Photos

Counter-demonstration by members of the far-right National Front at Twickenham, 16 March 1974. Anti-apartheid supporters were protesting against the British Lions tour of South Africa.

AAM supporters held a 24-hour vigil on the steps of St Martin’s in the Fields on Good Friday, 11–12 April 1974 to call for the release of all South African political prisoners. They collected over 2,500 signatures for a petition to be presented to the UN in June. The vigil and petition were part of the campaign launched by Southern Africa the Imprisoned Society (SATIS) at its founding conference in December 1973. In the photograph are Kay Hosey, mother of political prisoner Sean Hosey, and Rev Paul Oestreicher.

Three thousand people marched through central London on 16 June 1974 to celebrate the defeat of the Portuguese colonial regime and call for the independence of Mozambique, Angola and Guinea-Bissau. At a rally in Trafalgar Square Mariano Matsinhe of FRELIMO stressed the role of international solidarity in the liberation struggle. Miners leader Jack Collins gave a message of support from British trade unions. The rally was organised by the AAM and the Committee for Freedom in Mozambique, Angola and Guinea-Bissau.

The AAM celebrated its 15th anniversary with a Freedom Convention at Camden Lock, London on 30 June 1974. Ray Buckton, General Secretary of the rail union ASLEF, was one of the speakers at a rally held during the afternoon. Stalls displayed information about South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Portugal’s African colonies. In the photograph (left to right): Labour MP Jo Richardson, Nigerian Ambassador Edwin Ogbu, Chair of the UN Special Committee on Apartheid, AAM President Bishop Ambrose Reeves, AAM Hon. Secretary Abdul Minty and Joan Hymans of the Movement for Colonial Freedom.

The AAM celebrated its fifteenth anniversary with a ‘Freedom Convention’ at Camden Lock, London on 30 June 1974. Stalls displayed information about South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Portugal’s African colonies. A petition for the release of South African prisoners with 30,000 signatures was presented to Nigeria’s UN Ambassador Edwin Ogbu, Chair of the UN Special Committee Against Apartheid. The Convention also highlighted the call for a boycott of all South African products.

South African former political prisoners took part in a walk from London to Manchester, 27 October–6 November 1974. They held meetings along the way to publicise the situation of political prisoners. In the photograph the marchers are leaving Banbury, where they were met by Labour councillors and held a meeting in the Town Hall.

US civil rights leader and former prisoner Angela Davis visited London to campaign for South African political prisoners, 10–13 December 1974. She spoke at a meeting at Friends House organised by the AAM, International Defence and Aid Fund (IDAF) and Liberation. She said black Americans felt a special responsibility to support the struggle of their sisters and brothers in Southern Africa. On the right is future Labour Cabinet Minister Charles Clarke.

Students at Durham University first asked the university authorities to sell shares in companies with South African subsidiaries in 1972. In 1974 they rejected the University Council's response, which endorsed the British government’s code of conduct for firms investing in South Africa. Over 1,000 students marched through Durham on 22 February 1975 to protest against the university’s refusal to sell. Speakers included John Hosey, whose son Sean was imprisoned in South Africa. The university’s vice-chancellor responded by circulating other universities suggesting they should ensure British influence in South Africa was exerted against apartheid. This was rejected by the students union, which continued to campaign for disinvestment.