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Courses / Modules / HIST2246 Fight for your Rights: Protest in twentieth century Britain

Fight for your Rights: Protest in twentieth century Britain

When you'll study it
Semester 2
CATS points
15
ECTS points
7.5
Level
Level 5
Module lead
Charlotte Riley
Academic year
2025-26

Module overview

When we speak about protest in Britain today, it divides our society: from the politicians who want to curb our rights and the columnists who worry about protests going too far, to the activists who argue that protesting is one of our democratic rights as citizens. But there is rarely any discussion of the long history behind British protesting. We will explore that history from the mass trespass on Kinder Scout in the 1930s to the boycotts and pickets of the anti-apartheid movement into the 1990s. We will explore different tactics, from strikes to marches to boycotts to riots. We will think about what protestors want, how they fight for it, and whether they have been successful. And we will explore the historical context behind the protests that we see in Britain and around the world today.