Trade Justice Lobby of Parliament1 June 2002
Trade Justice Lobby of Parliament
On 19th June 2002, thousands of people converged on Parliament to lobby their MPs about unfair trade rules.
Politicians came outside to meet their constituents who were lining the Westminster pavements.
Tony Blair met representatives of the Trade Justice Movement member organisations and campaigners from his Sedgefield constituency in the morning.
MP being ferried by rickshaw to his constituents
John Prescott, Iain Duncan Smith and Peter Mandelson were among the many MP's who met their constituents on the streets outside Parliament.
Just one of the many local groups who came
Anita Roddick and Thom Yorke of Radiohead helped to launch the Trade Justice Lobby outside the Houses of Parliament.
I hope a lot of people turn up and make a lot of noise and lobby a lot of MPs. We've heard messages of support from Patricia Hewitt and Tony Blair. Today should give them a mandate to take forward to the EU summit, G8 and World Summit for Sustainable Development to place trade relations high on the agenda. Today is a good time to be lobbying MPs.
Ed O'Brien, Radiohead
Political influence didn't stop in Britain. The South African President Thabo Mbeki called organisers to express his support.
Supporters from more than 40 organisations making up the Trade Justice Movement lined the streets.
The mass lobby queue stretched from the St Stephen's Gate...
...over Lambeth bridge...
...and along the embankment towards the London Eye.
Key facts
- 12,000 people took part
- 327 MPs lobbied
More images and information can be found on the Trade Justice Movement website.
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