This is a great overview of the many activities our Brighton and Hove Branch have been involved in over January 2024 – do have a read, and if you’re local to the area do get involved!
Brighton branch members have been busy taking the chance to join in a banner drop with a reading about genocide in relation to Gaza in a local shopping centre with a large group of activists which felt like a very good action to be part of. Also, members have been joining in some of the other local demonstrations against the terrible bombing of Gaza, starting with the October 7th atrocities and writing to our members of parliament asking for a ceasefire.
We have been holding our weekly Women in Black vigils with varying numbers of us standing together. We are joined by a green councillor from the nearby town of Lewes when she is able to be with us and several other non members who wish an end to the all world’s violence.
On the anniversary of the TPNW we had a stall in the town centre and handed out leaflets and spoke to several people who stopped to ask about the treaty.
We also started the New Year with a really interesting discussion that many of those present contributed to which was facilitated by members Anne Eggleton and Ros Cook talking about ‘What could system change look like in the context of our campaign slogan ‘System Change not Climate Change’ and how younger generations are seeking new ways forward by changing the paradigm which gives cause for much needed optimism.
Some of us went to meet one of our Labour councillors about an arms factory in the city which we are trying to see the back of with a coalition of several groups. The land the factory is built on belongs to the council and we are disputing the right of the factory owners to make a temporary building permanent as well as wanting to tackle its being there at all, an on-going piece of work. The bomb parts they make are being used by Israel on Gaza, so we along many of the people who are against the Israeli actions have been meeting and making plans for all sorts of actions. We raised over 700 objections from local residents in just a few days. We expect the planning permission to be discussed by the council soon and we shall be there dressed in black as a vigil.
We continue to have our WILPF meetings face to face in the libraray on the first Tuesday of the month and again in the evening on zoom for those unable to get there. Our next activity will be the International Women’s Day celebration on Saturday 9th March, [unless the planning permission case comes up before then].
For more details and to get involved contact Jenny: jenny@11qp.co.uk
