The Masque of Anarchy - Percy Bysshe Shelley

from the Manchester Archives Flickr photoset

This is not technically a book but a poem. It’s a long poem, though, and I’m sure someone has sold it as a little book on its own. Plus, this is my challenge and I’m cheating because I'm really behind. So there.

I wasn’t going to post this at all but then I realised that this week it was the anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre – the event which inspired the poem – and so it seemed pretty perfect.

What was the Peterloo Massacre?

*puts on Open University hat*

The country had experienced famine and high unemployment in the years following the Napoleonic Wars and the introduction of the Corn Laws. This suffering was compounded by a lack of parliamentary representation for working people, particularly in industrial areas like Manchester, where they were very few members of parliament and even fewer voters. Spurred on by their extreme poverty and lack of voice or help from the government, radical politics gained popularity.

On the 16^th August 1819, the Manchester Patriotic Union had organised a demonstration for parliamentary reform with an address by leading radical Henry Hunt. The protesters came to Peter's Field from all over Manchester and the surrounding areas – one eyewitness estimated that the crowd equalled half the population of Manchester. Because previous meetings of working people had been criticised and mocked for their shabby appearance and disorderly conduct, the Peter’s Field protesters had made efforts to be particularly well turned out and none of them were armed. Despite the peaceful nature of the demonstration, local magistrates wanted to arrest Hunt and they called on the Army to arrest him and disperse the crowd. The cavalry went in with their sabres drawn and many in the crowd were unable to get away. In the chaos that followed, 400-600 people were injured and 15 killed.

Why should we care now?

*puts on socialist ribbon*

The Peterloo Massacre lead to the founding of the Manchester Guardian (which became the modern-day Guardian newspaper) and was a really significant moment in radical and working class politics, helping to bring about the Trades Union movement.

THE ACTUAL POEM

*puts on English Graduate garment of some description*

Shelley was in Italy at the time but when he heard about the massacre he was driven to write the Masque of Anarchy, considered by many to be one of the greatest political poems in the English language. I think it’s pretty good. Go and read it.

Rise like Lions after slumber

In unvanquishable number,

Shake your chains to earth like dew

Which in sleep had fallen on you -

Ye are many - they are few..

How excellent is that? I want everyone to read it and go, “YES! WE WILL RISE LIKE LIONS! WE ARE MANY AND THEY ARE FEW! LET’S SAVE THE NHS FROM THE TORY WANKBAGS!”

*takes off weird extra garments and gets back to drawing tattoos on self in biro*

No More Page 3

                                                                                Source: Uploaded by user via Frances on Pinterest

I'm not writing this because I believe I have any great insights or revolutionary arguments to make, I just wanted to write this to add my voice to all the others. So many supporters of page 3 go, “most women don’t care about page 3" or "loads of women love page 3!" I want write this as evidence that there are plenty of women who DO care.

Here are some reasons page 3 should go (there are MILLIONS more):

1. On a personal level, I feel there is a direct link between the objectification of women on page 3, and the men who feel they have a right to yell and whoop as they drive past me. On a much more serious level, there is a direct link between the objectification of women in our media and society, and violence against women and girls. Surely this is more important than perves getting to drool over some breasts?

2. Tits aren't news. There is no way they need to be at the front of a daily newspaper.

3. The fact that it’s been going a long time is no reason to keep it. Slavery was an institution, we got rid of that.

4. It alienates women and makes them feel uncomfortable. The very few times I have looked at the sun, I have felt quite sick as a quickly turned past page 3. It makes you immediately feel like your body is there for others to judge. It says: Women, you are just a garnish on top of the important stuff. Look pretty and shut up. Not attractive? You don’t have large yet magically perky breasts? Fuck off then.

5. There is no real argument to keeping it. If it didn't exist there is NO WAY that you could argue for its introduction.

Umm, well, I think there should be some bare breasts in the paper.

Why?

Um, well, I think our readers would like to see them.

But this is a newspaper. If people want to see breasts, they can buy a magazine for that*.

Yea, but I like breasts.

Good, I like breasts too.

But we need to have more women in the paper! We could ask a different woman her views on the news and feature her in the paper...

Um...

...and she could have her tits out!

Why?

I like to look at them?

If I'm having a clear out**, I (try) to go by this rule: If I didn't own it already and I saw it in a shop, would I have to have it? If not, I chuck. Same applies to page 3.

Here is Lucy Anne Holmes talking about why she decided to start the campaign.

Sign the petition here. They also have t-shirts! Buy me one here (the link is right down at the bottom).

*magazines like Nuts etc, are a whole other issue. **I know idea of me having a successful clearout is hilarious to people who know me IRL.