News: John Lennon gives back his MBE

BBC News 25th November 1969
Transmitted by: BBC1 B&W

"BEATLE JOHN LENNON TELLS WHY HE GAVE BACK HIS MBE"

John had returned his MBE medal which had been presented to him and his fellow Beatles by Queen Elizabeth II four years earlier. He did so in protest against Britain's support for federal Nigeria in the Civil war and Britain's support for the US in Vietnam.
John, wearing his hair in a ponytail, explained his action to the news cameras:- "...As a protest against violence and war, especially Britain's involvement in Biafra, which most of the British public are not aware of .....'cause all the press, TV and radio's slant all the news from Biafra. All the stuff I learnt on Biafra from journalists off the cuff, folks, is a different story and I began to be ashamed of being British - and I'm a patriotic nationalist if the truth were out, and Yoko can vouch for that. I'm always fighting about what Britain invented - Radar and what, all the different things we've done. But every day I just began to worry a bit more about it and I was gonna send the MBE back anyway. I could have done it privately, but the press would have found out anyway - you would have been here a week later instead..."