Saturday, May 13, 2023

London Greenpeace, McLibel, Poll Tax and local Community Action - Dave Morris reflects on nearly 50 years of activism (March 2023)




Dave Morris was invited by the Co-Directors of Greenpeace UK to do a talk/discussion on 30th March 2023 at their HQ. It was attended by 30 Greenpeace office staff and at least another 25 online.  He was asked to speak about his experiences and thoughts about the McLibel case and campaign, about London Greenpeace (which had been set up in 1971, 6 years before Greenpeace UK), and about his nearly 50 years as a community activist - mainly in Haringey.  

He was invited as Greenpeace UK are reviewing their priorities as an organisation and as part of that considering the importance of community organising and action, including by their local support groups. They also want to be more involved in and supportive of current wider movements.

Dave speaks for about 15 mins, followed by 45 minutes of questions and discussion. He was able to distribute paper copies of the original, inspirational Greenpeace Broadsheet produced by Peace News in 1971, a 4pp History of London Greenpeace, and information about the Friends of Parks movement across the UK (as he is currently the Chair of the National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces). A free youtube link to the McLibel 2005 documentary was circulated beforehand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V58kK4r26yk