Protesting The Pope
I'm feeling exercised to get out and take part in a protest from the first time here in the UK since the Stop The War marches. It's been on my mind to get involved in the protests around the upcoming Papal visit for a while - I signed the online petition to the government, and have followed the plans for the visit since it was announced while I was still out of the country, but the rash of news items and TV trailers has made me realise how imminent it now is.
His Naziness is in the UK from the 16th to the 19th of this month. During that time, as it's a State Visit, he'll be meeting the Prime Minister and leaders of the other parties, and will be accorded the same status and access given to other heads of state who don't preside over regimes of institutionalised misogyny, homophobia, child abuse and religious intolerance. That doesn't seem right to me.
Of course, the evil old queen is free to say whatever he likes, but a lot of people don't think he should be given any kind of elevated status from which to utter his bigotry, nor that any of the cost associated with allowing him to do so here should be met by people who not only don't follow him, but actively oppose him.
More information on the group organising the main protest next Saturday is here.
Other activities associated with some of the specific events on his trip are being organised locally.
September 11th, 2010 - 20:55
I caught sight of your blog in my referrals today and decided to call by, remembering I used to follow your blog with great interest!
I would have loved to attend the protest next Saturday but sadly I am not in the UK and cannot make the journey at the moment. I did, of course, sign the petition.