Regulate the trade in policing equipment

Amnesty has launched a campaign for an international treaty to regulate the trade in policing equipment. Across the world, peaceful protesters face waves of repression from police and military forces in deliberate attempts to crush dissent. While less lethal weapons like tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper spray, and batons are promoted as safer alternatives to firearms, all too often these weapons are used unlawfully to harass, intimidate, punish, or drive away protesters, undermining their right to peaceful assembly.
24-year-old Leidy Cadena – see video above –  was blinded during a protest in Colombia by a Mobile Anti-riot Squads agent, who shot her directly, causing her to lose sight in her right eye. The same injury happened to Payu Boonsophon, 29-year-old in Thailand. In Chile, Gustavo Gatica 26 years-old, was blinded in both eyes. In France, 80-year-old Zineb Redouane was killed when, during a protest, a tear gas grenade struck her head. Sign the petition…
https://www.amnesty.org/en/petition/take-the-torture-out-of-the-protest/

Future Events

After lasts years success, we have now booked for this years Jamnesty on

Saturday 7th September at Chaplin’s Bar

Last year was our first Jamnesty, but we still had a fantastic day with 11 bands and 6 poets! And this year we don’t have to contend with the Air Show…
We are also planning to return to BourneFree, on Saturday 6th July. We had to miss last year, after several successful years attending the event in Bournemouth Gardens. And, despite reservations, the 2022 switch to Meyrick Park was a great success.

Kate Adie

The journalist and broadcaster, Kate Adie, will be the guest speaker at Southampton Amnesty‘s 10th Annual Human Rights lecture on Tuesday 14 May.  The lecture, A Human Right to Protest, will draw on Kate’s vast experience to discuss the implications of how journalists manage the challenge of human rights issues.  The lecture will begin at 6.00 p.m. and finish around 7.30 p.m.  Light refreshments will be available from 5.30 p.m.  The venue is the Faculty of Art and Humanities, Room 3011, Building 65A, Avenue Campus, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ.
The lecture is free to attend though booking is required through this link.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-human-right-to-protest-human-rights-lecture-2024-withkate-adie-tickets-699640281917

South America Newsletter

The latest South America Newsletter has updates on Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela,  Argentina and Bolivia. In our last newsletter, in February, Amnesty had reiterated its demand that the killers of the human rights defender and politician Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson Gomes be brought to trial, almost six years after the assassination. Now there is news that three suspected masterminds of the crime have been detained and charged. (see also this article published on 28/4 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/28/rio-reporters-risk-death-criminal-ties-police-politicians-marielle-franco )
There is also a link to an Amnesty petition demanding that the Colombian authorities protect human rights defenders. In March 30 year-old Nalleli Sepulveda and 14 year-old Edinson David were the latest members of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó  members to be killed.
https://amnestyat50.co.uk/south-america-newsletter-april-2024

Iftar in Bournemouth

Talking of successful events, after two planned dates being cancelled it was third time lucky with the Iftar. The group co-hosted and helped organise this event at Ensbury Park Community Centre on 5th April. The driving force behind it was Sister Tama, Islamic Faith Adviser at Bournemouth University. It was also supported by Grounded Community, BCP Council and BCP Shout-Out.
Special thanks to Mark Stimson, group member and Activism Rep, for his perseverance to make this event happen. Find out more about the event.
https://amnestyat50.co.uk/iftar-in-ensbury-park

Europe Newsletter

The latest Europe newsletter has updates on Türkiye, Malta and Italy. There are some solidarity actions such as with the Gezi 7 in Türkiye and the El Hiblu 3 in Malta. There is good news that Italian prosecutors have dropped the case against crew of rescue ship Iuventa. The volunteers had been accused of aiding and abetting illegal immigration in 2017, when they went to rescue them in the Mediterranean.
https://amnestyat50.co.uk/europe-newsletter-march-2024

The Wight Bear

This summer The Wight Bear, in Southbourne,  will be raising money for Amnesty International across May, June, July and August. They will have 4 key events and a series of “Wight Bear style initiatives to support Amnesty International in their work”
Collections will be held at events and 10% of proceeds from tickets sales will be donated to Amnesty. The charity will also receive 50p per sale of a exclusive button badge set priced at £3.50.
The group have no involvement in this (we aim to find out more!) but, as we are delighted to hear its happening, are bringing it to your attention…
https://www.thewightbear.co.uk/events-arts