Bradford / Leeds

• Bradford Groups: Women Against Racism and Fascism, Health Group, University Group Women in Trade Unions.

• The Bradford Women’s Aid refuge is closed by workers due to bad conditions and a lack of funds and support from Social Services.

• Bradford Campaign to Stop the Witch Hunting on Lesbians and Gay Men.

“The police have gone to town with mass interrogations of homosexuals in Bradford, Cornwall, Evesham and Belfast, following the pattern set by centuries of state persecution throughout the world.” (Women’s Voice No. 7 p. 11)

• Silent march of protest against harassment of lesbians and gay men in Bradford.

• The Bradford print shop opens and serves as a gathering place and media workshop for Women’s and left groups. Lasts until 1990.

• Bradford: General Will. Lesbians in General Will Theatre group split off as General Will shuts down, some members go on to produce more plays in SWAT (So What’s Alternative Theatre?).

• Jam Today Women’s Band, plays a benefit day for WIRES and the Chapeltown Community Playgroup.

• Leeds Revolutionary Feminists Group.

• Reclaim the Night, Leeds.

“Leeds Revolutionary Feminist Group wants to hold a women only midnight demonstration on the theme of ‘every woman has the right to walk alone at night without fear’ and ‘fight rape.’ We want to hold ours in the Chapeltown area of Leeds where a Jack the Ripper type character has murdered several women… and to get as many women as possible on the march. We thought it would attract a lot more publicity and have more effect if women in as many different towns as possible all over Britain could demonstrate on the same night, which we have fixed for November 12th.” (WIRES no.38 p.9)

In response to the Leeds initiative, women in over 20 towns holds Reclaim the Night marches that night.

• Women in Manual Trades (formerly Women in Construction), Leeds

• Leeds Socialist Unity Women’s Committee (from the Socialist Women’s Action Group)

• Leeds Women’s Centre closes

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External sites cited on these pages:

~ Benyon, William – page from Oswestry Borough Council
~ Bindel, Julie (2006) Marching to Freedom The Guardian, 22 November, 2006
~ Edinburgh Women’s Aid
~ Jeffreys, Sheila – Profile from More4
~ Lefties: Angry Wimmin, a BBC4 Documentary on Revolutionary Feminists in Leeds
~ Renn, Margaret (2004) We went into the workplaces to build for demo. Socialist Worker, Issue 1924
~ Socialist Workers’ Party

Additional external sites of interest:

~ German, Lindsey (2002) Women: Give Us a Break! Socialist Review, Issue 265
~ Hudson, Anne-Murray (1983) SWAPO: Solidarity With Our Sisters Review of African Political Economy – Vol. 10 No. 27/28 [abstract only]
~ Shelter – First UK organisation for the homeless, inspired by the 1966 film “Cathy Come Home”
~ Widgery, Dave (1977) Defending Abortion Rights Letter to Radical America, Vol.11 No.3, pp.75-77

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