Amnesty International, York
THE CENTRE OF YORK
ON WOMEN'S DAY 2025
In 1938, Dorothy L. Sayers, crime novelist &c, gave a talk "Are women human?".
This Women's Day, with the dehumanised women of Afghanistan and Iran in mind, Amnesty York invited people in the city centre to sign a petition to make Gender Apartheid an international crime
..... it's part of a high-level international campaign https://endgenderapartheid.today/ - you might like to sign.
We had great public sympathy with one signature a minute over 3 hours, even if we were combatting the allure of the street fire-eater. Our burqa wearing model oversaw the event. The petition of 133 signatures has gone to David Lammy, Foreign Secretary, copy Keir Starmer.
2024 starts in York with a greetings card campaign
Another Amnesty year passes and here we are again on Bishopthorpe Road with our 2024 Greeting Cards Campaign for people at risk. It is an end of the year international campaign which sees thousands of good wishes arriving from around the world to people in prison cells or at risk in their community. This year we sent cards to Australia, USA, Tunisia and Sri Lanka (on behalf of the Rohingya in Myanmar.) A monumental downpour stopped our December stall, so we tried again in January with 116 cards signed by the public. And Rachael Maskell MP and the Lord and Lady Mayoress rebooked us into their January diary to come along to our stall and write their own cards.
York AI joined with the York Pride Rally on Saturday 3rd June...
We had two actions, one around #protecttheprotest and showing support for Turkiye Pride events. And another for supporting two trans women in Paraguay which required signatures for the petition.
11th February 2023 - Valentine’s Day offering from Amnesty York in Kings Square: Love Your Rights
The government plans to abolish the UK’s Human Rights Act 1998 and replace it with a Bill of Rights. This would remove universal access to human rights for all, whoever you are; the state would decided who could have a right and to what extent.
We handed out about 100 Human Rights Passports, had supportive conversations with passersby, and let others read our message on our human billboards from a safe distance!
Photos - Peter Robinson
Amnesty International's 50th Birthday celebrations in York on 15th May 2011 included a flash dance, live music and a "prisoner" release.
February 2022
Inspired by Valentine's Day, our local group took to the streets to ask the people of York "which human rights do you love the most?"
Passers by voted by placing stickers on images of the different rights from the UK's 1998 Human Rights Act. The top 3 most loved were: Right to education (55 stickers) Freedom from discrimination (54 stickers) Freedom from slavery and forced labour (38 stickers)
We are keen for people to understand their human rights, value them and to be aware that the government are currently holding a consultation on a reform to the Human Rights Act. Found out more about why the Human Rights Act is so important and what you can do to help protect it.
November 2022
Strawberries and bubbles for Human Rights...
Lovely prosecco and strawberry evening thanks to Judy and Dian: with added book sales, campaigns on Egypt, Turkey and Guantanamo’s 20th “ anniversary" and a tidy sum raised for Amnesty York’s human rights battle-chest.