Manchester Amnesty Fortnightly Action and News 16/05/2025
Manchester Amnesty Fortnightly Action and News
Please do these actions and make a difference
Action 1. Yesterday was the 77th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba or catastrophe, and was also the day that AIUK launched its latest campaign calling on the government to ban goods coming from the illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. You can read about the campaign here and here. Our first action this week is a request from AIUK that you email your MP asking them either to sign Early Day Motion 1266 calling for a ban of goods from the illegal settlements, or, if your MP has a government role and is therefore unable to sign an EDM, asking them to support the motion in whatever way they can. You only need to write a few sentences, but if you want to write more you will find two template letters in the campaign pack. Find your MP’s email here.
Action 2. Despite the UK government claiming to have partially suspended UK arms exports to Israel, and in the context of the ongoing genocide of Palestinians, a new report has revealed that the UK continues to send thousands of military items to Israel. Even if you have written to your MP previously, please keep up the pressure and write again. You can do this by clicking the link below which will take you to an email prepared by War on Want which you can send as it is or modify to make your own points.
***THIS EVENING***
MANCHESTER AMNESTY SILENT VIGIL for Palestine and Israel
St Peters Square, Manchester, Friday 16th May, 5-6pm.
Please do not bring placards, banners or flags.
We will provide placards with Amnesty’s messages. Feel free to bring your friends.
We are urgently looking for two people to help out for a couple of hours at Stockport Amnesty’s stall at Stockport Pride on 1st June. Please let Alison or Fynn know if you can help. Alison.wearden@gmail.com Fynnkawe@gmail.com
Our next appeal-writing drop in will take place on Saturday, May 24th, 2-4pm, next to the cafe area in Manchester Central Library.
All information and materials will be provided. Wifi is available if you prefer to email, but please bring your own device. Come along for the whole session, or as long as you wish. Bring your friends! Hope to see you there.
Can you help us to get Manchester City Council on board with two of our campaigns?
Scrap the government’s Prevent Duty / Ban Israeli Settlement Goods
We are looking for members to do some simple research on Manchester City Councillors and complete a few lines on a spreadsheet. If you are interested, email alison.wearden@gmail.com to receive a link to the spreadsheet and full instructions.
These three articles from Liberty, Middle-East Eye and Open Democracy show how the Prevent counter-terrorism strategy is being used against protest for Palestine
On Friday, 20th June, during Refugee Week, we welcome back
ACOUSTIC AMNESTY
Concert in aid of refugee charities including Rainbow Haven and Refugees at Home. All are welcome. Please advertise widely to your friends.
7.30 (doors 7.00) at Holy Trinity Church, Salford, M3 5DW
You can reserve your tickets here. Acoustic Amnesty gig for refugee charities on Refugee Day
Friday, 6th June, MMU Sustainability festival, with Manchester Amnesty stall.
All are welcome to attend. Please register here or let Alison know if you can help.
North West Amnesty Human Rights & Arts Festival, Sefton Park, Liverpool, 7th June
.
If you wish to help out in any way, please contact alison.wearden@gmail.com.
You can also support by donating. Please advertise this Justgiving page widely!
Other events and actions
***TOMORROW***
Rethink Rebuild Society is pleased to invite you to
Celebrating Syria
A Tale of Two Cities! Double Bill: Talk and Music Concert
With Professor Husam AlWaer and HiJazz
Saturday 17th May 2025, NOW 2pm-5pm NOTE TIME CHANGE
at Rethink Rebuild Society, First Floor, Discovery House, Crossley Rd, Levenshulme, SK4 5BH.
Reserve your place here
Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine and other organisations
Saturday, May 17th 8:30 am – 10:00 am
Co-op Live, Gibbon Street & Alan Turing Way, M’cr, M11 3DU (Entrance F Level 1)
Urge members attending the Co-op AGM to vote for Motion 13 to cease trading with Israel
77 years of Nakba! Resistance until Return
Demonstration and Rally, Saturday, 17th May, 12-2.30pm, Piccadilly Gardens.
Whalley Range Peace and Justice Stand with Palestine
Each Wednesday 4.30-5.30 at Brooks Bar M16 7RN
Didsbury against genocide, rally, every Wednesday, 5.30-6.30pm alternates between outside the Library and outside the Coop. May 21st outside Co-op; May 28th outside Library.
Levenshulme Peace and Justice for Palestine All out for Palestine
Each Thursday, 5-6pm, Levenshulme Village Green, junction of Stockport Rd & Chapel St
Good news
On 29 April, at the instigation of Amnesty International's Italia 317 group, the city council of Bisceglie approved a motion on the recognition of the right to a healthy, clean and sustainable environment.
Belarus - On April 30, 2025, Yury Zyankovich, a lawyer who had been granted political asylum in the United States, was released. Arrested on April 12, 2021 in Moscow and handed over to the Belarusian authorities, in 2022 he was sentenced to 11 years in prison, increased by two years in 2024, after conviction on the false charge of conspiracy to seize state powers.
United States of America - On April 30, 2025, a federal judge ordered the release of Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student arrested on April 14 for organizing protests in solidarity with the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip. Mahdawi had been arrested during an interview to obtain citizenship in the state of Vermont.
United States of America - On May 6, 2025, a federal court ordered the Israeli company NSO Group to compensate Meta for a cyberattack in 2019 against 1400 Whatsapp users. Amnesty International intervened in the lawsuit claiming that NSO Group's Pegasus software had been used to spy on numerous journalists and human rights activists.
On May 6, 2025, after more than two months of pre-trial detention, journalist Blessed Mhlanga was released on bail. He had been arrested on charges of "spreading messages that incite violence or damage to property" for interviewing a veteran of the war of liberation and a member of the ruling party who had criticized the incumbent president.
The next Fortnightly Action and News will be on 30th May
Manchester Amnesty issue and campaign coordinators
Anti-racism –Hazel Errey hazelerrey@gmail.com
Human Rights in the UK volunteer needed
Individuals at Risk bi-monthly drop in Liz Carter lizcarter64@yahoo.co.uk
Israel's Apartheid Against Palestinians - Mike Reed mikewreed101@gmail.com
LGBTQ+ and Pride – Fynn Kawe fynnkawe@gmail.com
Press freedom and Julian Assange – Lima Al-iskalachi limazakoor@gmail.com & Danny Jones dannyj644@gmail.comsu
Prevent campaign – Tom Milnes thomashmilnes@gmail.com
Refugees - Caroline Glendinning caroline.glendinning@york.ac.uk and Alison Wearden
UAE - Kathryn Fletcher bussk@btinternet.com
Our website Manchester | Amnesty International UK [amnesty.org.uk] (managed by Alison Wearden)
X/Twitter @amnestymanc [twitter.com] (managed by Steve Lindsay – stevenjameslindsay@gmail.com)
Facebook Manchester Amnesty Group [facebook.com] MANAGER NEEDED!
Instagram @amnestymanchester [instagram.com] Lucy Downing lucy.dow@outlook.com is looking after this until we can appoint a permanent manager.
Digital design coordinator Fynn Kawe fynnkawe@gmail.com
Alison Wearden
Communications Secretary
Manchester Group of Amnesty International.
Please contact me on alison.wearden@gmail.com with items for our Fortnightly Action and News, or with ideas for longer articles for the quarterly Manchester Amnesty Group Bulletin (Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec).
Group email address: manchestergroup@amnesty.org.uk
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