From peace and anti-war demonstrations to local weather change marches and speeches by political figures, the legendary competition is well-known for its political undercurrent and activism roots.
Because the world’s best competition celebrates its 50th anniversary this weekend, we glance again at a number of the greatest political performances at Glastonbury through the years.
Jeremy Corbyn on the Pyramid Stage
In 2017, the then Labour chief gave a speech on the Pyramid Stage. Calling for a “world of human rights, peace, justice and democracy all around the planet,” whereas urging Donald Trump to construct “bridges not partitions,” the political veteran’s hotly-anticipated look pulled in a single one of many largest audiences ever on the iconic Pyramid Stage.
Tony Benn ‘performs’ Glastonbury
The legendary Left Subject space was launched to Glastonbury in 2000, designed to sort out apathy and promote commerce unionism and left-wing politics. Left-wing musicians together with Billy Bragg and Asian Dub Basis, alongside political commentators, make common appearances on the Left Subject tent.
In 2002 and 2008, Tony Benn gave speeches within the Left Subject space. In what was described as an “impassioned tackle to a packed tent,” Benn delivered a “tub-thumping political narration that might have transformed probably the most cynical.”
“We are able to harness all of the power of the individuals who come right here at the moment to sort out probably the most severe issues of the human race,” Benn advised the Left Subject viewers.
In 2014, the competition’s founder Michael Eavis renamed Left Subject tower as “Benn Tower of Energy,” in a tribute to the much-loved politician who handed away in March that yr.
“What a unbelievable fella, eh? Principled. A conviction politician who didn’t do what was fashionable, he did what was proper. He was a lot part of this. He was an A-star performer. How can we exchange him, I ask you? We miss him a lot,” Eavis had mentioned.
GMB Union brings Polish bands to Glasto to spotlight plight of exploited employees
The GMB Union is a sponsor of the Left Subject at Glastonbury.
In 2007, the union introduced Polish rock and reggae bands to the competition as a method of highlighting the plight of exploited migrant employees in Britain.
On the time, GMB had arrange marketing campaign centres to recruit a number of the 500,000 Polish migrant employees in Britain. Following a cope with the Polish Cultural Institute, the union invited bands Poise Ceremony and Habakuk to “spotlight the plight of non-unionised employees many from Poland and different east European nations.”
Extinction Rebel procession
In 2019, the environmental activist group Extinction Rebel led a procession by means of Glastonbury to spotlight the specter of local weather change. The procession started on the Park Stage with a collection of talks from visitor audio system on the speedy motion that’s required to fight a world local weather catastrophe. The parade then made its technique to the Stone Circle, the place the campaigners tried to assemble the ‘largest ever human hourglass sculpture.’
Previous to the occasion, Emily Eavis had mentioned: “This can be a probability for everyone on the competition who feels passionately about defending our planet and future generations to be a part of a collective second.”
Caroline Lucas speaks in 2011
Inexperienced MP for Brighton Pavilion Caroline Lucas appeared on the Pyramid Stage in 2011 earlier than American rap group Wu Tang Clan performed. The long-standing politician and local weather change activist and campaigner spoke about water shortage and international poverty earlier than the rappers began their set.
And presumably the worst political look…
This week has seen Billy Bragg speak about his journey to Glastonbury with Boris Johnson in 2000. The folks singer, who has organised the Left Subject tent on the competition for numerous years, says he has not been involved with Johnson since he gave him a documented tour of Glastonbury 22 years in the past.
Talking to the Glastonbury Free Press, Bragg mentioned: “I inform folks it was only a unhealthy journey and I don’t know the way it ended up on YouTube.
“I believed it was just a few unhealthy magic mushrooms however truly it will need to have actually occurred. In my defence, he was comparatively innocent on the time.
“It simply goes to indicate you need to watch out who you elevate to positions of movie star. Then, he was that man off Have I Obtained Information For You.
“All people was actually happy to see him. I can’t think about if I walked round with him now he’d have the identical response.”
Bragg added: “I feel he’s somebody who has lived all his life with out taking any duty for something: professionally, personally or politically.
“Boris is somebody who acts with impunity and to have somebody like that working the nation is downright harmful.”
Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead is a contributing editor to Left Foot Ahead
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