Laurie Hislam information

Laurence Hislam (1909 – 26 August 1966) was an English peace activist. Hislam's anti-war feelings and activism developed from about 1938, first in the Peace Pledge Union working with Basque child refugees from the Spanish Civil War.^[1] His first notable individual activism was in 1939, when he released "rubber ball bombs" from a suitcase, causing chaos in Downing Street, for which he served one month hard labour.^[2] As an anarchist conscientious objector in WWII he served periods of imprisonment,^[3] wrote for War Commentary (Freedom Press) and distributed anti-war literature.^[4] In 1945 he joined The London Forum discussion group and later worked for the Freedom Defence Committee in London. In 1951 Hislam moved to Gloucestershire, where he continued with anti-war protests and activism including having his head shaved in 1964 and 1965 for a vigil to commemorate the dropping of a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, many local CND demonstrations and a pilgrimage to Rome hoping to influence Pope John XXIII to condemn nuclear weapons.^[5] He was a founder member of the Committee of 100 and took part in many CND protests. He was killed in a car crash in 1966.