BHA: Protest the Pope open meeting in Richmond a great success

Friday, 13 August 2010 12:00 AM

A successful open meeting was held last night in Richmond where speakers from the Protest the Pope Campaign outlined the reasons for protesting against honouring Pope Joseph Ratzinger with a state visit.

The meeting room was packed out with over seventy local people wishing to discuss the issues raised by Protest the Pope; including the Pope's opinions on condom use, abortion, gay rights and education. The meeting included speeches from human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, NSS President Terry Sanderson, European Humanist Federation President and British Humanist Association Trustee David Pollock and NSS Executive Director Keith Porteous Wood.

The meeting was organised by Richmond LGBT Forum with a view to forming a local coalition of groups wishing to protest when the Pope visits Twickenham on 17th September this year to address local school children.

Peter Tatchell said, 'Pope Benedict comes to Britain next month. As democrats, we believe he has every right to come here and express his opinions. But we also have a right to protest against his often harsh, extreme views. We have a right to say that he is not welcome here.

'The Protest the Pope campaign is calling on the British government to disassociate itself from the Pope's intolerant teachings on issues such as women's rights, gay equality and the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV. On these and many other issues, Benedict is out of step with the majority of British people, including most Catholics.'

Notes

Further comment or information from Pepper Harow, pepper@humanism.org.uk on 02074624992.

The meeting was held at Richmond Library, Old Town Hall, Whittaker Ave, Richmond, TW9 1TP on 12th August at 7.30pm.

It started with speeches from spokespersons of the "Protest the Pope" Campaign:

David Pollock, President of the European Humanist Federation, talked about the Catholic Church's influence at European level as a result of the Lisbon treaty.
Full text available- David Pollock

Keith Porteous Wood, Chief Executive of the NSS, talked about the pressure growing at the United Nations on the Vatican, which is failing to produce a report on child protection.

Terry Sanderson, President of the NSS, talked about the "Protest the Pope" Campaign and our 6 main reasons for which we are protesting against honouring Joseph Ratzinger with a State Visit.
Full text available- Protest The Pope

Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner, talked about Catholic dissent from the Pope's hardline, intolerant opposition to liberation theology, women's rights, gay equality, contraception, fertility treatment, embryonic stem cell research and the Pope's collusion with Holocaust deniers and appeasers.

Full text available-Full Text

The Pope will be visiting the UK on a State visit from 16th-19 September.

Protest the Pope is a campaign that believes that, as a head of state, the Pope is an unsuitable guest of the UK government and should not be accorded the honour and recognition of a state visit to our country. www.protest-the-pope.org.uk

Further events are planned for September 2010-

Main event: September 18th, March and Rally- March and Rally

September 1st- Debate - The Papal Visit should not be a State Visit - Debate The Papl

September 13th- Relief-o-Matic - Comedy Night- Relief O Matic

September 13th-16th- Film Festival- Film Festival

September 17th- Charity Party- Chrity Party

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