Thursday 12 August

7.30pm
Richmond Library, Old Town Hall
Whittaker Ave
Richmond, TW9 1TP
(nearest station: Richmond underground and national rail)

All welcome.

The Pope’s first event in London, on the 17 September, will be at St Mary’s University College in Twickenham, south west London. The pontiff will talk about his views on education, which have included his support for separate faith schools and the right of these schools to discriminate in their admissions policy and their recruitment of staff.

That’s why the Protest the Pope Campaign will lend its support to organisations and individuals in South West London who have contacted the Campaign.

The Richmond LGBT Forum have organized a public meeting to discuss the issues surrounding the visit of the Pope to the Borough.

Members of the Forum will then be able to decide whether or not the Forum should take any further action on behalf of the local LGBT community and, with other local groups that are also planning to take part, it is being suggested that a “Richmond Coalition against the State Visit” may be an appropriate vehicle to take things forward.

The public meeting will take place this Thursday 12 August at Richmond Library, Old Town Hall, Whittaker Ave, Richmond, TW9 1TP

It will start at 7.30pm, with speeches from spokespersons for the Protest the Pope campaign, followed by a Q and A.

The meeting is open to the public. All welcome.

The speakers are:

David Pollock, President of the European Humanist Federation, will talk about the Catholic Church’s influence at European level as a result of the Lisbon treaty.

Keith Porteous Wood, Chief Executive of the National Secular Society, will talk about the pressure growing at the United Nations on the Vatican, which is failing to produce a report on child protection…

Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, will talk about the “Protest the Pope” Campaign and our 6 main reasons for which we are protesting against honouring Joseph Ratzinger with a State Visit.

Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner, will talk about Catholic dissent from the Pope’s hardline, intolerant opposition to liberation theology, women’s rights, gay equality, contraception, fertility treatment, embryonic stem cell research and the Pope’s collusion with Holocaust deniers and appeasers.

See the Facebook event for more information and to tell us you’re coming!

Note: The main entrance to the Old Town Hall is from Whittaker Avenue, up a flight of stone steps. The building has disabled access off Whittaker Avenue, next to the entrance to the Information Centre.

The Public Meeting will be on Thursday 12th August at Richmond Library, Old Town Hall, Whittaker Ave, Richmond, TW9 1TP

The speeches will be followed by a Question Time and then the associations based in South West London will have the opportunity to discuss any action that should be taken for potential protests in September.

David Pollock, President of the European Humanist Federation.

Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society.

Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner.