Rights demo

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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

11 February: Amnesty International Demonstrations on Human Rights in the Middle East and North Africa

Events in at least 16 countries

Thousands of Amnesty International supporters, diaspora groups, trade unionists, students and others will come together on 11 February at events in 16 countries across the world to mark a “Global Day of Action” in solidarity with protesters in the Middle East and North Africa who are demanding reforms and greater respect for human rights.

Events will be held in cities across Austria, Belgium, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Iceland, Luxembourg, Morocco, Netherlands, Nepal, Norway, Paraguay, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.

“Human rights were and are at the core of the demands for change in the Middle East and North Africa that have led to the extraordinary events of the last year,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

“On the one-year anniversary of the fall of Hosni Mubarak, we are gathering in public places around the world to demonstrate our solidarity with people across the region who are continuing to stand up to brutal repression with courage and dignity.”

“We also stand in defiance against those who are opposing human rights change – we have documented a vicious pushback against human rights in countries such Egypt, while elsewhere, such as in Syria, governments are brutally repressing protests. Those responsible must know that they will be held accountable for the abuses they have committed.”

“On Saturday, while celebrating the changes that have been achieved across the Middle East and North Africa in the last year, we will be focused on the key things that must be achieved in the year to come: reining in the use of security forces against protesters, combating torture and holding those responsible for abuses to account.”

Highlights

In the UK, which is expected to see the largest demonstration, Salil Shetty, Amnesty International Secretary-General will address protesters in London’s Trafalgar Square. There will be a live link with protesters in Homs and other areas of Syria.

Flash-mobs will take part in up to 5 cities in Finland
5 cities in Norway will hold protests

Activists in Morocco plan to stage a sit-in in one of Rabat’s central squares35 Amnesty International groups will hold events in Spain, including at Madrid’s Plaza del Callao

Activists in Switzerland will show solidarity with protesters in Egypt in an aerial art photograph spelling out the word Tahrir

In addition to the countries holding public events, activists in many more countries will carry out protest actions on social media. The day is being communicated on Twitter via the hashtag #feb11Global.

In January Amnesty International released its Year of Rebellion report, describing how governments across the region were willing in 2011 to deploy extreme violence in an attempt to resist unprecedented calls for fundamental reform.

Amnesty International has a produced a 5-minute film A year of rebellion. A year of hope which can be viewed at youtube.com/amnestyinternational

London event details

Trafalgar Square, 1200hrs – 1400hrs GMT. Speakers at the event will include:

Protesters speaking live from Homs, Syria
Salil Shetty, Amnesty International Secretary General
Kate Allen, Amnesty International UK Director
Maryam Al-Khawaja - Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
Farah Abushwesha - Women4Libya
Speakers from Syria, Egypt, Palestine and Yemen

The event will be live tweeted @amnestyuk

+ OneWorld's London Events page: http://uk.oneworld.net/events