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Influence of the Aldermaston Marches

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| by admin | posted on 2nd April 2025 in Articles & Power to Protest| views 300 |

Many of today's protest/peace groups have their roots firmly planted in the Aldermaston Marches, which bean in 1958.

Extinction Rebellion (XR)

Several Extinction Rebellion organizers openly say they were inspired by the methods of the Aldermaston and Greenham Common movements.

Peaceful civil disobedience, large-scale marches, symbolic imagery (like XR’s hourglass = CND’s peace sign for a new generation).

XR even revived Easter weekend protests, a nod to the original Aldermaston timing.

Stop the War Coalition

Formed in 2001, Stop the War Coalition inherited CND’s commitment to mass marches and non-violent protest.

The 2003 anti-Iraq War march (over 1 million people) followed the structure pioneered by Aldermaston: iconic symbols, banners, artists, and cross-community support.

Climate, anti-Weapons, and anti-militarism protests

Current campaigns against Trident nuclear submarines, arms fairs, and military spending still use Aldermaston-style peaceful protest tactics.

Groups like Trident Ploughshares and Greenpeace UK regularly organize direct action at Aldermaston and similar sites.

Symbols & visual culture

The peace symbol created for Aldermaston is now common in almost every modern protest movement worldwide.

The style of art, songs, hand-made banners, and nonviolent civil disobedience seen at Aldermaston continues to influence movements like Fridays for Future, Just Stop Oil, and others.

Signs, symbols & protest art

Peace Symbol (☮) - first debuted on the 1958 Aldermaston March, designed by Gerald Holtom. It was originally hand-painted on signs, banners, and even clothing.

Today, it's universal. You’ll spot it in climate marches, anti-war rallies, Pride parades, and even mainstream pop culture (fashion, music videos, emojis).

DIY Banners

Protesters painted bedsheets, cardboard, and fabric with bold, hand-made slogans.

They often used blocky lettering, black and white, or simple, powerful color schemes.

Modern climate movements like Extinction Rebellion and Fridays for Future still favor this style—it's personal, direct, and feels grassroots rather than corporate.

Protest fashion

Aldermaston marchers prioritized practical clothing: boots, raincoats, and scarves — walking for miles in England's unpredictable weather demanded it.

This mix of functionality and symbolism is still seen today in climate protests, where people prepare for long, wet, or cold occupations but still carry colorful or political accessories.

Aldermaston sparked the rise of the pin badge as a statement. CND pins were everywhere, often pinned to coats, berets, or rucksacks. Modern activists still swap, collect, and wear badges (or now stickers and patches) at rallies.

Early marchers used a lot of black and white for stark contrast and visibility.Today, movements often adopt a color-code:

This was directly inherited from the Aldermaston habit of creating visual unity without uniforms.

Protest music & chants

Aldermaston popularized the singing march in the UK. Folk songs like "The H-Bomb's Thunder" and rewritten hymns became staples. Singing was used both to energize and to keep warm.

Modern equivalents: XR marches with drummers, choirs, and mass chanting. Climate protesters adapting pop songs into protest versions (just like Aldermaston did with hymns and folk tunes).

Art as resistance

Early Aldermaston protesters painted murals, carried papier-mâché models (missiles with flowers sticking out), and decorated their camps.

Today’s protests often feature:

Non-hierarchical organizing

Aldermaston pioneered a kind of loosely organized, collective leadership where anyone could bring a sign, a song, or a speech.

This structure can clearly be seen in groups such as Occupy, XR, and many youth-led climate strikes, where decentralized organizing is key.

Image(s) from ontsinuse.com