Nans and Grans, Fess up time (lighthearted!)

My first demonstrations were in the 1960s against apartheid and the Springboks coming to Ireland to play rugby. Later, when I moved to England it was to support the miners and demonstrate for equal rights and safe, legal, medical abortions. Recently, it was to support a second referendum.

I was at Greenham too. Embracing the base. It was an amazingly uplifting experience. About 12 coaches went from Edinburgh overnight. It was December 12th 1983. I can't remember how we organised ourselves as it was long before mobile phones!
During that day I was handed a collecting bucket for Greenpeace and it was filled very quickly.
Since then I've become a bit more cynical. I protested against the Iraq war and marched for Make Poverty History in 2005.
I don't know if my demonstrating had any effect but it is empowering to follow your conscience.

I'm afraid by the time I became more politically aware I had children so missed out on most of the above. Made up for it since.

The only time I protested was about nursery education locally. I didn't notice that when the BBC cameraman approached all my friends backed away so I ended up being the one interviewed for the local news.

At grammar school, I organised a very badly thought out and doomed to failure protest against school uniform rules, involving us all ripping down our hems and persuading every other girl to do so too. Followed by us all sewing them up again that same night.

At college, I joined a demo demanding full student grants for all. Halfway through I realised I didn't even agree with it when a friend explained to a passerby that it wasn't fair that she didn't get a grant and I did, as her parents had more financial commitments than mine. These included the two cars, the big house in Cheshire and the holiday home in France.

Recently I've been on the WASPI demos in London, which have all three clashed with other major events, but were no less well supported for all that (not given much media publicity though). I found them very cathartic.

The one I regret missing was the Iraq war protest, when I was out of the country.

I'd actually agree with you, eazybee, that writing letters and forcing the great and good to send considered replies is more effective. I've done my share of that.

I must have lived in the wrong part of the U.K. because news of these marches never seemed to reach us until after they’d taken place! I very much admire anyone who does march for good causes though

I demonstrated against anti-semitism in London in the mid-60s (I am not Jewish). But after that work and family kept me busy.

I would have gone to the Stop the War demo, my DS and DDiL went but I had a previously booked uncancellable engagement on that day. I cannot now remember what it was, but I was very p*ssed off that it stopped me going.

I helped block the streets around the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain to try to stop the all white South African cricket team play against the West Indies during the days of Apartheid. I am not sure that I would do that again as the police simply forced us to move car by car but we did delay the start by a few hours leading to publicity world wide.
My home town of Glasgow made a wonderful gesture at that time by renaming the Square where the South African Embassy or High Commission? was located "Nelson Mandela Square". A lovely passive aggressive way of getting the message across. Made me proud to be a Weegie.?