Amnesty stage protests in bid to protect the human

Week five saw Amnesty’s Protect the Human Week, a programme designed to raise awareness of human rights issues around the globe.

Each day focused on a different theme. Monday commenced with Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza day, which included campaigning and fund-raising by the Friends of Palestine Society.

In the evening, a psychotherapist from the Palestine trauma centre in London and Warwick students who travelled with the Gaza convoy gave a moving presentation on their experiences.

Tuesday was ‘Demand Dignity’ day, a theme centred around Amnesty’s newest campaign to end basic human rights violations. This includes stopping forced evictions, the importance of corporate accountability and maternal health. In the evening, Fabio Franceschi gave a presentation and an engaging debate on corporate social responsibility took place.

On Wednesday, ‘Death Penalty Day’, students protested in the Piazza against the death penalty, which was organised to show solidarity with victims of a judicial system that Amnesty perceive as endorsing the inhumanity of corporal punishment.

Thursday saw Refugees and Asylum Seeker’s Day in order to raise awareness of Amnesty’s ‘Still Human, Still Here’ campaign, which aims to end the destitution of refused asylum seekers.

Organised partially by Project Ayuda, which ran a jewellery sale during the day to help refugees and displaced peoples in Colombia, there was also a presentation by Liz Peretz, a lawyer from the Asylum Tribunals Project and Bill MacKeith, from Barbed Wire Britain who campaign against the closure of the Campsfield Detention centre.

Sunny Jacobs and Peter Pringle visited to give a speech on the death penalty. Both wrongfully committed of crimes they did not commit, they spent 30 years on death row and now campaign against the death penalty. It was a powerful example of tolerance and forgiveness, even after such a miscarriage of justice had been committed.

A first-year student, Kelly Farrell, said, “They were very warm and friendly people, who considering what they have been through are very happy. They are extremely determined and believe in society to change and create a better place.

“Their inspiring and emotive talk made me realise that violence and the death penalty is not the solution. Overall it was a very powerful and amazing anecdotes of strength, determination and of the will to achieve justice.”

Friday’s theme was Terrorism and International Security Day. Andrew Bradley, President of the Students’ Union chaired a thought-provoking debate on ‘What has Obama done for Guantanamo detainees?’

The week culminated with students from the Warwick Amnesty group taking part in a sponsored sleep-out in the piazza.