Stop the War Newsletter
Posted: 8th January 2021
Newsletter – 27/01/21
The Assange Case: What Next? – Watch Back
The year began with the excellent news that Julian Assange’s extradition to the US had been rejected by Judge Vanessa Baraitser. But just days later the very same judge unjustifiably refused to grant Assange bail from Belmarsh Prison in view of the US appeal against the decision. It is, once again, up to us to demand his immediate release.
There can be no doubt that the cacophony of voices in support of Assange and the campaigning done to free him were a major factor in the decision not to extradite him. We must now keep it up.
Last night we held a 500-strong meeting to discuss what’s next in the case and what you can do to push for his release. If you click on the links above and below you can hear from Jeremy Corbyn, John Pilger, Tariq Ali, Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, John Rees and Suzie Gilbert on exactly that.
Meanwhile, it’s vital we step up our campaigning. We’re encouraging all our local groups to host online meetings on the case and build support for Assange in your communities. This week has shown how effective campaigning can be – let’s step it up another notch.
Yemen Day of Action – Mon 25th Jan
The shockingly under-reported war in Yemen has led to the death of 250,000 people and created the worst humanitarian crisis anywhere in the world, according to the UN. They estimate that more than 24 million people in the country, which was already one of the poorest on the planet prior to the war, will need humanitarian assistance in 2021.
230+ organisations from 17 countries have signed up for a call to action against the war on Yemen so far, making this the biggest international anti-war co-ordination since the campaign against the Iraq war. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic many of the planned physical protests have had to be postponed but our global movement will not be silenced.
We’ve got some big announcements coming up on the Day of Action next week so make sure you’ve signed the pledge to be part of the day and share it as far and wide as you can.
Coup 53 – The Film They Don’t Want You To See
Another piece of good news this week was the fact that COUP 53 won its legal battle against those who were trying to block the film. COUP 53 is back online and now qualified for the OSCAR and BAFTA!
You can watch it again from 18:00 GMT this evening and half of the ticket price will be donated directly to Stop the War. With your ticket you will also get a free pass to a Q&A with the film’s star Ralph Fiennes, legendary editor Walter Murch and director Taghi Amirani, chaired by Michael Moore.
If you haven’t seen it already we can assure you it’s a thrilling and unique film that should not be missed.
This Week’s Anti-War Briefing
