Manchester Amnesty Weekly Action and News

Please do this action and make a difference

This week’s action is one of the cases featured in the 2023 Write for Rights campaign. Justyna Wydrzynska co-founded an organisation in Poland which offers advice on how to access abortion safely, in the face of the severe restrictions on abortion which are currently in place there. After supplyng a woman with abortion pills, she was convicted of “helping with an abortion.” Her lawyers are appealing the verdict on the basis that access to safe and legal abortion is a human right. Justyna’s conviction sets a dangerous precedent, and Amnesty are calling on the Polish Prosecutor General to overturn the conviction.  You can send a message of support to Justyna by following the instructions in this year’s Write for Rights booklet, and/or you can sign Amnesty’s petition to the Prosecutor General by clicking the link below.

TAKE ACTION

***THIS EVENING*** MANCHESTER AMNESTY SILENT VIGIL

Seventh Silent vigil calling for a permanent ceasefire

and the protection of all civilians in Palestine and Israel

St Peters Square, Manchester, Friday 1^st December, 5pm to 6pm

Meet in front of Central Library (next to Father Christmas)

Look for the Manchester Amnesty yellow banner.

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.

Further events relating to Israel and Gaza appear at the bottom of this email.

December 1^st is World Aids Day

held to raise awareness of HIV and remember all those who have died of the disease.

Even today, people of the LGBTQ+ community are still disproportionately affected by HIV, and can experience further discrimination and stigmatisation because of it.

There will be a vigil at Sackville Garden at 6-7pm on the 1^st of December,

(straight after the Palestine/Israel vigil). Please feel free to join on a personal basis.

***TOMORROW***

Whalley Range for Peace and Justice

Saturday 2^nd December, 2-5pm, St Margaret’s Church, Rufford Road, M16 8AE

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword #21

with Amnesty Write for Rights stall,

Beech band, Open Voice choir, Tibetan Kitchen food, drink and shopping.

Our December monthly group meeting is on Monday 11^th December at 6pm,

 in person in the Librarian’s meeting room, 3^rd floor Manchester Central Library.

As is usual in December, we will focus on our Write for Rights campaign, writing cards of support and appeal letters, sustained by light festive refreshments. There will be Christmas cards for sale. We will have brief updates on our other campaigning work.

All are welcome, including new members. Hope to see you there!

Write for Rights 2023

Please come along to our stall at the

People’s History Museum

Saturday 9^th and Sunday 10^th December

You can find out more about Write for Rights and download the campaign booklet at

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/write-rights-2023-get-started

Non-Amnesty events

Monday 11th December, 9.30-5pm,

Methodist Central Hall, Oldham St, M1 1JQ.

Greater Manchester Together With Refugees Workshop

Open to anyone interested in campaigning as part of the Together With Refugees coalition. 

Find out more and book your place here.

Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine and other organisations

will be holding a protest in St. Peter’s Square, 12 noon, Saturday 2^nd December.

The focus of this week’s event is a global call to boycott Israel. Amnesty does not support boycotts, so if you wish to attend this event, as always, we ask you to do this as a private person and not to take Amnesty banners or logos. Thankyou.

Rethink Rebuild Society invites you to a screening of

OBJECTOR (2019), a film about Atalya Ben-Abba, an Israeli army refuser, directed by Molly Stuart

The film will be followed by Q&A with Atalya Ben-Abba herself on Zoom from Israel

Runtime 75mins;  Certificate 12; In English / Hebrew, with Arabic subtitles

Friday 15 December, 6.45pm Rethink Rebuild Society (the Syrian Community of Manchester),

First Floor, Discovery House, Crossley Rd, Levenshulme, Manchester SK4 5BH

Reserve your place here

OBJECTOR (2019) Screening and Q&A with Israeli Army Refuser Atalya Ben-Abba Tickets, Fri 15 Dec 2023 at 18:45 | Eventbrite

Good news

United States of America - On November 14, 2023, the Texas Court of Appeals overturned the death sentence re-imposed in 1998 on Syed Rabbani for murder. After 30 years on death row, Rabbani’s mental health had deteriorated to such an extent that it was decreed that he could be released from prison.

Guatemala - On November 23, 2023, Claudia Gonzales, a lawyer and human rights defender, was released from prison 80 days after her arrest on August 28 in retaliation for her anti-corruption activities. Amnesty International had issued an urgent action on his behalf.

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 4^th 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

Alison Wearden 

Communications Secretary 

Manchester Group of Amnesty International 

alison.wearden@gmail.com 

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.