Nelson Mandela's lawyer, Ishmail Ayob, at the launch of the Freedom at 70 campaign in Nelson Mandela Place. Also in the picture, which appeared in the May 1988 issue of Glasgow City Council's newspaper The Bulletin are Scottish anti-apartheid chairman Brian Filling, singer Jim Kerr and councillor Danny Crawford.
Nelson Mandela Place was originally St George's Place. Glasgow City Council signalled its support for the campaign to free Nelson Mandela by renaming the street in honour of the political prisoner in 1986, much to the annoyance of staff in the South African consulate there.
Jim Kerr was lead singer and founder member of Glasgow rock band Simple Minds, formed in 1978. During the 1980s they established themselves as one of the most popular acts in the country, with hits such as Don't You Forget About Me and Belfast Child and a series of successful albums. The group helped organise and performed at two Nelson Mandela tribute concerts in 1988 and 1990, the second of which was attended by the newly-released Mandela himself.
Reference: Bulletin photographs, Box 13, May 1988
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
anti-apartheid movement, Bulletin, concerts, consulates, councillors, Glasgow Stock Exchange, lawyers, pop groups, pop stars, prisoners, rock bands, rock stars, Simple Minds, singers, South Africans