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A delegation of MPs on their way to 10 Downing Street to hand in a letter protesting at a visit by three British warships to Cape Town in June 1967. A motion ‘regretting the visit’ was tabled in the House of Commons and a lobby of Parliament took place on 31 May. Left to right: Liberal MP and President of the AAM David Steel, Liberal MP John Pardoe, Labour MPs Joan Lestor, Joyce Butler and Hugh Jenkins, Lord Brockway, and Labour MPs Frank Judd, Michael Barnes and Andrew Faulds.

In November 1967 reports in the British press suggested that the Labour government was about to lift its arms embargo against South Africa. The AAM wrote to Foreign Secretary George Brown, who agreed to meet an AAM delegation, but failed to give assurances that the arms ban would be maintained. After protests from Labour MPs and three crisis Cabinet meetings, Prime Minister Harold Wilson announced that the arms embargo would stay. 

The AAM declared the ZAPU-ANC armed incursion into Rhodesia in August 1967 as the opening of a ‘historic new phase of armed resistance’. It responded by stepping up its campaign against all forms of British support for ‘race rule’ in Southern Africa. This leaflet was part of the campaign and was widely distributed. For the first time the AAM targeted two particular companies, Garfield Weston and Cyril Lord. In December 1967 it picketed their headquarters to draw attention to their involvement in South Africa.

In 1967–68 the AAM campaigned against the ‘unholy alliance’ of South Africa, Portugal and Rhodesia. It supported the attempt by groups of ANC guerrillas to infiltrate South Africa via Rhodesia in alliance with the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), and the guerrilla struggle of FRELIMO in Mozambique. It called for an end to British military support and investment in the white minority regimes.

In March 1968 the Smith regime was preparing to hang over 100 men held on death row after the Rhodesian Appeal Court gave it ‘de facto’ government status. They included 14 guerrilla fighters. This demonstrator was supporting the International Commission of Jurists demand that freedom fighters should be treated as prisoners of war. 

Poster publicising an AAM march and rally on 23 June 1968. In 1967 and 1968 guerrilla units from the African National Congress (ANC) and Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) joined forces to try and fight their way through Zimbabwe to South Africa. The AAM hailed the armed incursions into Zimbabwe as a new stage in the liberation struggle. This demonstration was part of its campaign to mobilise support for the guerrilla fighters in Britain.

On the march to an AAM rally in Trafalgar Square, 23 June 1968. The rally took place after ANC/ZAPU guerilla units had infiltrated Rhodesia in what became known as the Wankie and Sipolilo campaigns. In his speech, Oliver Tambo asked people in Britain to support the South African freedom fighters. The rally was chaired by Liberal MP David Steel and the other speakers were British Council of Churches representative Paul Oestreicher, trade union leader Jack Jones, Labour MPs Joan Lestor and Andrew Faulds and Young Liberal George Kiloh. The march was organised by an ad hoc youth and students committee.

Part of the crowd at an AAM rally in Trafalgar Square, 23 June 1968. The rally took place after ANC/ZAPU guerilla units had infiltrated Rhodesia in what became known as the Wankie and Sipolilo campaigns. In his speech, Oliver Tambo asked people in Britain to support the South African freedom fighters. The rally was chaired by Liberal MP David Steel and the other speakers were British Council of Churches representative Paul Oestreicher, trade union leader Jack Jones, Labour MPs Joan Lestor and Andrew Faulds and Young Liberal George Kiloh. A march to Trafalgar Square was organised by an ad hoc youth and students committee.