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Protest the Pope - March and Rally

Protest the Pope - March and Rally

Venue	Central London	Starting at / on	18th September 2010
		Start time	1.30pm - 5pm

UPDATE: Thanks to all those who attended the march and rally! This video was independently filmed by Sanduron.

The day was a colossal success with many thousands more turning up than we had expected.

There are photographs available on our Facebook page from BHA photographer Andrew West. You can also read, watch or hear talks from the distinguished speakers at the rally on the Protest the Pope blog.

The following was sent to members and supporters of the BHA on the Monday following the march: (register for our e-bulletin)

Before the crowds set off from Hyde Park Corner on Saturday, the police estimated that we were 12,000 strong. But the number continued to rise as protesters poured onto Piccadilly; as we marched, onlookers were mainly supportive and more joined in; and perhaps another thousand were waiting to join us opposite Downing Street. At the final Protest the Pope rally on Westminster the numbers were closer to 20,000.

As the Guardian pointed out, the protesters were passionate but 'good-natured'. Others may have called it an "anti-Pope" demonstration, but the overriding message from the speakers at the rally opposite Downing Street was of positive values, dearly held and forcefully defended.

Our own Andrew Copson opened the speeches, defending the country which members of the Catholic Church have called a "moral wasteland" and offering the positive values which would set the tone for the rest of the rally. Andrew reminded the crowds that on the previous day, addressing the political elite in Westminster, the Pope had questioned whether secular democracy could offer any values at all. Andrew outlined the real differences between Britain and the Holy See, every sentence bringing loud cheers from the crowd:

'It’s true that as a matter of national policy we don’t use our status as a nation to lobby at the UN against the human rights of women or the human rights of lesbian and gay people. It’s true that our state doesn’t use its recognition as a state to lobby against the use of condoms, even in places suffering epidemics of AIDS. It’s true that our country has never, as a matter of national policy, concealed the sexual abuse of children and frustrated justice for survivors of sexual abuse. But I don’t think this makes us a moral wasteland! And I’d rather be a citizen of Britain than of the Holy See.'

He went on to list the positive values that we share and which drive us to speak up in the face of malign authority, again each pause bringing a new wave of cheers:

'We support equality.

'We support human rights.

'We support secular and liberal democracy.

'And we support justice, even if that justice is inconvenient for the power and reputation of churches and clergy.

'Those are real moral values – values to live by in the twenty first century and the values you are supporting by being here today.’

We'd like to thank all of you who took part in our campaigns actions for Protest the Pope. We'd like to thank Saturday's protesters, the volunteers who helped with organisation and crowd safety, and of course the distinguished speakers. Thank you also to all the Protest the Pope campaign partners, and especially Marco Tranchino for his valiant efforts on behalf of Central London Humanist Group behind Saturday's march.

Join the “Protest the Pope” Campaign in this large-scale march against the State Visit of Pope Ratzinger in the UK.

The protest march will assemble from 1.30pm at the top of Piccadilly (Hyde Park Corner).

It will then proceed through central London via Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, Haymarket, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall.

At the arrival point, opposite Downing Street, on Richmond Terrace, there will be the final Rally with speeches.

Please put this date in your diary and make every effort to be there.
Spread the news of this event as far as you can. Local groups might consider getting a coach party to come and if you’re coming from outside London and could offer a lift to someone in your area, please let us know and we’ll put you in touch.

The final Rally will be held in the proximity of our democratic Government, opposite Downing Street, to highlight our opposition to the State Visit as opposed to a Pastoral Visit like the one of the previous Pope.

1.30pm – Assembly at Hyde Park Corner (top of Piccadilly)

2.30pm – 3.30pm – March: Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, Haymarket, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall

3.30pm – Rally opposite Downing Street