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People in Wales have a long history of campaigning and protesting against injustice, unfairness, and inequality. There are many different ways in which people can campaign or protest.
People in all parts of Wales have protested throughout history. This map show some of the protests covered in this resource. Can you think of any others to add to the map? Which protest happened closest to you?
From the Suffragettes of the early twentieth century to the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 - protesters have gathered in numbers for marches and rallies. Often protesters will carry banners or placards with them to identify themselves or their cause.
These images show a number of marches and rallies in Wales throughout history, protesting a number of different causes.
This film shows residents of Capel Celyn and their supporters protesting against the flooding of their homes to create a reservoir for Liverpool. As part of their protest, the residents marched through Liverpool with banners.
Often when people are protesting they want to make it clear who they are and what they are protesting. This is often done by carrying banners, placards, or printed material at marches and rallies.
Artist Mary Lloyd Jones painted this banner for the YES campaign in the lead up to the 1997 referendum on devolution. Voters had to decide whether or not they wanted an assembly for Wales with devolved powers.
This banner was made by Rose Mabel Lewis of Tongwynlais. She was president of the Cardiff and District Women’s Suffrage Society. Rose led the south Wales section at the Great Suffrage procession in London in 1911.
Historically large banners were made to carry at the head of marches. These would often be intricately made and colourful to draw attention to the cause.
Placards and posters can be printed multiple times at low cost. Often at protests you will see a number of people carrying and waving placards and flags.
Increasingly protesters are often seen carrying homemade placards. These can be made quickly and cheaply at short notice. They often include puns and wordplay.
This film shows members of Extinction Rebellion causing disruption to draw attention to the Climate Emergency. Many of the protesters carry banners and placards with slogans drawing attention to their cause.
Protest badges are worn to show support for a cause or an event. Often worn by people in their daily lives they are a symbol of solidarity to a cause. Badges can be a subtle way to protest.
You can see more protest badges from the Amgueddfa Cymru collections online.
Disobedience is the active refusal of people to obey certain laws or rules in order to protest against them. Civil disobedience is a non-violent, peaceful form of disobedience.
Examples of disobedience include the Rebecca Riots in the 19th century and the Fire in Llyn in 1936.
This image is of an engraving showing the Rebecca Rioters attacking tollgates.
The Rebecca Rioters attacked and destroyed tollhouses and tollgates in the mid 19th century in order to protest at the cost of using the roads. The rioters famously dressed up in women's clothing in order to disguise themselves.
Penyberth - a farmhouse at Penrhos, near Pwllheli, Gwynedd - had been a centre of patronage for Welsh poets for generations. It was destroyed in 1936 in order to build a training camp and aerodrome for the RAF.
Opponents to its destruction called the RAF ‘the bombing school’ (in Welsh, yr ysgol fomio). Many Welsh people protested against the setting up of the camp for various reasons – nationalistic, pacifictic and environmentalistic. The Government however went ahead with the scheme. As a result, on 8 September 1936, Saunders Lewis, Lewis Valentine, and D.J. Williams, set fire to a workmen's shed at the site. They immediately gave themselves up to the police and were eventually jailed. The jury at their first trial held at Caernarfon failed to agree on a verdict. A second trial was held on 9 January 1937 at the Old Bailey, London, at which they were found guilty. They served their sentences in Wormwood Scrubs prison and were released on 27 August 1937. On their return to Caernarfon, they were welcomed by a crowd of over 15,000 well wishers. This incident has attained iconic status in Welsh nationalist circles and is known in the Welsh language as Llosgi'r ysgol fomio ("the burning of the bombing school") or Tân yn Llyn ("Fire in Llyn").
Often, protesters will attempt to cause maximum disruption in order to draw attention to their cause.
The Welsh Language Society (Cymdeithas yr Iaith) are a direct action group who campaign for the right to use the Welsh language. The group came to prominence in the 1960s.
This film shows campiagn methods used by members of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg. The film shows the willingness of protesters to be arrested and even jailed for their actions.
When a dispute is industrial (work based), workers will often withdraw their labour and go on strike. Some of the longest running strikes in the UK have taken place in Wales.
The Great Strike of Penrhyn Quarry began in November 1900 and lasted for 3 years. During this whole time, striking workers would not receive any pay.
This film shows staff from the Friction Dynamics factory in Gwynedd who are on strike. They have formed a picket line in front of their workplace. This strike was one of the longest running industrial disputes in Britain - lasting almost 1000 days.
A hunger strike is a non-violent form of protest where the protester refuses food to draw attention to their cause. A number of suffragettes were arrested and imprisoned for their actions. Suffragettes who went on hunger strike were often force fed during their imprisonment.
This medal was presented to Kate Williams Evans in 1912 after she went on hunger strike in Holloway Prison.
The Suffragettes were a Women’s Activist group who campaigned in the early 19th century for the right for women to vote in elections. They often campaigned with the slogan ‘Votes for Women’ and had branches throughout Wales.
In the 1980s, Gwynfor Evans threatened to go on hunger strike after the UK Government refused to set-up a Welsh language television channel. This was a campaign for Wales to have a Welsh language television channel that began in the 1970s. This was instrumental in the Government U-turn that saw the creation of S4C. S4C was launched in 1982.
This film shows Gwynfor Evans talking about the importance of a Welsh language television channel before the launch of S4C. In it he talks about the fact that he is willing to go on hunger strike to achieve his goal.
There are a number of other means that people can use as a form of protest. We have listed some here for you to research further.
Riots
At times, public demonstrations can become riots. Riots are often violent where damage to property or violence against people can occur. Riots can be spontaneous and less organised than public gatherings.
Protest Songs
Often people will respond to injustice creatively, including through song-writing. A number of Welsh language protest songs were written in the 1960s and 1970s by artists such as Dafydd Iwan and Meic Stevens.
Leafletting and Zines
In order to gain support for a protest people will often post leaflets or home made magazines through the doors of their community.
Letter writing
Campaigning to people in power, such as MPs, to support a cause is another form of protest. Often protesters will also try to gain the support of celebrities who may have a stronger ‘voice’.
Boycotting
A boycott is when an individual or group will refuse to use a brand in protest against moral, social or environmental behaviour. Boycotting a brand will result in the brands revenue decreasing.
Sit-ins/Occupying spaces
Sit-ins or occupying spaces are a form of peaceful, civil disobedience. By causing disruption, protesters will draw attention to their cause.
Taking the knee and other symbolic gestures
Gestures of solidarity can be given in order to show support for a cause. Often, high profile individuals will show solidarity in this way in front of large audiences.
Social media campaigns
Due to the popularity of social media today, many people use it as a platform for protests. These can be co-ordinated protest or by individuals.
Discover more of our collections linked to Campaigning and Protest on the People's Collection Wales website.
Can you add to the story? Have you been on a protest? You can upload your own photos to the People's Collection Wales website and be part of Welsh history.
Humanities
Events and human experiences are complex, and are perceived, interpreted and represented in different ways.
