London Greenpeace was an anarchist environmentalist
activist collective that existed between 1972
and 2001.
They were based in London, and came to international
prominence when two of their activists refused
to capitulate to McDonald's in the landmark
libel case known as "McLibel".
It was not affiliated with Greenpeace International
or with Greenpeace UK.
== Origins ==
In 1972 a group of activists loosely associated
with the Peace News newspaper formed a new
group committed to environmentalism and anarchism.
Initially the group campaigned for the ending
of atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons
by France at Mururoa atoll in the south Pacific.
In support of this, in 1973 the group held
a 60-strong protest march from London to Paris,
via Dover, Ostend and Wattrelos, ending in
a demonstration at Notre Dame cathedral.London
Greenpeace was not affiliated with Greenpeace
International.
Greenpeace International was formed out of
a rough coalition of various environmentalist
groups in 1971, many of whom were already
using the name "Greenpeace".
London Greenpeace emphatically wanted to remain
independent of this new and larger Greenpeace,
which it saw as being too "centralized and
mainstream for their tastes".
== Political affiliation ==
London Greenpeace's politics have primarily
been informed by anarchism.
They have been linked, ideologically and in
their activism, with radical environmentalism,
green anarchism and pacifism.
They have been officially affiliated with
War Resisters' International, the National
Peace Council, and Campaign Against Arms Trade,
and supportive of the Animal Liberation movement.
In the 1980s they were involved with the Stop
the City campaigns, whilst the 1990s saw them
helping to initiate the London-wide Reclaim
The Streets Network.
They are viewed as one of the first anarchist
groups to promote a specifically environmentalist
message.
During the second half of the 1970s the group
pioneered the campaign against nuclear power,
and worked with a number of anti-nuclear alliances
such as Stop Urenco, the Torness Alliance,
and the Nuclear Information network.
London Greenpeace was also involved in the
opposition to the Falklands War, and co-founded
the Anti-Falkland War Support network.London
Greenpeace gained public attention with the
McLibel case, which became well known as one
of the first SLAPP suits against freedom of
expression.
McDonald's Restaurants sued London Greenpeace,
which later morphed into "McDonald's vs Steel
and Morris".
The case lasted for 15 years and was finally
settled in 2005.
The McLibel case became famous because McDonald's
lost the public relations case in the public
mind.
== McLibel ==
In 1990 McDonald's issued proceedings against
five London Greenpeace supporters, Paul Gravett,
Andrew Clarke and Jonathan O'Farrell, Helen
Steel and David Morris, for libel.
The company offered to withdraw actions against
each individual in return for an apology and
an undertaking not to repeat the claims.
The activists had been distributing a pamphlet
throughout London containing allegations regarding
starvation in the Third World, destruction
of rainforest, the use of recycled paper,
links between the company's food and heart
disease & breast/bowel cancer, false advertising,
the rearing and slaughter of animals, food
poisoning, and employment practices.
Of the five defendants, Gravett, Clarke and
O'Farrell apologised to McDonald's, while
Steel and Morris (often referred to as "The
McLibel Two") refused.
Almost all of London Greenpeace's resources
and efforts went to helping the pair over
the years the case was heard, but in 1997
both defendants lost and were ordered to pay
McDonald's £60,000.
However, the extended court battle was a public
relations failure for McDonald's; the company
decided not to pursue the two defendants for
the money.
== Dissolution ==
In 2001 London Greenpeace issued a public
statement announcing their dissolution.
While the McLibel action brought fresh energy,
publicity and urgency to the organisation,
this did not last long, and the group felt
it best to permanently suspend their efforts.
== Undercover police ==
During October 2011 activists from the group
exposed Robert Lambert, whom they had known
as Bob Robinson, as being a former undercover
police officer who had infiltrated the group.
Following a number of court cases that centred
on Lambert and other undercover police officers,
in 2014 and 2015 the Metropolitan Police apologised
and paid substantial compensation to eight
women who had discovered they had had intimate
relationships with undercover officers, including
Lambert.
The police admitted that the relationships
had been "abusive, deceitful, manipulative
and wrong".
== See also ==
Earth First
