Records of London Greenpeace

Archive reference: Cwl BGP

London Greenpeace

London Greenpeace was an anarchist collective formed in 1971, initially campaigning against nuclear testing, later tackling a wide range of environmental and anti-militarist issues. Their activities during the 1970s included “street theatres, leaflettings, ring-ins, an international London-Paris walk opposing French atmospheric [nuclear] tests”. They rejected an invitation to become involved with the new centralised bodies Greenpeace UK and Greenpeace International in 1977, deciding to remain autonomous. In the late 1970s and 1980s, the group opposed the environmental and social impact of international capitalism, with campaigns focussing on the City of London, the World Bank and McDonalds Corporation; legal action by the latter against five of the group’s supporters became the long-running McLibel Case. Participants in London Greenpeace decided to wind up its activities in 2001, feeling that administration and extensive correspondence were overwhelming the original purpose of the group.

The Archive

One of the Commonweal Archives, this material was donated to Commonweal Collection in 1983. It consists of press cuttings, circulars, correspondence, and newsletters, mainly relating to nuclear testing, in particular French tests in Polynesia.

The Archive was catalogued as part of the PaxCat Project, with support from the National Cataloguing Grants Programme for Archives.