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⚫ | {{Short description|Flower used as a symbol of peace}}{{Globalize|date=November 2023|2=UK}}[[image:Anzac poppies.JPG|thumb|Artificial poppies placed as [[Anzac Day]] tributes on a [[cenotaph]] in New Zealand; mostly ''[[Papaver rhoeas]]'' marketed by the [[Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association]], with a lone White Poppy]] |
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{{Short description|Flower used as a symbol of peace}} |
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⚫ | [[image:Anzac poppies.JPG|thumb|Artificial poppies placed as [[Anzac Day]] tributes on a [[cenotaph]] in New Zealand; mostly ''[[Papaver rhoeas]]'' marketed by the [[Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association]], with a lone White Poppy]] |
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[[File:ComputerHotline - Papaver rhoeas--25-juil-5 (by).jpg|thumb|White poppy<br />(''[[Arctomecon merriamii]]'')]] |
[[File:ComputerHotline - Papaver rhoeas--25-juil-5 (by).jpg|thumb|White poppy<br />(''[[Arctomecon merriamii]]'')]] |
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== History == |
== History == |
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=== United Kingdom === |
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In 1926, a few years after the introduction of the red poppy in the UK, the idea of [[pacifist]]s making their own poppies was put forward by a member of the [[No More War Movement]] (as well as the proposal that the black centre of the [[The Royal British Legion|British Legion's]] red poppies should be imprinted with "No More War").<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/nov/04/the-great-poppy-war-how-did-we-get-here|title=The great 'poppy war': how did we get here?|last=Usborne|first=Simon|date=4 November 2016|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|language=en|access-date=19 July 2018}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Basu|first=Srabosti|date=2017-11-10|title=The Argument for the White Poppy|url=http://affinitymagazine.us/2017/11/10/the-argument-for-the-white-poppy/|access-date=2020-12-14|website=Affinity Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref> Their intention was to remember casualties of all wars, with the added meaning of a hope for the end of all wars; the red poppy signified only the [[British military]] dead.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ppu.org.uk/whitepoppy/index.html|title=White Poppies for Peace|website=Ppu.org.uk|language=en|access-date=19 July 2018}}</ref> However, they did not pursue the idea.<ref name=":0" /> The first white poppies were sold by the [[Co-operative Women's Guild]] in 1933.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1502478/British-Legion-reaches-a-truce-with-the-white-poppy-movement.html|title=British Legion reaches a truce with the white poppy movement|last=Iggulden|first=Amy|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=19 July 2018|language=en}}</ref> The [[Peace Pledge Union]] (PPU)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ppu.org.uk/sites/default/files/Remembrance_Sunday_Resource_for_Churches.pdf |
In 1926, a few years after the introduction of the red poppy in the UK, the idea of [[pacifist]]s making their own poppies was put forward by a member of the [[No More War Movement]] (as well as the proposal that the black centre of the [[The Royal British Legion|British Legion's]] red poppies should be imprinted with "No More War").<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/nov/04/the-great-poppy-war-how-did-we-get-here|title=The great 'poppy war': how did we get here?|last=Usborne|first=Simon|date=4 November 2016|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|language=en|access-date=19 July 2018}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Basu|first=Srabosti|date=2017-11-10|title=The Argument for the White Poppy|url=http://affinitymagazine.us/2017/11/10/the-argument-for-the-white-poppy/|access-date=2020-12-14|website=Affinity Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref> Their intention was to remember casualties of all wars, with the added meaning of a hope for the end of all wars; the red poppy signified only the [[British military]] dead.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ppu.org.uk/whitepoppy/index.html|title=White Poppies for Peace|website=Ppu.org.uk|language=en|access-date=19 July 2018}}</ref> However, they did not pursue the idea.<ref name=":0" /> The first white poppies were sold by the [[Co-operative Women's Guild]] in 1933.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1502478/British-Legion-reaches-a-truce-with-the-white-poppy-movement.html|title=British Legion reaches a truce with the white poppy movement|last=Iggulden|first=Amy|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=19 July 2018|language=en}}</ref> The [[Peace Pledge Union]] (PPU)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ppu.org.uk/sites/default/files/Remembrance_Sunday_Resource_for_Churches.pdf|title=Remembrance Sunday : Services for Peace a resource from Fellowship of Reconciliation and Peace Pledge Union|website=Ppu.org.uk|access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> took part in their distribution from 1936, and white poppy wreaths were laid from 1937 as a pledge to peace that war must not happen again.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-big-question-why-are-we-asked-to-wear-a-poppy-and-is-its-significance-being-lost-1807573.html|title=The Big Question: Why are we asked to wear a poppy, and is its|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|access-date=19 July 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref> Anti-war organisations such as the [[Anglican Pacifist Fellowship]] now support the White Poppy Movement.<ref name=":1" /> |
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Those who promote the wearing of white poppies argue that the red poppy also conveys a specific political standpoint, and point to the divisive nature of the red poppy in [[Northern Ireland]], where it is worn mainly by [[Unionism in Ireland|unionists]] but boycotted by [[Irish republican]]s.<ref>John Montgomery, quoted in the ''Irish News'', 10 November 1986, p.1</ref> |
Those who promote the wearing of white poppies argue that the red poppy also conveys a specific political standpoint, and point to the divisive nature of the red poppy in [[Northern Ireland]], where it is worn mainly by [[Unionism in Ireland|unionists]] but boycotted by [[Irish republican]]s.<ref>John Montgomery, quoted in the ''Irish News'', 10 November 1986, p.1</ref> |
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Sales of white poppies steadily rose throughout the 2010s, often causing supporters of the PPU to become targets of abuse. On 1 November 2018 sales of white poppies were higher than in any previous year since white poppies were founded in 1933. As of 7 November 2018, 119,555 white poppies had been sold. The final figure was 122,385. The previous record was 110,000 white poppies in 2015. Until 2014, the record was around 80,000 in 1938.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenews.coop/133716/sector/community/white-poppies-sales-highest-level-ever/|title=White poppy sales hit new record ahead of Armistice centenary – Co-operative News|website=Thenews.coop|date=9 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ppu.org.uk/news/white-poppy-sales-break-all-records | title=White poppy sales break all records | Peace Pledge Union|website=Ppu.org.uk}}</ref><ref name="PlymouthLive">{{cite news|url=https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/white-poppies-remembrance-johnny-mercer-2198212|title=White Poppy sales hit record high following Plymouth MP's comments|last=O'Leary|first=Miles|date=8 November 2018|work=[[The Herald (Plymouth)|PlymouthLive]]|accessdate=4 November 2023}}</ref> |
Sales of white poppies steadily rose throughout the 2010s, often causing supporters of the PPU to become targets of abuse. On 1 November 2018 sales of white poppies were higher than in any previous year since white poppies were founded in 1933. As of 7 November 2018, 119,555 white poppies had been sold. The final figure was 122,385. The previous record was 110,000 white poppies in 2015. Until 2014, the record was around 80,000 in 1938.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenews.coop/133716/sector/community/white-poppies-sales-highest-level-ever/|title=White poppy sales hit new record ahead of Armistice centenary – Co-operative News|website=Thenews.coop|date=9 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ppu.org.uk/news/white-poppy-sales-break-all-records | title=White poppy sales break all records | Peace Pledge Union|website=Ppu.org.uk| date=8 November 2018}}</ref><ref name="PlymouthLive">{{cite news|url=https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/white-poppies-remembrance-johnny-mercer-2198212|title=White Poppy sales hit record high following Plymouth MP's comments|last=O'Leary|first=Miles|date=8 November 2018|work=[[The Herald (Plymouth)|PlymouthLive]]|accessdate=4 November 2023}}</ref> |
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In 2018, [[St John Ambulance in England]] allowed its volunteers to wear white poppies for the first time.<ref>{{cite news |title=White 'pacifist' poppies allowed by St John Ambulance for first time in its history |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/white-poppies-pacifist-st-john-ambulance-symbol-world-war-one-remembrance-red-british-legion-a8584526.html |access-date=14 December 2018 |work=The Independent |date=15 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/15/st-john-ambulance-volunteers-white-poppy-red-poppy-remembrance-day | title=St John Ambulance to let volunteers wear white remembrance poppy| newspaper=[[The Guardian]]| date=15 October 2018| author=Robert Booth}}</ref> |
In 2018, [[St John Ambulance in England]] allowed its volunteers to wear white poppies for the first time.<ref>{{cite news |title=White 'pacifist' poppies allowed by St John Ambulance for first time in its history |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/white-poppies-pacifist-st-john-ambulance-symbol-world-war-one-remembrance-red-british-legion-a8584526.html |access-date=14 December 2018 |work=The Independent |date=15 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/15/st-john-ambulance-volunteers-white-poppy-red-poppy-remembrance-day | title=St John Ambulance to let volunteers wear white remembrance poppy| newspaper=[[The Guardian]]| date=15 October 2018| author=Robert Booth}}</ref> |
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White poppies have also been worn in New Zealand to mark [[Remembrance Day]]. In previous years, the annual white poppy appeal was run as a fundraiser for the [[Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament]] around the time of [[Hiroshima Day]] in August. Responsibility for organising the annual appeal was transferred to Peace Movement Aotearoa, as the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in New Zealand closed down in 2008.<ref name="scoop"/> |
White poppies have also been worn in New Zealand to mark [[Remembrance Day]]. In previous years, the annual white poppy appeal was run as a fundraiser for the [[Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament]] around the time of [[Hiroshima Day]] in August. Responsibility for organising the annual appeal was transferred to Peace Movement Aotearoa, as the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in New Zealand closed down in 2008.<ref name="scoop"/> |
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== Controversies == |
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[[File:White Wreath for Peace at the Cenotaph in 2018.jpg|thumb|right|White poppy wreath at [[The Cenotaph, Whitehall]] in 2018, the centenary of the end of the First World War]] |
[[File:White Wreath for Peace at the Cenotaph in 2018.jpg|thumb|right|White poppy wreath at [[The Cenotaph, Whitehall]] in 2018, the centenary of the end of the First World War]] |
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The [[Royal British Legion]] has no official opinion on the wearing of white poppies, stating that it "is a matter of choice, the Legion doesn't have a problem whether you wear a red one or a white one, both or none at all" |
The [[Royal British Legion]] has no official opinion on the wearing of white poppies, stating that it "is a matter of choice, the Legion doesn't have a problem whether you wear a red one or a white one, both or none at all",<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/red-white-or-none-at-all-the-great-poppy-debate-6230165.html|title=Red, white, or none at all? The great poppy debate|last=Brown|first=Jonathan|date=11 November 2006|newspaper=[[The Independent on Sunday]]|access-date=9 November 2008}}</ref> and that it defends the right to wear different poppies.<ref name="BBC Mercer" />Opponents<ref>{{cite news |url=http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2012/11/09/20343816.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115062715/http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2012/11/09/20343816.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=15 January 2013 |title=Legion sees red over white poppy campaign |first=Kendall |last=Walters |website=Cnews.canoe.ca |date=9 November 2012 |access-date=9 November 2012 }}</ref> of the white poppy argue that the traditional red poppy already encompasses the sentiments claimed for the white poppy, such as "remembering all victims of war", and consider that it undermines the message of remembrance. Some Irish nationalists "see the poppy as representing the army that denied them independence in the 1920s and that returned in the late 1960s, bringing with it such events as [[Bloody Sunday (1972)|Bloody Sunday]]."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://theconversation.com/poppies-are-a-political-symbol-both-on-and-off-the-football-pitch-68113|title=Poppies are a political symbol – both on and off the football pitch|first=Paul|last=Breen|website=Theconversation.com|date=3 November 2016 |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> In the 1930s, when the white poppy was first established, some women lost their jobs for wearing them.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/remembrance/how/poppy.shtml|title=Why the Poppy?|year=2008|work=Ninety Years of Remembrance|publisher=BBC|access-date=9 November 2008}}</ref> Others are concerned that the money raised by the white poppy appeal may affect the funds raised for the [[Royal British Legion]] by the red poppy appeal.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wainwright|first=Martin|title=White poppies reopen old wounds / Disarmament divisions affect preparations for Remembrance Day|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=7 November 1986|page=6}}</ref> |
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In 1986, [[John Baker (bishop)|John Baker]], Bishop of Salisbury, stated in his diocesan newsletter that he had been asked about the appropriateness of the white poppy. Baker responded "let's not be hurt if we see a white poppy...there is plenty of space for red and white to bloom side by side."<ref name="wh">{{cite book |first=William |last=Hetherington |title=Swimming Against the Tide: The Peace Pledge Union Story |publisher=The Peace Pledge Union |location=London |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-902680-51-7 |pages=48–49 }}</ref> Salisbury MP [[Robert Key (politician)|Robert Key]] disagreed, and later that year asked British prime minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] her opinion on the issue. Thatcher expressed her "deep distaste" for the symbol during [[prime minister's questions]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Bill |last=Hetherington |chapter=Symbols of Peace |title=Housmans Peace Diary 2007 |publisher=Housmans Bookshop |location=London |year=2006 |edition=54th }}</ref> In response, the White Poppy campaign received much media coverage in Britain.<ref name="wh" /> The ''[[Daily Star (United Kingdom)|Daily Star]]'' ran several articles criticising the White Poppy campaign.<ref name="wh" /> In ''[[The Guardian]]'', artist [[Steve Bell (cartoonist)|Steve Bell]] published a cartoon satirising Thatcher's opposition to white poppies, which he allowed the [[Peace Pledge Union]] to republish.<ref name="wh" /> |
In 1986, [[John Baker (bishop)|John Baker]], Bishop of Salisbury, stated in his diocesan newsletter that he had been asked about the appropriateness of the white poppy. Baker responded "let's not be hurt if we see a white poppy...there is plenty of space for red and white to bloom side by side."<ref name="wh">{{cite book |first=William |last=Hetherington |title=Swimming Against the Tide: The Peace Pledge Union Story |publisher=The Peace Pledge Union |location=London |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-902680-51-7 |pages=48–49 }}</ref> Salisbury MP [[Robert Key (politician)|Robert Key]] disagreed, and later that year asked British prime minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] her opinion on the issue. Thatcher expressed her "deep distaste" for the symbol during [[prime minister's questions]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Bill |last=Hetherington |chapter=Symbols of Peace |title=Housmans Peace Diary 2007 |publisher=Housmans Bookshop |location=London |year=2006 |edition=54th }}</ref> In response, the White Poppy campaign received much media coverage in Britain.<ref name="wh" /> The ''[[Daily Star (United Kingdom)|Daily Star]]'' ran several articles criticising the White Poppy campaign.<ref name="wh" /> In ''[[The Guardian]]'', artist [[Steve Bell (cartoonist)|Steve Bell]] published a cartoon satirising Thatcher's opposition to white poppies, which he allowed the [[Peace Pledge Union]] to republish.<ref name="wh" /> |
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In November 2014, white poppy wreaths on the [[Aberystwyth]] War Memorial had to be replaced after they were removed from the Memorial and thrown in a bin.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/peace-campaigners-outraged-after-white-8123699 |title=Peace campaigners outraged after white poppy wreaths torn down from Aberystwyth War Memorial |newspaper=[[Western Mail (Wales)|Wales Online]] |date=17 November 2014 |access-date=17 January 2015 |first=Alicia |last=Melville-Smith }}</ref> There |
In November 2014, white poppy wreaths on the [[Aberystwyth]] War Memorial had to be replaced after they were removed from the Memorial and thrown in a bin.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/peace-campaigners-outraged-after-white-8123699 |title=Peace campaigners outraged after white poppy wreaths torn down from Aberystwyth War Memorial |newspaper=[[Western Mail (Wales)|Wales Online]] |date=17 November 2014 |access-date=17 January 2015 |first=Alicia |last=Melville-Smith }}</ref> There were similar reports ofa white poppy wreath being removed from war memorials in [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] in 2018.<ref>{{cite news |title=White poppy wreath 'pinched' from Bath War Memorial within a day of Remembrance Sunday celebrations |url=https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/in-your-area/white-poppy-wreath-pinched-bath-2218342 |access-date=14 December 2018 |publisher=Somerset live |date=14 November 2018}}</ref> |
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In 2018, [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MP [[Johnny Mercer (politician)|Johnny Mercer]] [[Twitter|tweeted]] that he thought white poppies were "attention seeking rubbish".<ref name="BBC Mercer">{{cite news |title=White poppy: How is it different from the red remembrance symbol? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45971456 |access-date=14 December 2018 |work=BBC News |date=25 October 2018}}</ref> Mercer's comments led to widespread media debate around the appropriateness of white poppies, with the Peace Pledge Union later crediting Mercer's comments as being responsible for the record level of sales that year.<ref name="PlymouthLive" /> Mercer repeated these views in 2019, after being appointed as [[Minister of State for Veterans' Affairs|Minister for Defence People and Veterans]] in [[First Johnson ministry|Boris Johnson's government]], accusing white poppy wearers of “hijacking symbolism for their own ends”.<ref name="Indy Mercer">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/veterans-white-poppy-johnny-mercer-remembrance-day-sunday-a9196606.html/|title=Military veterans demand Tory minister apologises for calling white poppies |
In 2018,UK [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MP [[Johnny Mercer (politician)|Johnny Mercer]] [[Twitter|tweeted]] that he thought white poppies were "attention seeking rubbish".<ref name="BBC Mercer">{{cite news |title=White poppy: How is it different from the red remembrance symbol? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45971456 |access-date=14 December 2018 |work=BBC News |date=25 October 2018}}</ref> Mercer's comments led to widespread media debate around the appropriateness of white poppies, with the Peace Pledge Union later crediting Mercer's comments as being responsible for the record level of sales that year.<ref name="PlymouthLive" /> Mercer repeated these views in 2019, after being appointed as [[Minister of State for Veterans' Affairs|Minister for Defence People and Veterans]] in [[First Johnson ministry|Boris Johnson's government]], accusing white poppy wearers of “hijacking symbolism for their own ends”.<ref name="Indy Mercer">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/veterans-white-poppy-johnny-mercer-remembrance-day-sunday-a9196606.html/|title=Military veterans demand Tory minister apologises for calling white poppies 'attention seeking rubbish'|last=Bulham|first=May|date=9 November 2019|work=[[The Independent]]|accessdate=3 November 2023}}</ref> His comments led to an [[open letter]] from multiple military veterans and the organisations that support calling on Mercer to apologise for his comments, and instead "spend energy on addressing homelessness and mental health among ex-servicemen and women".<ref name="Indy Mercer" /> |
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In 2022 [[Scottish National Party]] politician, [[Michelle Thomson]] [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]], sparked controversy over wearing a homemade white poppy with a "[[Yes Scotland|Yes!]]" logo in the centre. Critics accused Thomson of being “tacky and tasteless” by using a commemorative poppy to campaign for [[Scottish independence]]. Thomson claimed that she had used the "Yes!" pin to secure the poppy to her lapel after her poppy "fell apart over the weekend", and that she had not intended to cause any offence.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/23109497.snp-msp-michelle-thomson-accused-shameless-stunt-wearing-indy-poppy-holyrood/|title=SNP MSP Michelle Thomson accused of 'shameless stunt' after wearing Indy poppy at Holyrood|last=Gordan|first=Tom|date=8 November 2022|work=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]|accessdate=3 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/11/08/snp-msp-criticised-for-wearing-white-pro-independence-poppy/|title= |
In 2022 [[Scottish National Party]] politician, [[Michelle Thomson]] [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]], sparked controversy over wearing a homemade white poppy with a "[[Yes Scotland|Yes!]]" logo in the centre. Critics accused Thomson of being “tacky and tasteless” by using a commemorative poppy to campaign for [[Scottish independence]]. Thomson claimed that she had used the "Yes!" pin to secure the poppy to her lapel after her poppy "fell apart over the weekend", and that she had not intended to cause any offence.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/23109497.snp-msp-michelle-thomson-accused-shameless-stunt-wearing-indy-poppy-holyrood/|title=SNP MSP Michelle Thomson accused of 'shameless stunt' after wearing Indy poppy at Holyrood|last=Gordan|first=Tom|date=8 November 2022|work=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]|accessdate=3 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/11/08/snp-msp-criticised-for-wearing-white-pro-independence-poppy/|title='Shameless' SNP politician derided for 'tacky and tasteless' white pro-independence poppy|last=Sanderson|first=Daniel|date=8 November 2022|work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|accessdate=3 November 2023}}</ref> |
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The Royal British Legion has said that it defends the right to wear different poppies.<ref name="BBC Mercer" /> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*[http://archive.scottish.parliament.uk/business/businessBulletin/bb-04/bb-10-25f.htm A motion on White poppies before the Scottish Parliament] (S2M-1865 Mark Ballard: White Poppies for Peace, Monday 25 October 2004) |
*[http://archive.scottish.parliament.uk/business/businessBulletin/bb-04/bb-10-25f.htm A motion on White poppies before the Scottish Parliament] (S2M-1865 Mark Ballard: White Poppies for Peace, Monday 25 October 2004) |
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*[http://www.whitepoppy.org.nz White Poppies for Peace] – website in New Zealand |
*[http://www.whitepoppy.org.nz White Poppies for Peace] – website in New Zealand |
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*[ |
*[https://www.whitepoppy.ca whitepoppy.ca] – a sub-page of "Remembrance Day For All" – Towards discussion that includes everyone in our Remembrance of Canada’s wars. |
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=== News articles === |
=== News articles === |
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The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United Kingdom and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (November 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
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The white poppy is a flower used as a symbol of peace, worn either in place of or in addition to the red remembrance poppy for Remembrance DayorAnzac Day.
In 1926, a few years after the introduction of the red poppy in the UK, the idea of pacifists making their own poppies was put forward by a member of the No More War Movement (as well as the proposal that the black centre of the British Legion's red poppies should be imprinted with "No More War").[1][2] Their intention was to remember casualties of all wars, with the added meaning of a hope for the end of all wars; the red poppy signified only the British military dead.[3] However, they did not pursue the idea.[1] The first white poppies were sold by the Co-operative Women's Guild in 1933.[4] The Peace Pledge Union (PPU)[5] took part in their distribution from 1936, and white poppy wreaths were laid from 1937 as a pledge to peace that war must not happen again.[1][6] Anti-war organisations such as the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship now support the White Poppy Movement.[2]
Those who promote the wearing of white poppies argue that the red poppy also conveys a specific political standpoint, and point to the divisive nature of the red poppy in Northern Ireland, where it is worn mainly by unionists but boycotted by Irish republicans.[7]
Sales of white poppies steadily rose throughout the 2010s, often causing supporters of the PPU to become targets of abuse. On 1 November 2018 sales of white poppies were higher than in any previous year since white poppies were founded in 1933. As of 7 November 2018, 119,555 white poppies had been sold. The final figure was 122,385. The previous record was 110,000 white poppies in 2015. Until 2014, the record was around 80,000 in 1938.[8][9][10]
In 2018, St John Ambulance in England allowed its volunteers to wear white poppies for the first time.[11][12]
Those who endorse the white poppy campaign include actor Mark Rylance,[13] poet Benjamin Zephaniah[14] and rapper Lowkey.[15][better source needed]
Children's author Michael Morpurgo described his decision to wear a white poppy alongside his red one in a Radio Times article:
In New Zealand, a White Poppy Annual Appeal has been run since 2009 by Peace Movement Aotearoa in the week preceding Anzac Day, with all proceeds going to White Poppy Peace Scholarships.[17] The appeal was controversial for some, with Veterans' Affairs Minister Judith Collins describing the white poppy appeal as "incredibly disrespectful to those who served their country".[18]
White poppies have also been worn in New Zealand to mark Remembrance Day. In previous years, the annual white poppy appeal was run as a fundraiser for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament around the time of Hiroshima Day in August. Responsibility for organising the annual appeal was transferred to Peace Movement Aotearoa, as the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in New Zealand closed down in 2008.[17]
The Royal British Legion has no official opinion on the wearing of white poppies, stating that it "is a matter of choice, the Legion doesn't have a problem whether you wear a red one or a white one, both or none at all",[19] and that it defends the right to wear different poppies.[20]Opponents[21] of the white poppy argue that the traditional red poppy already encompasses the sentiments claimed for the white poppy, such as "remembering all victims of war", and consider that it undermines the message of remembrance. Some Irish nationalists "see the poppy as representing the army that denied them independence in the 1920s and that returned in the late 1960s, bringing with it such events as Bloody Sunday."[22] In the 1930s, when the white poppy was first established, some women lost their jobs for wearing them.[23] Others are concerned that the money raised by the white poppy appeal may affect the funds raised for the Royal British Legion by the red poppy appeal.[24]
In 1986, John Baker, Bishop of Salisbury, stated in his diocesan newsletter that he had been asked about the appropriateness of the white poppy. Baker responded "let's not be hurt if we see a white poppy...there is plenty of space for red and white to bloom side by side."[25] Salisbury MP Robert Key disagreed, and later that year asked British prime minister Margaret Thatcher her opinion on the issue. Thatcher expressed her "deep distaste" for the symbol during prime minister's questions.[26] In response, the White Poppy campaign received much media coverage in Britain.[25] The Daily Star ran several articles criticising the White Poppy campaign.[25]InThe Guardian, artist Steve Bell published a cartoon satirising Thatcher's opposition to white poppies, which he allowed the Peace Pledge Union to republish.[25]
In November 2014, white poppy wreaths on the Aberystwyth War Memorial had to be replaced after they were removed from the Memorial and thrown in a bin.[27] There were similar reports of a white poppy wreath being removed from war memorials in Bath in 2018.[28]
In 2018, UK ConservativeMPJohnny Mercer tweeted that he thought white poppies were "attention seeking rubbish".[20] Mercer's comments led to widespread media debate around the appropriateness of white poppies, with the Peace Pledge Union later crediting Mercer's comments as being responsible for the record level of sales that year.[10] Mercer repeated these views in 2019, after being appointed as Minister for Defence People and VeteransinBoris Johnson's government, accusing white poppy wearers of “hijacking symbolism for their own ends”.[29] His comments led to an open letter from multiple military veterans and the organisations that support calling on Mercer to apologise for his comments, and instead "spend energy on addressing homelessness and mental health among ex-servicemen and women".[29]
In 2022 Scottish National Party politician, Michelle Thomson MSP, sparked controversy over wearing a homemade white poppy with a "Yes!" logo in the centre. Critics accused Thomson of being “tacky and tasteless” by using a commemorative poppy to campaign for Scottish independence. Thomson claimed that she had used the "Yes!" pin to secure the poppy to her lapel after her poppy "fell apart over the weekend", and that she had not intended to cause any offence.[30][31]
Rise above the wars / The folly of endless fight, / Let's try making love, / Let's make our poppies white.
Hip Hop artist Lowkey is wearing a white poppy
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