Archived press release

Wake Up to Trade Justice - Thousands to Attend All-Night Protest

9 February 2005

Thousands of people will come to Whitehall and Westminster on Friday 15 April 2005 for an all-night vigil and protest organised by the Trade Justice Movement as part of MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY.

The protest will run from 10pm Friday 15 April to 8am Saturday 16 April and will feature special events throughout the night. Highlights will include:

• Music and dance, including acoustic numbers from top performers
• Big name artists creating a giant artwork overnight
• Ten thousand candles; spectacular lanterns
• A dawn procession past Downing Street

The protest is calling on the UK Government to stop making poor countries open their markets up to unfair trade and to respect their right to decide on trade policies that would help end poverty and protect their environment.

A global delegation will visit UK political leaders to lobby for action on trade, supported by crowds representing the Trade Justice Movement's diverse membership from students to Women's Institute members, faith leaders to celebrities.

Glen Tarman, Trade Justice Movement coordinator, said:

"Thousands of people are already planning to come and stay up all night in solidarity with all those impoverished by the obscene world trade system."

"People have had enough of the way global trade is run in our name to benefit rich countries and hurt poor ones. We want to wake politicians up to this fact. This event, ahead of the G8 summit in Scotland this summer, is a chance to show our government that we want action for trade justice not free trade."

The event is part of a Global Week of Action for trade justice with events and activities in over 70 countries across the world. For example, Wake Up for Trade Justice in London coincides with millions of Indian citizens taking part in mass protests in 25 state capitals across India.

Notes

The Trade Justice Movement is a coalition of over 60 organisations including trade unions, aid agencies, environment and human rights campaigns, fairtrade organisations, faith and consumer groups. The movement's member organisations represent over 9 million British voters.

Trade Justice is one of the key calls of MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY, supported by over 200 UK organisations in the biggest anti-poverty campaign ever seen.

The Global Week of Action will be the biggest mobilisation yet on trade, with events in every continent including seven of the G8 countries. For more information see www.april2005.org.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust