RED RAG (cover illustration)

Back Issues

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Established 1979
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These are the back issues of Red Rag. They'll be posted here every (usually) two weeks on or around the anniversary of their original publication. We're currently reissuing 1983; the latest issue is dated January 9th (scan / txt); the next one is due out on January 23rd.

Red Rag, or Reading's only newspaper, had a noble tradition of misspelling, mixed metaphors, wrong facts, confused political judgements and a print run by now of over 1000. It printed pretty well everything it got sent ("unless the Collective judged it racist, sexist, right wing, or supportive of oppressive religions"). It aimed to provide a decent alternative coverage of local news and issues from a radical non-aligned position; to promote subversive and creative initiatives; to provide a forum for unorthodox views; to allow some sort of co-existence between a huge variety of interests. And it was free.

In this monochrome issue (scan / txt): 44 Greenham Common peace campaigners are arrested for unlawfully trespassing on the airbase by scaling the main security fence with ladders bought from Reading Woolworths, occupying a high security area and disrupting and inconveniencing people working there. Several hundred people blockade USAF Upper Heyford the other side of Oxford, no arrests are reported. The Home Office has removed the right of local resident Shenaz Sheikh to indefinite stay in Britain and is insisting that she be sent back to Pakistan; the squatters at 5 Dover St have been evicted and have since taken up residence in number 8 over the road; and the Rag considers whether it should fund its printing bills by accepting paid advertisements.