Secular Europe Campaign Protest March and Rally
Saturday 17th September 2011, London
Tens of thousands of people support the Secular Europe Campaign which aims at bringing an end to religious privileges and ensure that the European institutions remain secular. Last year they came out and showed it at the national protest of the Pope’s state visit to the UK - the largest ever protests against the policies of the Holy See. The campaign this year is already attracting huge levels of support, with thousands expected to turn out at and support the march and rally on 17th September.
In the lead up to the event the Secular Europe Campaign will launch exclusive videos from some of our most well-known supporters including Richard Dawkins, Polly Toynbee, Robin Ince, Sue Cox and David Yallop. The videos will be launched on the Secular Europe YouTube channel in the coming weeks http://www.youtube.com/seculareurope as we countdown until the rally, including today’s video featuring author Philip Pullman.
Marco Tranchino, coordinator of the Secular Europe Campaign commented, ‘Secularism is the only way to protect people of all different religions and those with none. It is vital that everyone who believes in liberal democracy and who values human rights comes on the march in September to show their support. If you want to defend women’s rights, children’s rights, the rights of gay people, human and reproductive rights, then march with us this September and let people see that we object to the influence of religion within the law and on the state.’
‘Last year’s big protest during the Pope’s visit showed that more and more people are becoming concerned at the rise of politicised religion. Secularism is increasingly being seen as a means of containing the competing ambitions of religion, and ensuring that everyone – religious or non-religious – has an equal stake in society. We hope we can build on last year’s success so that more people will become actively involved in our campaign.’
‘From Ireland, to Malta, the majority of European citizens are asking to live in an inclusive liberal Europe where religious belief is not imposed on society and human rights and equality before the law are upheld. In particular, all the protests organised against State visits of the pope, from London, to Madrid, to Berlin, are showing that it's high time we stopped considering the Vatican as a State and funding it with billions of Euros of taxpayer money. This campaign is supported already by over 70 diverse associations across Europe and the support is growing.
Join us in September and march with us!'
NOTES
Nearly 20,000 people attended the Protest the Pope rally last year protest against the State Visit of Pope Benedict in the UK, demand an end to religious privileges and ask that European institutions remain secular. The Secular Europe Campaign is led by the organisations that led the Protest the Pope rally.
Full details about the event can be found here: http://secular-europe-campaign.org/
We will release one video endorsement every day until the beginning of September. The first video will be launched on Monday 15 August and features Philip Pullman.
The march will begin at 10.30 am leaving from Temple Place (Victoria Embankment), and rally will take place from 12.30-2.30pm at Richmond Terrace opposite Downing Street.
For more information
For more information, please contact Sara Passmore at sara.passmore@humanism.org.uk or on 020 7079 3580,
About the Secular Europe Campaign
The “Secular Europe Campaign” is an annual effort that sees many diverse groups united in demanding an end to religious privileges and asking that the European Institutions must remain secular. Starting in 2008, this Campaign has a special focus on the Vatican, given the enormous political and economical power it holds, but aims at representing all the issues around secularism and human rights, including opposition to state-funded faith schools, rejection of religious tribunals and support to equal rights for LGBT citizens.
It promotes:
freedom of religion, freedom of conscience and freedom of speech
women’s equality and reproductive rightsequal rights for LGBT people in all the European Union
a secular Europe – democratic, peaceful, open and just, immune to the clandestine influence of privileged religious (or other) organisations
one law for all, no religious exemptions from the law
state neutrality in matters of religion and belief
It opposes:
the privileged status of the churches under Article 17 of the TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union)
the special status of the Vatican in the United Nations
state-funded faith schools
the economic privilege and political influence of the Vatican