1980s

The ANC’s London office was seriously damaged by a bomb planted at the back of the building in the early morning of 14 March 1982. This appeal, signed by Archbishop Trevor Huddleston, trade unionist Jack Jones and the leaders of the Labour and Liberal Parties, asked the British public to contribute to a fund to help the ANC rebuild and re-equip its offices.

One of a set of posters produced for the AAM’s ‘Southern Africa: The Time to Choose’ demonstration on 14 March 1982. At the same time as it called for the total isolation of South Africa, the AAM called for support for the liberation movements and all those fighting for freedom in Southern Africa. After Zimbabwe won its independence in 1980, the AAM concentrated its activities on Namibia and South Africa.

One of a set of posters produced for the AAM’s ‘Southern Africa: The Time to Choose’ demonstration on 14 March 1982. At the same time as it called for the total isolation of South Africa, the AAM called for support for the liberation movements and all those fighting for freedom in Southern Africa. After Zimbabwe won its independence in 1980, the AAM concentrated its activities on Namibia and South Africa.

One of a set of posters produced for the AAM’s ‘Southern Africa: The Time to Choose’ demonstration on 14 March 1982. At the same time as it called for the total isolation of South Africa, the AAM called for support for the liberation movements and all those fighting for freedom in Southern Africa. After Zimbabwe won its independence in 1980, the AAM concentrated its activities on Namibia and South Africa.

One of a set of four posters produced for the AAM’s ‘Southern Africa: The Time to Choose’ demonstration on 14 March 1982. The isolation of apartheid South Africa was the central theme of Anti-Apartheid Movement campaigns from its foundation as the Boycott Movement in 1959. It worked to isolate apartheid in every arena, including sport and culture, and trade and investment. 

This poster reproduced the centrespread of a Special Supplement to the March 1982 edition of the AAM’s monthly newspaper Anti-Apartheid News. It was produced as part of the publicity material for the AAM’s 1982 campaign ‘Southern Africa: The Time to Choose’.

British trade unionists picketed South Africa House on May 11 1982 calling for the release of three leaders of the South African Agricultural Workers Union detained without trial. Left to right: Roger Ward from the draughtsmen’s union TASS, Muriel Turner from the clerical union ASTMS and ASTMS General Secretary, Clive Jenkins.

Anti-apartheid supporters marched through York on 3 July 1982 in solidarity with workers sacked for going on strike at York-based Rowntree-Mackintosh’s South African subsidiary. The demonstration was part of a long-running campaign by British trade unions and the AAM to make the company reinstate the sacked workers and recognise the South African Allied Workers Union.