Taking it to the streets in decade of protest
Protests about some of the biggest events of the 1970s are being brought back into the public eye in a new photo exhibition.
Opening at Square Edge Community Arts tomorrow, 1970s: Decade of Protest, Exhibition of Photographs runs until May 26.
The exhibition features more than 30 photos from the Manawatū Standard archives, as well as more than 70 photos from the 1970s protest photos exhibition Where were you in ’72?, which ran in Wellington last year.
Organiser Hilary Watson was one of the photographers whose work was displayed at the Wellington exhibition.
She said other centres had wanted to be involved, then it was discovered the Manawatū Standard had negatives of photos from the decade.
Manawatū Heritage dug through the archives and came up with a range of photos to display.
“Locals will see themselves, or relatives, or friends.”
She said the photos covered a range of things that affected all New Zealanders, including the anti-apartheid movement, women’s rights, trade union activism, the Māori language petition, housing and gay rights.
“It was such an important decade for protesting, there were so many issues. It started with us at a certain age who began protesting in 1970.
“It was the war in Vietnam that got us out marching. There were so many other issues and we started to look at them. We started to think how we can make change.”
Palmerston North union organiser Dion Martin had been involved in organising the exhibition and he said its opening coincided with International Workers' Day tomorrow.
“Around the world it's a national holiday. People get out on the streets and they protest, they march, they picket
“It’s a day to let out the inner protester within yourself and come together collectively.
“That’s what these photos are about.” He said the photos depicted a number of big events in the 1970s people turned out for.