[g8-sheffield] leaflet for wednesday

[julie w]

Hello,
Bit of text for a leaflet to give out on our demo on wednesday.  I'm 
planning for double sided A5. Most of the text is nicked off jenny's 
leaflet.  Any comments really quickly please, cos it'll have to get printed 
soon.
Does anyone know any easy way of shifting the text about so its set right 
for an a5 leaflet? (it needs tarting up as well, bit of bold and italics and 
different font sizes etc, but even I can do that!!)
Cheers,  Julie x
07759851073

Protest for the Right to Protest

Why are we here today?

We wanted to protest against the G8 meeting in Sheffield, and as we live in 
a supposedly free and democratic country, we asked the police if we could 
have a legal well organised march.  We were told that no protest inside the 
city centre was allowed.  We feel this is a violation of our right to 
peaceful protest and to express out many concerns regarding the aims and 
methods of the G8.  We are therefore gathering here today to highlight how 
easy it is for the state to repress our democratic rights, and the need to 
be vigilant against the further erosion of our civil liberties.


The G8 in Sheffield - why does it matter?

Many Sheffield people will now be aware that the G8 Interior and Justice
Ministers are meeting in Sheffield on 15-17 June 2005 - but what is it all
about?

The G8 is not a democratic forum - it is an exclusive meeting of the seven
biggest economies in the world, plus Russia. It's rather like the big boys
ganging up in a corner of the school playground.

The G8's agenda has never been to solve the problems of hunger and health
experienced by three-quarters of the world's population. They meet to make 
the
world safe for globalisation - a process that puts capitalists in control of
everything, right across the world.

The G8 states support globalisation through privatisation (e.g. of water
supplies in Africa, as well as your bus services) and war (e.g. in Iraq, and 
the
threats to Iran and Cuba). This adds to insecurity in countries in the 
global
South, such as Bolivia and Ghana. Then people migrate, as they cannot 
survive or
prosper in countries threatened by war or environmental catastrophe.


The Interior Ministers will be sharing ideas about combating terrorism, 
which
they see as the worst threat. They have used terrorism as an excuse to:

  a.. lock up suspects without a trial
  b.. increase the state's control by keeping information about everyone,
through ID cards for example
  c.. play on people's fear of outsiders, and people with different beliefs,
appearance or cultures
When the G8 comes to Sheffield, we'll see some of their ideas in action:

  a.. residents in Nether Edge have been told they will have to carry a 
passport
to enter and leave their homes
  a.. armed police will patrol the streets and helicopters will hang 
overhead
for days on end
  b.. your email and phone calls may be intercepted
  c.. you will be excluded from your city centre while the G8 wine and dine
there
  d.. pubs, theatres, clubs and restaurants have been asked to close, and
transport will be disrupted
Your local MP and city council are, in fact, so proud of your city that they 
are
prepared to exclude all citizens from it in order to show it off.

All it takes for evil to succeed is for good people to do nothing.
Take action to protect your liberty, community and planet.
If your government takes decisions you are not happy, let them know.  Write 
to your MP and councillors.  (see www.writetothem.com for addresses)
Get involved with local campaigning groups.
Talk to your friends and neighbours about your concerns.

www.sheffield.dissent.org.uk