Catalogue Number
NMLH.1992.409.12.12
Object Name
Poster
Title
An Alternative Forum to Reagan's Speech in Parliament / Festival for Peace & Freedom
People
Ronald Reagan
Events
Ronald Reagan's visit to the UK
Date
1982
Description
Poster advertising a Festival for Peace and Freedom, as an "Alternative Forum to Reagan's Speech in Parliament"
The poster shows an image of the Statue of Liberty, with a bayonet blade affixed to the flame held in her hand. This is alluding to the interventionist policies of the United States of America which saw tacit and active support for various right-wing regimes which were seen as helping to undermine the power of the USSR. This included interventions to support destabilising regimes in South and Central America, the support of South Vietnam and South Korea during the Vietnam and Korean Wars, and later the destabilisation of Iraq and Iran.
The festival advertised is billed as being an alternative to Ronald Reagan's speech in Parliament. Reagan was the 40th President of the United States of America, and was a strong ally to Margaret Thatcher's government. Reagan spoke to the House of Commons in June 1982, featuring strong discussions on armaments and the Cold War.
