Catalogue description Earth First! (Manchester Branch)

The collection consists of a range of material collected by EF Manchester members and kept in the groups' office. The material relates to campaigns and nonviolent direct action (NVDA) carried out by Earth First!, particularly the Manchester branch. Also included is material from a plethora of similar groups and organisations campaigning on a variety of environmental issues to the fore in the 1990s-2000s, with many of the groups having links to EF!.

Though broadly environmental, many other issues/concerns are to be found within the collection.

The breadth of subjects is matched by the diverse formats, including leaflets, flyers, information sheets, newspaper clippings, booklets, pages downloaded from the internet and much more.

The collection also includes newsletters produced by EF!, as well as other groups and networks, both local and national, with similar campaigning aims. There is also a varied range of magazines and a few zines, many of which are early issue numbers seemingly produced with a limited budget and in limited numbers.

The collection is largely UK focussed with an emphasis on Manchester, though there is material from Europe and the USA.

The bulk of the material comes from the mid-1990s through to the mid-2000s.

Earth First!

Not expected

Formed in 1980, Earth First! is an environmental group which uses the tactics of Non Violent Direct Action (NVDA) in order to achieve its ends. It was 'brought to' Britain from America in 1991, and has been highly effective in attempting to defend the earth and its resources from needless and careless exploitation. The movement is entirely non-hierarchical, has no paid staff, and people do as much or as little as they feel they can. At one point there were around 80 groups around the country. Costing nothing to join, the only stipulation of becoming involved being a desire to save the planet and a willingness to do something about it.
(Source: leaflet in EF/2/1/1)
EF! was also described in its own literature in 1999, as a network of independent groups who believe in doing just that - putting the earth first. It is based in a concept of a non-hierarchical organisation, direct action, and the empowerment of individuals to confront the ecological catastrophe facing our planet.
(SOURCE: Action Update insert EF/1/1/1)
In 'The Agitator', a directory published in 2000, it was noted that EF! 'is not a cohesive group or campaign but a convenient banner for people who share particular philosophies to work under'
More recently, in 2023, EF! noted that “The general principles behind Earth First! are non-hierarchical organisation and the use of direct action to confront, stop and eventually reverse the forces that are responsible for the destruction of the Earth and its inhabitants. EF! is not a cohesive group or campaign, but a convenient banner for people who share similar philosophies to work under.” (EF! website accessed 27/07/2023)
EF! Manchester was one of a number of branches across the UK, initially being run from 1 Newton Street, Manchester.