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<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
class=921372414-24052005>Copies to Mike McColgan/Liberty; Lucinda Wakefield/Stop
the War Coalition</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
class=921372414-24052005></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
class=921372414-24052005>Draft statement/open letter at denial of right to
demonstrate.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
class=921372414-24052005>I hope that this is broadly acceptable; please make any
suggestions for changes as soon as possible - we need to be using this within 48
hours....</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
class=921372414-24052005>cheers</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
class=921372414-24052005>John S</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><STRONG><FONT size=3><SPAN
class=921372414-24052005>G8 </SPAN>summit: <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place
w:st="on">Sheffield</st1:place> people denounce suppression of the right to
protest.</FONT></STRONG></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">On June 16-17, the interior
ministers of the world's seven richest nations (along with the decorative
presence of Russia) will gather in Sheffield to discuss how to step up the
assault on human and democratic rights which their governments are conducting
under the banner of the 'war against terrorism'. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The right of <st1:place
w:st="on">Sheffield</st1:place> people to protest against the G8 presence is
being flagrantly denied by the police. They have informed us that no gatherings
of protestors of any size will be permitted in the town centre. Any attempt to
do so will be met with force and arrests.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Sheffield Against the G8
representatives proposed a route and a time for a demonstration which would have
marched us away from the town centre before the arrival of the G8 ministers.
Stop the War Coalition proposed a static picket near to the venue where they
will be assembled. Both of these protests have been flatly prohibited. Under the
pretext of ‘security’ the police are attempting to marginalise our protests
by forcing us to the fringes of our city. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">We, the undersigned, believe that
this attempt to ban peaceful and orderly protests in our city centre is an
outrageous and unacceptable infringement of our democratic right to
protest. We call on all citizens, organisations and elected representatives of
<st1:place w:st="on">Sheffield</st1:place> to unite behind the call for these
repressive decisions to be reversed.</SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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