The Raging Grannies(or just "Raging Grannies" ) areactivistorganizations in many cities and towns inCanada,theUnited States,and in other countries.[1]The first group started inVictoria,British Columbia,Canada,in 1986–87.
 | |
| Formation | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Type | Activistorganization |
| Website | raginggrannies |
They aresocial justiceactivists, all women old enough to begrandmothers,who dress up in clothes that mockstereotypesof olderwomen,and sing songs atprotests.They typically write the lyrics themselves, putting their political messages to the tunes of well-known songs.
They were allegedly spied upon by a unit of theCalifornia National Guardafter it organized aMother's Dayanti-war rally. Their activism includes peace and environmental causes.[2]
There are two books about them:Off Our Rockers,by Alison Acker and Betty Brightwell, andThe Raging Grannies: Wild Hats, Cheeky Songs and Witty Actions for a Better World.
History
editThe first group started inVictoria,British Columbia,Canada,over the winter of 1986–87. They originally called themselves "NERT—Nuclear Emergency Response Team".[3]The members believed the presence of US Navy nuclear-powered ships' presence in Victoria Harbour posed potential health and environmental risks to the city.[3]
Notable events
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In May 2005, a California chapter of the Raging Grannies was allegedly spied upon by a unit of theCalifornia National Guardafter it organized aMother's Dayanti-war rally.California State SenatorJoe Dunnlaunched an investigation and the intelligence unit was subsequently shut down.[4]
In July 2005, five members of the group were charged withtrespassingafter they attempted to enlist at aUS Armyrecruiting center inTucson,Arizona.A spokesperson for the group said they wanted to enlist and be sent toIraqso that their children and grandchildren could come home. A group also went toNew York City,where they were arrested for allegedly blocking access to a recruitment center inTimes Square;on April 28, 2006, they were acquitted of all charges.[5]
The Action League of theSan Francisco BayArea Peninsula, as the group is known in the Bay Area, was the subject of the 2009 video documentaryRaging Grannies.[6]
The Raging Grannies were also part of the "March against Monsanto"protest on May 25, 2013, to protest againstgenetically modified foods.[7]
The original Grannies were honoured on their 30th anniversary with a display at theCanadian Museum for Human Rightsin Winnipeg, MB.
In June 2020, the Raging Grannies protested to show their support for theBlack Lives Mattermovement inPortland, Oregonand inSan BrunoandPalo Alto, California.[8][9][10]
The Raging Grannies have also been very active in the2022 abortion rights protestsacross the United States.[11]
Works about the Raging Grannies
editAt least two films,Granny Power[12][13]andTwo Raging Grannies,[14]and multiple academic articles, talk about the Raging Grannies.[15][16][17]They state and show how they challenge stereotypical conceptions about activism and aging (the grannies did not grow more conservative as they aged, for example).[18]There are two books about them: Off Our Rockers, by Alison Acker and Betty Brightwell, and The Raging Grannies: Wild Hats, Cheeky Songs, and Witty Actions for a Better World, by Carole Roy.[19]
See also
editFurther reading
edit- Anemona Hartocollis: New York Judge Tells 'Grannies' To Go in Peace. In:The New York Times - Abstract,April 28, 2006
- Marc Pitzke:Omas gegen den Krieg. Die Rache der alten Damen.In:Spiegel onlineJune 11, 2006. (German Newspaper, German)
- Armin Ulm:Omas müssen nicht nur nett sein.Erboste amerik. Grossmütter demonstrieren vor dem Nato-Hauptquartier für den Frieden und gegen die PolitikGeorge W. Bushs.RNZ-HeidelbergJuly 17, 2006, P. 3 - 20 Demonstrants of the Granny Peace Brigade before G W B coming to Germany (with big Image, (a German Newspaper, germ. lang.).
- Acker, Alison, and Betty Brightwell.Off Our Rockers and into Trouble: The Raging Grannies,Horsdal & Schubart Publishers, (September 30, 2004).ISBN1-894898-10-9;ISBN978-1-894898-10-2.
References
edit- ^"menu frame for RGs web site".Vcn.bc.ca.Retrieved1 December2021.
- ^Jennifer Pederson. The Raging Grannies Activist Grandmothering for Peace. Journal of the Motherhood Initiative 1(1): 64-74.
- ^ab"Herstory – Raging Grannies International".Raginggrannies.org.Retrieved1 December2021.
- ^"The Pentagon's New Spies".Rollingstone.Archived fromthe originalon July 4, 2006.Retrieved1 December2021.
- ^"Meet Bush's latest enemy in the war on Iraq: the Raging Grannies of Tucson, Arizona".The Guardian.29 April 2006.Retrieved1 December2021.
- ^"Raging Grannies".IMDb.Retrieved1 December2021.
- ^"Protesters march against GMO giant Monsanto in 430 cities".Cbc.ca.Retrieved2021-12-01.
- ^"'Raging Grannies' protest police brutality in downtown Portland ".Katu.2020-06-14.Retrieved2020-06-30.
- ^Lee, Lloyd (19 June 2020)."Two Juneteenth protests take place in downtown Palo Alto".paloaltoonline.Retrieved2020-06-30.
- ^"Bay Area political events: Anti-racism rallies, Bakari Sellers".San Francisco Chronicle.2020-06-07.Retrieved2020-06-30.
- ^Fancher, Lou (12 May 2022)."Raging Grannies and Radical Women on protecting reproductive rights—and more".48hills.org.Retrieved2023-12-22.
- ^"Demo Feb.2014".Vimeo.18 March 2014.Retrieved1 December2021.
- ^"A reverential tribute to the Raging Grannies".Victoria Times Colonist.15 February 2015.Retrieved1 December2021.
- ^"This" Raging Granny "Crashed a Wall Street Dinner to Demand Answers".Yesmagazine.Retrieved1 December2021.
- ^Narushima, M. (2004). A gaggle of raging grannies: The empowerment of older Canadian women through social activism. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 23(1), 23–42.
- ^Dumond, R. (2017). Speaking up: Communicating with authorities through positive disruptions. unpublished Masters of Design thesis, University of Washington.
- ^Guillemot, J. R., & Price, D. J. (2017). Politicisation in later life: experience and motivations of older people participating in a protest for the first time. Contemporary Social Science, 1-16.
- ^"Interview: The Raging Grannies' Cheeky Protests for a Better World".Aginghorizons.31 December 2009.Retrieved2021-12-01.
- ^Carole Roy Read."The Raging Grannies, Blazing a Trail of Humorous Protests".Canadiandimension.Retrieved1 December2021.
External links
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