Resistance

The powerful new book on protest in Britain from the award-winning director and artist Sir Steve McQueen

A landmark work charting how acts of resistance have shaped Britain and the powerful role of photography as a catalyst for change, across the twentieth century, curated by acclaimed artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen.

A landmark work charting how acts of resistance have shaped Britain and the powerful role of photography as a catalyst for change, across the twentieth century, curated by acclaimed artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen.

Resistance presents a century of activism, from the radical suffrage movement in 1903 through key moments including the Battle of Cable Street, the Black People’s Day of Action, Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp and the Miners’ Strike; onto protests against environmental destruction, struggles for LGBTQ+ and disability rights; culminating with the largest protest in Britain’s history: the march against the War in Iraq in 2003.

A wealth of photographs – from covert surveillance images to era-defining press reportage – are interwoven with firsthand accounts from those who witnessed these major historical moments and expert analysis of where these stories lead us today. Featuring contributions from groundbreaking voices such as Gary Younge, Paul Gilroy and Baroness Chakrabarti, alongside powerful images from renowned photographers including Vanley Burke, Edith Tudor-Hart, Tish Murtha and Paul Trevor.

Resistance uncovers the often-overlooked stories of individuals who have been instrumental in forming modern Britain and is a testament to the empowering impact of collective action today.