Weekly Action and News 26/04/24
Manchester Amnesty Weekly Action and News
Please do this action and make a difference
The Saturday Mothers are a group of relatives of victims of enforced disappearances and other human rights defenders in Turkey. They have been banned for years now from peacefully standing in protest in front of the Galatasaray High School near the Galatasaray Square in Istanbul. The square is a place of symbolic importance to the group. The Turkish Constitutional Court concluded that the group’s rights to freedom of peaceful assembly have been violated. Amnesty is calling for the full implementation of these rights and urges the relevant authorities to prevent continued reoccurrence of the violation.
The 1000th vigil of the Saturday Mothers will take place on 25 May 2024, and Amnesty is hoping to stage a global day of action on or around that day to publicise this case.
One of the main targets is to collect 1,000 messages of solidarity to be delivered to the Saturday Mothers and shared in a “blitz” on social media on the day of the vigil, 25 May.
Please take a photographs holding notices/placards/banners with messages such as:
- Türkiye: Protect the protest rights of Saturday Mothers
- Türkiye: Cumartesi Anneleri/İnsanları'nın protesto haklarını koruyun [ It would be nice to have some in Turkish]
- Solidarity with the Saturday Mothers
- The Amnesty Manchester group stand with the Saturday Mothers
- Manchester stands with the Saturday Mothers of Galatasary Square.
Please post your photos on social media now and then again on 25th May.
We will also have a photo action on this campaign at our next monthly meeting which is on Monday, 13th May, online.
TAKE ACTION
***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 26th April, 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.
Non-Amnesty events
Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine and other organisations
Stop Gaza Genocide! Dismantle Israeli Occupation!
Saturday 27th April, 12 noon, Picadilly 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.
Saturday 27th April, The Old Tap House, Hulme, M15 6SY, 7-11pm
MUSIC 4 HUMANITY
Live Fundraising Concert for Palestine
Tickets and more information here
Rethink Rebuild Society
Invites you to a screening of the acclaimed film
Freedom to Run
which follows two groups of runners while one group runs the Palestine Marathon and the other runs the Edinburgh Marathon. The runners discover that they are not so different, but that they live very different lives.
Saturday, April 27th, 7.30pm, First Floor, Discovery House, Crossley Road, SK4 5BH
Tickets (pay what you can) available here
Socialists against the Hostile Environment present
The Hostile Environment and the Right to Protest
Tuesday 30th April, 5pm, online
Details of speakers and tickets available here
An evening of SUDANESE MUSIC with singer Shurooq Abu Nas and friends.
Shurooq Abu Nas is a star in her home country Sudan who came to the UK fleeing persecution. She has a wide repertoire of Sudanese and Arabic music, including songs written for her by poet and political prisoner Mahjoub Sharif.
Sunday 5th May, NIA Centre, Manchester, M15 5EU. Door time: 8:00pm, Start time: 8:30pm
Tickets available here
On Wednesday, 8th May at 19:50 Odeon Cinemas at Great Northern Manchester
THE TRUST FALL: JULIAN ASSANGE
A documentary examining the meaning and significance of WikiLeaks, the resulting behaviour of the governments involved, the extraordinary personal risk taken by Assange, and the wider fundamental issues around press freedom that affect all of us and our right to know
Book your tickets here
Manchester Palestine Film Festival
10th-31st May, The Savoy Cinema, Heaton Moor
The Teacher (10/5); Gaza Fights for Freedom (18/5); 200 metres (31/5).
More information and Tickets available here
Also, from the Balfour Project, a film that you can watch at home, via this link
Gaza A Story Of Love And War – with Mike Joseph and Sami Abu Salem
Good news
Italy - On April 19, 2024, after five years of investigations and two years of preliminary hearings, the judge of the preliminary hearing in Trapani ordered that there was no need to proceed, since "the fact does not exist", against 10 defendants of search and rescue NGOs at sea accused of aiding and abetting irregular immigration.
Kenya - On April 16, 2024, an appeals court overturned the death sentence of a man guilty of assaulting a woman and stealing 5000 shillings (about 36 euros) from her.
United States of America - On April 17, 2024, the Texas Court of Appeals ruled that Tomas Gallo, convicted of the murder of a little girl in 2001, could not be put to death due to his mental disability. The court also found that in the original trial, a doctor who testified to the prosecution made false statements about the defendant's mental health condition.
Malaysia - On April 19, 2024, the High Court commuted 54 death sentences to prison sentences ranging from 30 to 38 years.
UK – On April 19th, 2024, in a case brought by the solicitor general, a High Court judge ruled that there was no basis for a prosecution of Trudi Warner, 69, for criminal contempt. Last year Ms Warner had held a placard outside the trial of climate activists that informed jurors of their right to acquit a defendant based on their conscience.
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 Iona Bruce – ifbruce99@gmail.com
Individuals at Risk (bi-monthly appeal writing drop ins and Write for Rights in Nov/Dec) – Anne Walker is stepping down. Please contact her if you are interested in taking over the role anne.walker9@ntlworld.com
Israel's Apartheid Against Palestinians - Mike Reed mikewreed101@gmail.com
LGBTQ+ and Pride – Zoe Song weiyi.zoe.song@gmail.com
Press freedom and Julian Assange – Lima Al-iskalachi limazakoor@gmail.com & Danny Jones dannyj644@gmail.com
Refugees Whatsapp group – Alison Wearden alison.wearden@gmail.com
UAE – Kathryn Fletcher bussk@btinternet.com
Our website Manchester | Amnesty International UK (managed by Alison Wearden)
X/Twitter @amnestymanc (managed by Steve Lindsay – stevenjameslindsay@gmail.com)
Facebook Manchester Amnesty Group
Instagram @amnestymanchester (managed by Sara Baptista - sarabm6@gmail.com)
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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