Summary

Alternative Name(s): Button

'Workers' Power Not Nuclear Power' was the title of a pamplet published by the Socialist Workers Party in 1980 in Great Britain. It sought to explain how nuclear energy works and the safety issues around it, Britain's own involvement with nuclear programmes as well as the political implications of nuclear power. This party regularly campaigned for nuclear disarmament and saw it as an issue belonging to a wider socialist agenda. It is not necessary that this badge was inspired by the SWP pamplet directly, but there was certainly a sense of exchange and borrowing of slogans inside of the global anti-nuclear campaign. Many designs made initially for overseas organisations like the SWP or CND eventually also made their way into the visual culture of Australian activism as well.

The raised fist has been an enduring symbol of unity and solidarity. However, the New Left movement of the 1960s is credited with giving it this new treatment: it appears stylised, isolated, simple, on a plain background. It was used across social campaigns: workers' rights, peace, anti-Vietnam war, and like in this example, anti-nuclear movements.

Physical Description

Circular badge featuring yellow nuclear symbol a black background, red fist in c., black text u.l, u.r and l.c

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