Manchester Amnesty Weekly Action and News 16/02/2024
Manchester Amnesty Weekly Action and News
Please take these actions and make a difference
Action 1
The Police Crime and Sentencing Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023 already place severe restrictions on our right to protest. The Government has recently announced that, under a new Criminal Justice Bill, police will be given the power to arrest anyone wearing face coverings at demonstrations deemed “disruptive.” Protestors who fail to remove a face covering may be fined £1000 or be sentenced to one month in prison. Coming at a time when the use of facial recognition technology in policing is on the increase, this development is particularly ominous. Liberty have produced a petition calling on the Home Secretary to scrap the anti-protest measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023, as well as the new measures proposed in the Criminal Justice Bill. You can sign the petition by clicking the link below.
Action 2
Next Wednesday, 21st February, there will be a vote in the UK parliament on whether or not to support a call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. More than 28000 Palestinians have been killed, many more have been injured, and the population is facing starvation, with little aid getting in. The situation is beyond urgent. Please email your MP and demand that they vote next week for an immediate ceasefire. If you are unsure what to write, PSC have a template letter here, which you can use or adapt. But your email may be more effective if it is personal, short and to the point. Find your MP here and email today.
***TUESDAY 20TH FEBRUARY 12-3pm***
Julian Assange has been in Belmarsh Prison for 5 years, under threat of extradition to the USA where he faces charges of espionage as a result of his role in the publication of wikileaks including US classified information about abuses committed during war. His final appeal against extradition has now been scheduled to be heard in London on 20/21 February.
Amnesty International has said that Assange faces the risk of serious human rights violations if extradited to the USA and warned of a profound, “chilling effect” on global media freedoms.
On Tuesday 20th February, from 12.00-3.00pm, Manchester Amnesty will hold an event in St Peter’s Square in support of Assange, with artwork, banners, speakers, poets, music.
Please come and support this event if you can! The extradition of Assange would not only be a personal tragedy for him and his family but a huge blow for press freedom throughout the world.
***THIS EVENING*** MANCHESTER AMNESTY SILENT VIGIL
Silent vigil calling for a permanent ceasefire
and the protection of all civilians in Palestine and Israel
St Peters Square, Manchester, Friday 16th February, 5pm to 6pm
Meet in front of Central Library
Please dress warmly, wear black/dark colours
and please do not bring placards, banners or flags.
We will provide placards with Amnesty’s messages and tealights. Feel free to bring your friends.
We will continue with the weekly vigils until further notice.
If you want to attend the online Human Rights in the UK Special Interest group meeting on Thursday 22nd February at 7.30pm, please contact alison.wearden@gmail.com for the zoom link.
The next meeting of the North West Amnesty Group will take place online
Tuesday 27th February at 7pm.
Eilidh Macpherson, AIUK Individuals at Risk Campaign Manager,
will be joining the meeting to outline how Individuals at Risk work is organised and to tell us about the different ways that groups can get involved.
If you would like to attend the meeting, please email Anne Walker anne.walker9@ntlworld.com or Alison Wearden alison.wearden@gmail.com for the zoom link.
Two FREE events relating to International Women’s Day/Week celebrations.
Saturday 2nd March 12-4pm at the Mechanics Institute on Princess Street, M1 6DD
to mark 100 years since Mancunian Ellen Wilkinson was elected to the Commons
Ellen24: Parliament’s Fiery Particle.
Featuring the Margaret Ashton lecture by Rebecca Long-Bailey, MP.
Tickets here
Saturday 9th March, 10am-12 noon, Manchester Central Library
Prior to the Walk for Women through Manchester City Centre
Trailblazers Celebration: Women of Greater Manchester
Tickets here
We will have Manchester Amnesty stalls in the foyer at the Mechanics Institute from 12-4pm on 2nd March, and in the Library from 10am-12noon on 9th March.
Please let alison.wearden@gmail.com know if you can help out at either of these stalls (even if only for a short time)
Subscriptions to the group due now, please!
Voluntary subscriptions to the group are now due. We suggest £20 per year for those who receive a wage or a pension, and £5 (or whatever you can afford) for others. We do not want to discourage people from taking part in our meetings or activities because they cannot afford to pay subs.
In order to make a payment to the group, either do so directly by bank transfer to our account:
Manchester Amnesty Group, 68177527, 05-05-73, preferably with the reference “subs”,
or contact our treasurer Sean Dunne (sean.a.dunne@btinternet.com) for other ways to pay. You might consider setting up a standing order, so that you don’t need to think about subs each year.
Non-Amnesty events
Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine and other organisations
Stop the Gaza genocide
Demonstration, 12 noon, Sunday 17th February, Piccadilly Gardens
Whalley Range Peace and Justice Stand with Palestine
Each Wednesday 4.30-5.30 at Brooks Bar (junction Upper Chorlton Rd/Moss Lane East/Withington Rd)
Please support these events, but please do not take Amnesty banners.
As part of 'Refugees, the Lived Experience' series
Rethink Rebuild Society
is pleased to invite you to Access to NHS Mental Health Services for Refugees
A conversation with researcher Leila Saeed
Thursday, 22 February, 7.00 - 8.15 pm Online Event via Zoom
Please register and obtain zoom link via Eventbrite here
The event will also be streamed live here on Facebook.
Good news
Italy - On 7 February 2024, the European Court of Human Rights ordered the Italian government to immediately transfer a Tunisian citizen seeking asylum from the detention centre for repatriation in Trapani, as he was being held there in degrading material conditions and therefore in violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
UK – On 7 February 2024, in response to legal action taken by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and various housing and refugee charities, just as the case was about to go to court, the government withdrew its much-criticised plans to remove essential housing protections and safeguards from asylum seekers.
Manchester Amnesty issue and campaign coordinators
Anti-racism –Hazel Errey hazelerrey@gmail.com
Craftivism – Lima Al-Iskalachi limazakoor@gmail.com
Europe/ Turkey Fatih Segmen - fsegmen@yahoo.com
Human Rights in the UK Lancine Sacko - sacko10@hotmail.co.uk
Individuals at Risk (bi-monthly appeal writing drop ins) - Anne Walker anne.walker9@ntlworld.com
Manchester Central Library café, 2-4pm 4th Saturdays January, March, May, July, September, November
Israel's Apartheid Against Palestinians - Mike Reed mikewreed101@gmail.com
LGBTQ+ and Pride coordinator – Zoe Song weiyi.zoe.song@gmail.com
Press freedom and Julian Assange – Lima Al-Iskalachi limazakoor@gmail.com
Refugees – Alison Wearden alison.wearden@gmail.com
UAE – Kathryn Fletcher bussk@btinternet.com
Our website Manchester | Amnesty International UK
Communications Secretary
Manchester Group of Amnesty International
Please contact me with items for our Weekly Action and News email, or with ideas for longer articles for the quarterly Manchester Amnesty Group Bulletin.
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