Vigil Background
During visits in summer 2002, both Roy Bennett, MDC MP and Tony Reeler
of the Amani Trust suggested a regular vigil against the illegitimate
regime in Zimbabwe as an effective way to raise awareness in the UK
to the plight of the Zimbabwean people, and cited the hugely successful
pickets outside South Africa House during the time of apartheid. As
a result the Central London Branch of the Movement for Democratic
Change set up the Zimbabwe Vigil. The Vigil was launched on 12 October
2002 and has been held every Saturday since.
We welcome new members.
• We meet whatever the weather!
• Our colourful posters and banners and the singing and dancing
draw lots of attention.
• We hand out information flyers and newsletters.
• Our petitions, which focus on human rights abuses and the
suppression of democracy in Zimbabwe, have people queuing up to
sign them.
• Our main petition calling on the UN Security Council to
send a team to Zimbabwe to investigate human rights abuses, was
presented in great style in February, when it had reached around
16,000 signatures: one signature every 20 seconds. We are still
collecting signatures for this petition.
• Other petitions we have submitted:
- protest at World Cup cricket matches in Zimbabwe,
- a call for the continued suspension of Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth.
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