16/12/2023
The pacifist journal Peace News says that one of the many people to play a role in the legendary Housman's Bookstore in King's Cross, which was the first home to the London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard from 1974 into the early eighties, has passed on. Pacifist activist Bill Hetherington died on 5th November. He was a direct actionist in Britain in the 1960s, and has been involved in pacifist activism ever since. Internationally, he was involved in an anti-nuclear convoy to Greece in the 1960s; and he was, says Peace News, the only person from any country to take part in every single one of the 11 International Nonviolent Marches for Demilitarisation which took place around Europe ("East" as well as "West") from 1976 to 1986. These events involved him in being detained by various countries' police forces over the years (to add to his many entanglements with the British authorities too of course, which entailed some time behind bars). A main part of his work in recent decades was in the PPU, and in its international network (WRI); but he worked with many other peace organisations over the years. He was a walking encyclopaedia of the history of much of the pacifist movement, and an irreplaceable resource at the the PPU; he also performed crucial roles with Peace News Trustees (parent company of Peace News and of Housmans Bookshop), landlords of the Kings Cross building which has housed many peace organisations over the years. Housman's continues today to stock a range of LGBTQIA and friendly literature and is a centre for progressive organising in London.
