Weekly Action and News 08/03/2024
Manchester Amnesty Weekly Action and News
Please do this action and make a difference
On 22nd February, Ibrahima Bah, a nineteen or twenty year old asylum-seeker from Senegal, was sentenced to nine and a half years imprisonment for steering a small boat across the Channel in which four people drowned. Despite Bah’s claim that he agreed to steer because he feared he would be killed if he refused, the sentencing judge considered he was not subject to duress. A recent report by the University of Oxford and various campaigning groups, reported in the Guardian, showed that hundreds of people, including children and victims of trafficking and torture, have been convicted and jailed for arriving in the UK in small boats to claim asylum. Of course, there is no “safe passage” and no other way for most people to come.
Captain Support UK, an organisation which coordinates legal support for people seeking asylum, particularly those in small boats, has written an open letter to the Home Secretary, demanding an end to the criminalisation of people crossing the channel, quashing of convictions on immigration offences, and freedom for Ibrahima Bah. You can access the letter at the link below which you can sign with your name and "Manchester Amnesty International group" as your organisation.
You should all have received an email with papers for our
Annual General Meeting
which will take place at 7pm on Monday 11th March, online.
Please let alison.wearden@gmail.com know if you would like the papers sent again.
A zoom link will be circulated to all members nearer the time of the meeting.
All are welcome to attend, including new members.
***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 8th March, 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.
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 would love to see you at our Manchester Amnesty stall
SAVE THE DATE!
Amnesty International UK in conjunction with Manchester Amnesty
Saturday 6th April 2-4.30pm Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, M2 5NS
Manchester launch of
Amnesty UK’s new report “This is the Thought Police” on the government’s Prevent strategy
Relevant stakeholders will be invited. More information, and tickets available here. If you plan to attend, please let us know by emailing alison.wearden@gmail.com so that we can gauge numbers.
You can read the report here
Non-Amnesty events
Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine and other organisations
National demonstration in London this weekend
Saturday 9th March, Ceasefire Now. Stop the genocide in Gaza
12noon, Hyde Park Corner to the US Embassy, London.
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.
Thursday 28th March, 2024, 6-8.30pm, Whitworth Gallery, Manchester,M15 6ER
Music Action International and Stone Flowers (a collective of refugee survivors of torture in the North West) will present a special screening of the award winning film
“Stone Flowers – songs of Hope and Defiance”
Book your tickets here
Good news
United States of America - On February 27, 2024, Daniel Gwynn was released after a Pennsylvania state judge overturned the death sentence handed down against him 30 years earlier, due to serious deficiencies in the investigation that had led to his indictment.
United Kingdom - On February 28, 2024, the High Court in Belfast ruled that the "Troubles Act", which made it possible to immunize from prosecution for crimes committed by public officials in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s to the late 1990s, is contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights and should therefore be disapplied.
European Union - On 28 February 2024, the European Parliament overwhelmingly approved the "anti-SLAPP" (Strategic litigation against public participation) directive to protect media operators from abusive and specious litigation, including “gagging orders”. The UK does not currently have full anti-SLAPP legislation, but the government have said they will support a private members bill to enact it.
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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