International Day Against Police Brutality is on Thursday 15th March. This will fall in the NUS week of action this year, we will be using this day as a day of action to increase awareness of Alfie Meadows’ case. Download materials and find out how you and your university/workplace can get involved.
Alfie Meadows was part of the 9th December 2010 student demonstration against the tripling of tuition fees after becoming passionately involved in the campaign at Middlesex University to save his Philsophy department (now closed down). When Alfie protested on 9th December he recieved a life threatening injury, he was struck so hard on the head with a Police baton that he needed emergency brain surgery. Not only has Alfie had to go through the ordeal of nearly dying after demonstrating, as well as having to transfer universities once his department is closed at the end of this year, but now Alfie is being charged with violent disorder.
Essentially, Alfie Meadows has to clear his name through the courts before he can continue charges against the police for their actions on 9th December.
Aliz Alizadeh, a friend of Alfie’s from Middlesex University writes, “What happened to Alfie could have happened to each one of us who said no to the commercialisation of education, to shutting down of philosophy departments and giving their resources to Finance and Management departments, to a future of £70,000 debt for a BA degree. The outcome of Alfie’s trial will have consequences for the future of protesting in this country as a whole. Stand shoulder by shoulder with Alfie. He is the generic name of today’s “protestor”. We are all Alfie Meadows.”
Defend the Right to Protest asks you to download the following signs:
and/or
Justice for Alfie Meadows: Drop the Charges Now
Then email the photo(s) of you, friends and colleagues to: info@defendtherighttoprotest.org so that we can upload it to the online slideshow and also make a giant collage of all the photos to have outside Kingston Crown Court on the first day of Alfie Meadows’ trial. Join the facebook event for the rally outside the court on Monday 26th March, 9AM.
A variety of Universities as part of International Day Against Police Brutality will be having stalls and publicity stunts to raise awareness of Alfie’s case on Thursday 15th March, we will publish a full list of universities and their activities on the day shortly. For example, Sussex University will be using the day of action to petition, flyer and take photos of students and staff with the signs in Library Square, similarly at Goldsmiths University. Why not get your university, work place or trade union branch involved with some similiar activity?
Materials available to download:
- Justice for Alfie Meadows Flyer
- Justice for Alfie Meadows: Drop the Charges Petition
- Twinning with Political Prisoners Double-Sided Flyer
- Pass the Defend the Right to Protest Motion to Support the Campaign and Alfie Meadows
- We Are All Alfie Meadows and Justice for Alfie Meadows: Drop the Charges Now signs.
We also have Justice for Alfie Meadows stickers that we can arrange for activists to pick up, and we can also take orders for Defend the Right to Protest badges - 50p each or 12 for £5. Email: info@defendtherighttoprotest.org to arrange getting stickers or ordering badges for 15th March.
There are a range of meetings taking place in the next few days including in Manchester, as well as a Parliament Meeting. For full listings, see here. If you missed the meeting at Euston Friends Meeting House, see what Alfie Meadows had to say (full footage of the meeting will be uploaded in the next few days):
Please let us know any plans at your university or workplace for 15th March by posting comments below or emailing: info@defendtherighttoprotest.org
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