tour 11 of 13
Badges: symbols of identity
'Not in my Name' anti-war badge
This badge is one of 200,000 produced by the
firm Better Badges for the Stop the War Coalition, a British body
formed on 21 September 2001 at a public meeting in London. The aims
of the coalition are to oppose the 'War on Terror'
conducted by the United States with the support of Great Britain
since the attack on the World Trade Centre on 11 September 2001.
The group also opposes any anti-Islamic backlash and aims to defend
civil liberties. The Stop the War Coalition is the fastest growing
political movement in Britain, with over 500 affiliated groups
formed over two years. On 15 February 2003 an estimated five
million people around the world participated in marches against the
war in Iraq, including approximately two million in
London.
Wars have always
stirred up strong feelings. When a country goes to war, its
citizens are urged to unite behind their government and the troops
and demonstrate their support for the war effort. Patriotic badges
were an important form of propaganda in the First World War and
now, as then, those who declare their opposition may be vilified as
appeasers or traitors. Some individuals and groups oppose all wars
due to religious or ethical convictions. Others focus their
opposition on particular wars, especially those conducted overseas,
where there is no perceived threat of invasion in the home country
and involvement is seen to increase rather than reduce the
problem.