Amnesty International USA Media Advisory
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Amnesty International Global Day of Action on Egypt Sat., Feb. 12
Activists in New York, Washington, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, To Demonstrate Solidarity with Human Rights Aspirations of Egyptian Protesters
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, 212-633-4150, [email protected]
(Washington, D.C.)— Amnesty International activists will gather around the world and across the United States, including outside the White House, on Saturday, February 12, to show solidarity with Egyptians peacefully demanding human rights protections and an end to 30 years of repressive government. Major rallies are being organized in Washington DC, New York City, San Francisco, Houston, and Chicago. Some public squares will symbolically become “Tahrir Squares” to show solidarity with the Egyptian protests.
Amnesty International activists around the country will send a clear message that Egypt must now reform its government at this critical moment to ensure human rights protections for its people. The organization has issued a “Human Rights Agenda” for Egypt, calling for a curb on the sweeping powers of security forces, the release of all prisoners of conscience, and for safeguards against torture, among other goals.
Amnesty International is turning out for the rally along with young Egyptian activists and a coalition of organizations.
“We stand in solidarity with the peaceful aim of the protests in Tahrir Square and elsewhere throughout Egypt,” said T. Kumar, international advocacy director for Amnesty Internatonal USA. “They want to see an end to repression in Egypt and a new day of fundamental reforms to protect human rights – and so do we.”
The rally will call on the United States’ government to stand up for human rights in Egypt. “Now is not the time for compromise,” said Kumar. “The Obama administration must urge the Egyptian authorities to implement institutional changes that will prevent human rights abuses. We want the people of Egypt to know that while some governments may waiver in their support, the people’s movements are not.”
The activists will symbolically "rename" locations where Saturday’s demonstrations are held to "Tahrir Square" to show solidarity with the peaceful protests.
Who: Amnesty International and other activists
What: Global Day of Action Demonstrations in Support of Peaceful Protestors in Egypt and Wider Region
When: Saturday, February 12, times varying by city; all times local
DC
When: 1:30-3 P.M.
Where: Lafayette Square (across from White House)
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Contact: Jiva Manske, [email protected] 202-675-8151
NYC
When: 1:2 P.M.
Where: Egyptian Mission to the UN
44th street and Second Ave
Contact: Thenjiwe Mcharris, [email protected], 212-633-4215
San Francisco:
When: 1-3 P.M.
Where: Egyptian Consulate, 3001 Pacific Ave.
Contact: William Butkus, [email protected] 415-288-1864
Chicago
When: 12-2 P.M.
Where: Egyptian Consulate, 500 N Michigan Avenue
Contact: Ernest Coverson, [email protected], 917-815-6453
Houston
When: 12-2 P.M.
Where: 5718 Westheimer Road
Contact: Sara Newhouse, [email protected], 713-828-5149
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.
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For more information about human rights and protesting in Egypt please visit:
http://blog.amnestyusa.org/tag/egypt/