 | |
| Formation | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Type | Activist organization |
| Website | raginggrannies |
The Raging Grannies (or just "Raging Grannies") areactivist organizations in many cities and towns inCanada, theUnited States, and other countries.[1] The first group started inVictoria,British Columbia,Canada, in 1986–87.
They aresocial justice activists, all women old enough to begrandmothers, who dress up in clothes that mockstereotypes of 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 Guard after it organized aMother's Day anti-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.
The 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]
In May 2005, a California chapter of the Raging Grannies was allegedly spied upon by a unit of theCalifornia National Guard after it organized aMother's Day anti-war rally.California State SenatorJoe Dunn launched an investigation and the intelligence unit was subsequently shut down.[4]
In July 2005, five members of the group were charged withtrespassing after they attempted to enlist at aUS Army recruiting center inTucson,Arizona. A spokesperson for the group said they wanted to enlist and be sent toIraq so 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 Bay Area 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 Rights in Winnipeg, MB.
In June 2020, the Raging Grannies protested to show their support for theBlack Lives Matter movement inPortland, Oregon and inSan Bruno andPalo Alto, California.[8][9][10]
The Raging Grannies have also been very active in the2022 abortion rights protests across the United States.[11]
At 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]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
