Raging Grannies

The Raging Grannies formed in Victoria, British Columbia, in 1987. Galvanized into action by the nuclear arms race and visits to a local military base by U.S. nuclear-powered, nuclear-capable warships and submarines, they sought to express their outrage at nuclear risks to health and environment and their deep desire for peace.

Armed with disarming smiles, flamboyant hats, biting satirical lyrics of their own creation, a dynamic imagination for actions, and unflagging determination, they communicate their views on a wide range of concerns. These include environmental, economic and social justice issues—local, national, or international. Their nonviolent, witty, humorous, and creative activism often contrasts with the seriousness of their concerns. They make effective use of ambiguity to expose greed, violence, and environmental destruction.

One action brought much media attention, including a front-page photograph in the local daily. In 1990, during escalating threats that led to the Gulf War, the Victoria Raging Grannies resurrected World War II uniforms and marched to the local Army Recruitment Center to volunteer for a tour of duty and spare young lives: since discrimination on the basis of age is not allowed, the officer had to plow through the paperwork. Other Raging Grannies in Canada recreated versions of this action soon after. In 2005, the Tucson Raging Grannies, who were protesting the war in Iraq, started a similar wave of enlisting actions in the United States. Grandmothers Against the War and others across the United States joined them in enlisting actions.

Raging Grannies, originally founded in British Columbia, use their flamboyant appearance and humorous protest songs as an effective means of presenting their concerns of environmental wrongdoings and social justice.

Source: Photo by Photopia/HiMY SYeD.

The Raging Grannies challenge authorities and provide a positive example of transforming anger and despair with humor, creativity, and collective action. They also challenge the discourse of decline associated with aging: The Raging Grannies show us that instead of charting decline we would do well to focus on possibilities. The process of aging is not only loss but also gain, and we must embrace the passage of time as an asset.

Gaggles of grannies have spread across Canada, the United States, Greece, Japan, and Israel. They prize participation and spontaneity and refuse to be hemmed in by rules and hierarchical structures. They are decentralized; each group is autonomous. Yet in spite of their small number, they have been remarkably effective in sharing their message to larger audiences.