Off our Rockers and into the Streets! | The Rochester Raging Grannies | TEDxUniversityofRochester

Activist group "The Rochester Raging Grannies" take a break from the streets to stop into TEDxUniversityofRochester and regale us with protest songs from their lengthy repertoire and to talk about their work, history, and the importance of speaking out about what you care about. The first group to call themselves "Raging Grannies" erupted on February 14, 1987 in Victoria, British Columbia. Several peace activists who had been doing street theater in the community began dressing up in outrageous hats and singing satirical songs to protest nuclear submarines, uranium mining, nuclear power, militarism, racism, clear-cut logging, and corporate greed. Raging Granny groups quickly sprang up across Canada, all the way to Charlottetown, PEI, and down the Pacific Coast into the USA by way of Seattle. There are now about 100 gaggles of Raging Grannies throughout the world. Rochester's Raging Grannies first raged in September, 2002, in response to proposed Monroe County Budget Cuts that threatened parks, libraries, and the entire system of social service delivery. The Rochester Raging Grannies are open to women of a certain age who have a sense of humor and a commitment to action. They are concerned with issues of social and economic justice, peace, and a healthy planet. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx