Peace Action Newport Information Campaign (PANIC)

In about 1980, when the Cold War between the West and the USSR was still active and the threat of nuclear war seemed real and frightening, a peace group was inaugurated in Newport. Known as PANIC (Peace Action Newport Information Campaign), its members leafleted the local community with information about nuclear weapons and mutually armed destruction,  which was the nuclear policy of the USA and UK at the time, wrote letters to MPs and other public figures extolling the virtues of disarmament, made beautiful banners, and joined anti-nuclear marches in Edinburgh and Dundee. There was even a meeting arranged with a representative from the Embassy of the USSR. The membership grew to about 120 members, and the name was changed to Taypeace as it was thought PANIC gave the wrong message.

Towards the end of the eighties, President Gorbachev came to power in the USSR, with his policy of glasnost. Tensions between the West and the Eastern Bloc diminished and the USSR was broken up. The case for nuclear disarmament became less urgent and PANIC’s membership dwindled then disbanded.