Secular Europe Campaign Protest March and Rally - New videos announced

Saturday 17th September 2011, London

*** Embargoed for 16 August 2011 00:01  ***

PRESS RELEASE FORWARDED FROM THE SECULAR EUROPE CAMPAIGN

In the lead up to the Secular Europe Campaign’s march and rally in London on 17th September exclusive videos from some of its most well-known supporters are being launched on the campaign’s YouTube channel over the coming weeks. Today, two new videos have been launched featuring Anne Marie Waters from One Law for All and comedian Robin Ince. These can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/seculareurope along with the endorsement from Philip Pullman which was launched on Monday 15th August.

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.

Supporters who are attending the march and rally are being invited to film their own video endorsements and upload them to the MySecularEurope YouTube account, and people across Europe who are unable to attend the event are sending the campaign postcards showing their support. More details about this can be found at the campaign’s website www.secular-europe-campaign.org.

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.’

‘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.

Sara Passmore, Head of Education and Promotion, British Humanist Association. Email: sara@humanism.org.uk Telephone: 0044 207 079 3586

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 rights       

- equal 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

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