Next weekend Sheffield will witness a Convergence of activists campaigning against the many faces of G4S.
The Convergence has been called by organisations campaigning against the activities of G4S and aims to plan how to build a more effective Stop G4S campaign. Supported and endorsed by the Boycott Israel Network, Corporate Watch, Dundee Trades Council, Jewish Socialists’ Group, Jews for Justice for Palestinians, Newcastle Palestine Solidarity Campaign, No Borders UK, No One Is Illegal, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign, South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group (SYMAAG) and Stop Deportations, it is open to all who oppose G4S and want to work with others to Stop G4S from taking over public services for private profit while violating human rights’.
Actions have already taken place against G4S in the past year:
- In February, in Sheffield, campaigners held the first of a number of protests following the decision to award G4S the contract to house asylum seekers in the region.
Action in Sheffield - In April in Birmingham, No Borders activists held a demonstration outside Birmingham City Council in protest at the incoming Mayor’s privatisation of housing for asylum seekers in the area.
- In June a united action against G4S at their annual general meeting saw over 100 activists gather from different groups to draw attention to G4S’s activities in Palestine and Israel and their involvement in the asylum process, from running the Pease Pottage detention centre for children and families to their involvement in the death of Jimmy Mubenga, who died after being restrained by three G4S guards during a forcible deportation in October 2010. (Download a copy of the spoof report to shareholders here, pdf file, 1.7mb.)
- And in July enterprising campaigners staged a rooftop occupation of the G4S headquarters near Crawley, Sussex to highlight G4S’ ‘illegal and immoral activities’ in both the UK and Palestine/Israel.
Picture from Indymedia.
The Stop G4S Convergence is taking place on Saturday 6 October in Sheffield, please email: stop-g4s@riseup.net to reserve a place, or to find out more.
Related Links
Download an invite here (word doc. 52kb)
Download a flyer here (pdf file, 76kb)
G4S – Greed 4 Sale
We may all experience their world when their meter readers (human and manual) start snooping in your home.