Stand Up and Be Counted (3 Parts)

Synopsis

Reports on five unrelated protests and ‘concerns of conscience’ that moved people to protest during the years 1914-1936.
Part 1: Reports on five unrelated protests and ‘concerns of conscience’ which moved people to stand up and be counted between 1914 and 1936. Conscientious objection to conscription in the First World War was focused through the ‘no conscription fellowship’: 6000 prisoners of conscience ended up in prisons, 73 objectors died, 36 went mad. Some were shipped to France where they could be shot: four ‘ring-leaders’ were sentenced to death but their sentence was commuted to penal servitude for 10 years. They were crucified to barbed wire and beaten. The presence of articulate prisoners in Britain led to an eventual reform of prison conditions.
Part 2: The General Strike against proposals to cut wages by 40% led to acrimony between union and non-union labour. On the sixth day of the strike trains were still running and incensed colliery workers chased plate layers off the London to Scotland line at Cramlington, removed wedges from the track and derailed the Flying Scotsman. The ring-leaders of the protest were gaoled. A few years later the agricultural depression of the early thirties led to the tithe war in East Anglia. Tenant farmers and landowners fought against the centuries old practice of the Church of levying tithes. To hamper the attempt of bailiffs to remove goods seized by distraint, ditches were dug and trees felled. As a result of the protests a commission was held and the recommendations were that a 20% reduction should take place at once and tithes should be abolished in 60 years time. This time the farmers marched on London.
Part 3: In 1935 plans were made to build an aerodrome and bomber training school in North Wales, but the initial outbuildings were burned down in 1936 by three opposers. They surrendered to the police immediately and after two trials were sentenced to prison. The final extract deals with the Cable Street riots. The Fascists, under Mosley, planned a march in London’s East End under massive police supervision. East Enders, dockers and Jews joined together to insist that ‘they shall not pass’.

Series

Yesterday’s Witness, Series

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Film; Film. 16mm. sd. b&w. 23, 28, 24 min.

Technical information

Black-and-white / Sound

Year of production

1977

Availability

OUT OF DISTRIBUTION

Uses

Discussion material for final-year courses in history or politics.*

Subjects

History

Keywords

conscientious objectors; Fascism; General Strike, 1926; Mosley, Oswald; protest demonstrations; United Kingdom

Credits

Director

Michael Rabiger

Producer

Stephen Peet

Cast

James Cameron

Distribution Formats

Type

Film

Format

16mm

Sections

Title

No conscription fellowship

Synopsis

Part 1: Reports on five unrelated protests and 'concerns of conscience' which moved people to stand up and be counted between 1914 and 1936. Conscientious objection to conscription in the First World War was focused through the 'no conscription fellowship

Title

General Strike and Tithe War

Synopsis

Part 2: The General Strike against proposals to cut wages by 40% led to acrimony between union and non-union labour. On the sixth day of the strike trains were still running and incensed colliery workers chased plate layers off the London to Scotland line

Title

North Wales bomber school and Cable Street riot

Synopsis

Part 3: In 1935 plans were made to build an aerodrome and bomber training school in North Wales, but the initial outbuildings were burned down in 1936 by three opposers. They surrendered to the police immediately and after two trials were sentenced to pri

Production Company

Name

BBC Television

Distributor

Name

Concord Media

Email

sales@concordmedia.org.uk

Web

http://www.concordmedia.org.uk/ External site opens in new window

Phone

01473 726 012

Address

Rosehill Centre
22 Hines Road
Ipswich
IP3 9BG

Notes

A long-established, not-for-profit organisation with a large collection DVDs, specialising in the sectors of general and mental health, child care, race relations, war and peace, addictions, the third world, ecology, civil rights, personal relationships, educational issues, and social work training. Concord also handles titles made for the Graves Medical Audio-visual Library. Sale on DVD. Formerly known as Concord Video and Film Council. In 2014 Concord began to offer selected films as Video on Demand, via Vimeo.