This post is the sixth in an occasional series. This site already contains a large number of documents produced by Big Flame or its members. Most can be found in the 30 posts in Episodes in Big Flame History series . Each post contains links to documents which relate to its theme. Links to the same documents are also listed on the website’s Publications page, this time sorted by type – pamphlets, journals, newspaper, internal documents.
This series aims to add to these documents by making available others I find interesting which didn’t fit with any of the post themes, were overlooked when the posts were written, or a copy was not available to me at the time of the post.
At its December 1980 Conference Big Flame agreed that its priorities should include “the struggle against nuclear power and nuclear weapons”. Another motion passed at the Conference argued that support for the anti-nuclear movement should be from a socialist and anti-imperialist perspective. This meant opposing the militarism of both NATO and the Warsaw Pact, and focusing on a need for a mass movement willing to take direct action rather than legalistic manoeuvres and public enquiries. Because of BF’s small forces it could not intervene effectively alone, and must debate and discuss with other forces.
Following the Conference BF members were active in CND, END, Women Opposed to the Nuclear Threat and a variety of other groups. A document in the April 1981 Discussion Bulletin addressed the practical issues of what to do next. It considered such as issues as a focus on power or weapons, the local or national, and how to respond to those who raise the “Russian threat”: The Anti-Nuclear Movement – How Best to Intervene.
The Big Flame newspaper of November 1981 included a four page supplement “Hell, no. We Wont Glow: Socialist/Feminist Perspectives for CND”. Following discussion at a fringe meeting at the 1982 CND Conference, Big Flame members engaged in anti-nuclear activity started producing a bulletin called Anti-Nuclear Action. There were five issues between Spring 1983 and Summer 1984.
Whilst it did say inside that the publication was the product of Big Flame members, there was nothing to indicate this on the cover. It did include contributions from non-BF members. The focus was overwhelmingly on peace issues (particular, Cruise missiles, Trident and Greenham Common) with much rarer articles on nuclear technology (e.g. Uranium mining in Namibia). A sample issues illustrates the style and contents of the publication. This is issue no 4 – undated but from early in 1984. Click here to read: Anti-Nuclear Action no4.
Anti-Nuclear Action is of particular interest as it was the only publication of Big Flame in its last years, after the newspaper was suspended in mid 1983.
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