7pm Tuesday 8th @ Friends Meeting House
Friends of the Earth are hosting Julia Walsh, Campaign Director of Frackaction, who won a state-wide ban on fracking. What can ‘old’ York learn from their success, as we face up to the risk of gas extraction in our beautiful nearby countryside?

                  – 7pm Tuesday 8th @ Friends Meeting House
Friends of the Earth are hosting Julia Walsh, Campaign Director of Frackaction, who won a state-wide ban on fracking. What can ‘old’ York learn from their success, as we face up to the risk of gas extraction in our beautiful nearby countryside?

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This Thursday (10 December) is Human Rights Day and York’s Amnesty local group and Tibet Support Group York team up to run the cafe and stalls at St Crux Hall in the city centre.

Fairly traded tea, coffee, cake and sandwiches (including vegetarian and gluten-free options) will be served from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm. Bejazzled will perform live jazz music from 2.00 to 4.00 pm and books, bric-a-brac, plants, gifts, home-made chutneys and cakes will be on sale all day. All proceeds will be divided equally between the two groups.

You will also be able to write a postcard to a prisoner of conscience – for example political cartoonist Zunar who faces decades in prison for cartoons he posted on Twitter, making fun of the decision to jail an opposition leader in Malaysia. This is part of “Write for Rights”, when Amnesty International supporters all over the world write letters and cards for people whose human rights are threatened.

The venue is at the bottom of the Shambles, near Marks & Spencer. The address is St Crux Parish Hall, Pavement, York YO1 9UP.

 – 6pm Thursday 10th in St Helen’s Square
After last week’s vote – day rally, York Against The War are hosting a protest on Thursday, including a ‘die-in’ for those who want to join in. From Wikipedia: “In the simplest form of a die-in, protesters simply lie down on the ground and pretend to be dead, sometimes covering themselves with signs or banners”. Donations will go to local refugee groups

 – 6pm Thursday 10th in St Helen’s Square
After last week’s vote-day rally, York Against The War are hosting a protest on Thursday, including a ‘die-in’ for those who want to join in. From Wikipedia: “In the simplest form of a die-in, protesters simply lie down on the ground and pretend to be dead, sometimes covering themselves with signs or banners”. Donations will go to local refugee groups.

Time is limited – we need a plan…

Councils up and down the country are declaring themselves to be TTIP Free Zones in protest at TTIP’s threat to local democracy and to public services. York’s Green Party Councillors have taken up the challenge locally, with the vote set for 24th March – 10 days from now! We need a plan to maximise the chance for success, and ensure this debate gets maximum attention.

Let’s plan to seize this opportunity!

We’re part of York No To TTIP – a coalition of groups concerned that TTIP will undermine democracy, destroy the NHS and other public services and leave Britain without key environmental, employment and consumer protections. York No To TTIP is meeting at 7.30pm on Tuesday 15th at the Waggon and Horses pub on Lawrence Street. Representatives of the Green Party will be explaining their motion and the process involved, and we’ll be looking at ways we can support them.

We have an opportunity in the next 10 days to really drive up the local debate about this deal, which MPs and MEPs are increasingly concerned about. We hope to see you tomorrow.

YORK PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY

Cameron in Crisis We’ve been told that as a society, we can’t afford to invest in health, homes, jobs and education. We now know why. The same politicians telling us we can’t afford decent public services for all, are hiding their money away to avoid paying their share. The tidal wave of hashtags, petitions and images doing the rounds on social media is amazing, but its not enough by itself. Let’s turn this frustration into a huge march on Westminster! This Saturday, we have the chance to turn anger and frustration into real movement.We’ve sold 11 tickets in the last 2 days – if that keeps going, we’ll sell out the coach! What might have felt like ‘yet another anti-cuts demo’ is shaping up to be a huge, spirited refusal to accept Cameron’s tax dodging antics as somehow normal behaviour.Get your ticket here. Over the last weekend, thousands assembled outside Downing Street on almost no notice. With people already travelling from all over the country, this Saturday is an amazing opportunity to raise the pressure and renew the debate about the kind of world we want to see. We hope you’ll come and be part of it. Yours, Graham Martin York People’s Assembly