Sew to Say

Thalia is an artist and banner maker who, in the early 80s, joined a women-only peace camp to stand against nuclear weapons through non-violent action. 41 years ago, in the summer of 1981, a group of 36 women left their homes and marched from Cardiff, the capital of Wales, to Greenham Common near London to protest against the American Cruise missiles that were going to be deployed in the UK as part of the Cold War response. In fear of nuclear war, the group decided to stay and started a peace camp to protest against the storage of nuclear weapons at the base. The peace camp became women-only and soon transformed into a public space for women’s voices attracting hundreds of thousands of women over two decades. Thalia, one of the original marchers and activists at the camp, shares the untold story of the longest feminist protest in British history and reflects on how collective action changed the lives of thousands of women inspiring several generations.