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...you might do worse than bung one this way...
Subject: Do You have the true sprit of Christmas within you?
There is a man called Brian, and he is camped out on the central island in Parliament Square, on the side facing the Commons. He has been demonstrating there 24 hours a day for 18 months now, through some of the coldes, wettest, windyest weather that we have seen in 50 years. It's nothing short of heroic.
Lesser men would have fled long ago, but Brian is tough. He's an ex marine an has seen his fair share of war, and because of this he has chosen to campaign for peace, and says he will remain there "for as long as it takes" to get Blair & co. to listen.
He endures regular abuse from America tourists; there in abundance to see the Houses of Parliament, who just percieve his dispaly as anti-Bush and therefore pro-terrorist! He is not allowed to block the pavement to any degree,or to camp on the grass behind him, so his home is the little wall that separates the two. He occasionally get visits from other who will come and sit there in solidarity but most people are too busy to even stop to read the display, let alone support his effort. Recently when i visited there were a group of Buddhist monks who were there chanting each day and fastiing too, in bitterly cold weather, to protest against the war plans. I'm not asking for that, but if you have any of the true spirit of christmas in you; compassion, love, generosity, appreciation, brother/sisterhood, goodwill etc, then could you please send him a card? It's a small gesture, but it would mean a lot to him know that there are those of us out here who apprecite his effort even if we don't have his courage and committment. Westminster council recently took him to court to try and evict him, but failed. It is reassuring to know that we still have the right to peaceful protest and the freedom of speech, but it takes people like Brian to test that we still do. He deserves our support for myriad reasons.
Take a moment off from the comercial hamster wheel, and do something that really means something. Send just one card to one man who cares more about humanity than probably anyone we'll ever meet.
Brian Hoar
Central Island
Parliament Square
London SW1A OAA
It could be a cold, lonely Christmas, without you........
Beverley
PEACE EDUCATION & ARTS TRUST |
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