<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=windows-1250">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2627" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns
= "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">G8 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.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B><BR><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">On June 15-17, the ‘Justice and Home affairs ministers’
the G-8, the world's seven richest nations and Russia, will gather in Sheffield
to discuss the home front in the 'war against terrorism'.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">The police have invoked special powers to prevent
protests, informing protest organisers that no marches or gatherings of any size
will be allowed in the city centre during the summit. Any such protests will be
met with force and arrests. Under the pretext of “security” the police are
attempting to marginalize protests by confining protestors to a pen on
<st1:place w:st="on">Devonshire</st1:place> Green.<BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Sheffield Against G-8 proposed a march on the afternoon
of the 15th<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>June, to lead away from
the town centre before their evening event. <st1:place
w:st="on">Sheffield</st1:place> Stop the War Coalition proposed a static picket
on the evening of 15th and 16th of June. These protests have been flatly
prohibited. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Whatever one’s opinion of the G-8 summit, we urge
<st1:place w:st="on">Sheffield</st1:place> people to oppose restrictions on the
right to protest and to the imposition of what amounts to martial law over the
centre of our City.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">We, the undersigned, believe that the blanket ban on
peaceful protests in our city centre during the G-8 summit is an outrageous and
unacceptable infringement of our democratic right to protest. We call on all
citizens, organisations and elected representatives in <st1:place
w:st="on">Sheffield</st1:place> to press for this repressive decision to be
reversed.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Signed,<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">What you can do:<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<OL style="MARGIN-TOP: 0cm" type=1>
<LI class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>Send a message by email to </FONT><A
title=mailto:Jillian.Creasy@Sheffield.gov.uk
href="mailto:Jillian.Creasy@Sheffield.gov.uk"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>Jillian.Creasy@Sheffield.gov.uk</FONT></A><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> confirming that you support the statement (or print off and send a
hard copy to Cllr <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Jillian Creasy</st1:PersonName>,
Town Hall, <st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on">Pinstone
St</st1:Street>, <st1:City w:st="on">Sheffield</st1:City>, <st1:PostalCode
w:st="on">S1 2HH</st1:PostalCode></st1:address>). I will send the statement as
a letter and press release to The Star and the Sheffield Telegraph on the
evening of Tuesday 31<SUP>st</SUP> May. </FONT></LI></OL>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<OL style="MARGIN-TOP: 0cm" type=1 start=2>
<LI class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>Forward / pass this on to your friends and
neighbours. </FONT></LI></OL>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<OL style="MARGIN-TOP: 0cm" type=1 start=3>
<LI class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Join the march for Peace and Justice
organised by Sheffield Stop the War Coalition on Saturday 11<SUP>th</SUP> June
– assemble 10.30am, Devonshire Green, march to Peace in the Park Festival,
<st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Cemetery
Road</st1:address></st1:Street>. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></LI></OL>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
<BR>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>--<BR>
No virus found in this outgoing message.<BR>
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.<BR>
Version: 7.0.322 / Virus Database: 266.11.17 - Release Date: 25/05/2005<BR>
</FONT> </P>