8th November 2025

This year marked 200 years since the Stroud Water Riots, a series of protests by weavers against the poor working conditions and exploitative mill owners. These mills were producing ‘Stroud Scarlet’ – the red cloth made to clothe the soldiers of the British Empire – spun by these workers here and dyed using red cochineal dye, gathered by enslaved labour in Mexico. 

These protests ultimately failed to win power, but were a big period of unrest that involved dunking mill-men and strike breakers in the pond amongst other tactics. No-one in Stroud is taught about the Riots, and the name of Mr Marling (one of the mill owners) is still over town on businesses and a grammar school – another site of criminality! So on the bi-centenary, the Radical Youth Space for Educations and others, as part of Stroud in Internationalist Solidarity Together For Earth Repairs (SISTER) organised a series of educational workshops culminating in a large community event of celebration and call to action – all as part of the Decolonial Open Communiversity. 

At the workshops we learnt more about the history (ourstory) of the Stroud Water Riots, as well as amplifying the struggles of other communities around the world right now. After discussion about what people were struggling with/wanted to change, we learnt about communities like the CIPOG-EZ, Radio Zapote and the FENMUCARINAP – reflecting on how they were acting to secure safety and change for their communities and how we could learn from their tactics. We learnt about symbols of resistance such as the Adinkra symbols, and through collaboration with local artists people created symbols that were powerful to them.

These artists also made a sculpture of a mill owner out of local materials, and the symbols made at the workshops were raised up as the mill owner was thrown in the canal.

On the day itself we met at the top of the High Street and rallied with drums and leafleting and some introductory speeches. We read the names of a number of the workers who were imprisoned for their actions, the first time in recorded history that they have been celebrated.

We then marched through town chanting and bringing more people into the march.

At the canal we had speeches speaking more on the Riots and on the current ongoing struggles and the imperative to action. We had a stall selling merchandise and artisanal goods and also a choir. Community members were invited to place a leaf inside the mill owner and speak about something/one they wanted to be dunked in the canal. We closed the event with throwing the mill owner into the canal.

We estimate ~200 people in attendance and around £200 raised through merchandise sales. We handed out over 250 leaflets and have a follow up event on Wednesday to bring people into active work. The intention is to make this an annual event. The atmosphere was great and we’ve had positive feedback from the community members who attended. We hope and anticipate that this will turn into active involvement in our ongoing initiatives such as Afrecyle, and the What is Wealth work.