcher's Community Charge (Poll Tax)	Mass non-payment, demonstrations, riots (especially in Trafalgar Square, March 1990)	The Poll Tax was abolished and replaced by Council Tax; contributed to Thatcher's resignation (1990)
Stop the War Coalition	2003	Opposition to the Iraq War	The largest protest march in British history: up to 2 million people marched in London on 15 February 2003	The government went to war regardless; raised questions about the limits of protest in a democracy
Extinction Rebellion	2018--present	Climate change and environmental crisis	Non-violent civil disobedience: blocking roads, occupying public spaces, mass arrests	Forced climate change onto the political agenda; influenced government declaration of a climate emergency (2019)
Black Lives Matter	2020	Racial inequality and police violence	Protests, social media campaigns, toppling of statues (e.g. Edward Colston statue in Bristol)	Intensified debate about racism, colonialism, and public memorials in Britain

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Themes Across the Course

Theme	Examples
Short-term failure, long-term success	Peasants' Revolt, Chartists, suffragettes --- immediate aims not met, but their causes eventually triumphed
Government repression	Peterloo, the General Strike, the miners' strike --- governments have repeatedly used force to suppress protest
Peaceful vs militant methods	Suffragists vs suffragettes, CND vs direct action, moral force vs physical force Chartists
The role of war	The First World War helped win votes for women; the Boer War led to the Liberal Reforms
Expanding rights	From Magna Carta (rights for barons) to universal suffrage (rights for all adults) --- a gradual widening of who counts as "the people"

Exam Tip: The final question on the Power and the People paper may ask you to make a judgement across the entire period (c1170--present). Be prepared to identify recurring themes, compare different protest movements, and evaluate which was the most significant. Always support your arguments with specific evidence.

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Key Dates

Date	Event
1958	CND founded
1981	Greenham Common peace camp established
1984--85	Miners' strike
1990	Anti-Poll Tax riots; Thatcher resigns
2003	Anti-Iraq War march (2 million people)
2018	Extinction Rebellion founded

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Extended Worked Paragraph: Model Level 4/5 Answer

Question: "Has war been the main factor driving changes in the relationship between people and government in Britain? Use your knowledge of protest movements since 1945 as part of your answer."