The campaign to stop the Pope from visiting the UK on a state visit in September is lending its support to a group of local residents in Twickenham. The local group, named “Richmond Coalition against the State Visit” will be protesting against the planned visit of the Pope to Twickenham on 17th September, where the pontiff will talk about his views on Education at St Mary’s University College.
An open meeting has been organised in Richmond on 12th August where speakers from Protest the Pope will outline the reasons for protesting against honouring Joseph Ratzinger with a state visit. After the meeting, local people will have the chance to discuss plans for a protest in September with representatives of local groups who have joined the coalition.
Andrew Copson of Protest the Pope stated, ‘We were approached by several people and organisations in Richmond who were concerned that the Pope plans to come to their area as part of a state visit in September. Although we agree that the Pope may visit the UK in his capacity as a religious leader, we are concerned that this visit is being given state recognition; something that accords honour and public funding to a questionable state which has a dubious reputation for human rights.
‘The public meeting in Richmond will allow a full discussion of the issues with local people and will allow those who wish to protest against his visit to Twickenham a voice.’
Notes
Further comment or information from Pepper Harow, pepper@humanists.uk on 02074624992.
The meeting will be held at Richmond Library, Old Town Hall, Whittaker Ave, Richmond, TW9 1TP on 12th August at 7.30pm.
It will start with speeches from spokespersons of the “Protest the Pope” Campaign:
David Pollock, President of the European Humanist Federation, will talk about the Catholic Church’s influence at European level as a result of the Lisbon treaty.
Keith Porteous Wood, Chief Executive of the National Secular Society, will talk about the pressure growing at the United Nations on the Vatican, which is failing to produce a report on child protection.
Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, will talk about the “Protest the Pope” Campaign and our 6 main reasons for which we are protesting against honouring Joseph Ratzinger with a State Visit.
Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner, will talk about Catholic dissent from the Pope’s hardline, intolerant opposition to liberation theology, women’s rights, gay equality, contraception, fertility treatment, embryonic stem cell research and the Pope’s collusion with Holocaust deniers and appeasers.
The speeches will be followed by a Question Time and then the associations based in South West London will discuss their plans for protests in September.
The Pope will be visiting the UK on a State visit from 16th-19 September.
Protest the Pope is a campaign that believes that, as a head of state, the Pope is an unsuitable guest of the UK government and should not be accorded the honour and recognition of a state visit to our country. www.protest-the-pope.org.uk