"I have never welcomed the weakening of family ties by politics or pressure" - Nelson Mandela.
"He who travels for love finds a thousand miles no longer than one" - Japanese proverb.
"Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence." - Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
"When people's love is divided by law, it is the law that needs to change". -
David Cameron.

Saturday, 23 August 2014

Demonstration for family rights, 23rd August 2014


Credits : The organisers and participants, divided families, members of  'I love my foreign spouse', 'Demonstration for family rights of British citizens', #familydemo, Meetup

Where : By Westminster/Whitehall; opposite Downing Street; Leicester Square 

Photos from a demonstration earlier today. Credits are to those who participated who took photos, many of which have been shared on social media.

This was a very successful grassroots demonstration, organised by some of those affected, and supported by many others who couldn't be there (either because they are struggling to meet the economic requirement themselves, or that they are ground down by the inhumanity of these rules). The speeches, stories and leaflets got the sympathetic attention of many, many members of the public - passersby, people on a day out, and demonstrators for other campaigns.

People were asked to come in wedding attire if they could. These women are in Moroccan dress.

Leicester Square.



The man on the right is wearing Vietnamese wedding clothes.


Mascot!













Opposite Downing Street.




https://twitter.com/hashtag/familydemo #familydemo :

"Courageous people shared their stories with the general public today on the #familydemo."

"We had young girls listening to us in shock."

"Overwhelmed by the support we got from the public as people stopped to listen to us."

"You can't predict the future or choose who you love."

"The Govt trumpets hardworking British families. The rules exclude workers, discriminate against Britons, and divide families."

"Congratulations to all who protested for the human rights of the #dividedfamilies under the #rulesagainstfamilies. We salute you. "

"A doctor has more right to marry and bring home their non-EU spouse than a worker at Tesco. Is this fair? I think not!... Racist? I'll leave that with you."

More photos taken by freelance photographer See Li :
http://www.demotix.com/news/5595004/london-protest-against-uk-government-dividing-family


The Conversation - Family-first’ government tears couples apart with visa rules:
http://theconversation.com/family-first-government-tears-couples-apart-with-visa-rules-30836

 'I am a British citizen and I have lost my human right to family life' - video of the protest outside Downing Street on Saturday. Jessie is speaking :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk-pi8wovDM&list=UU7Ikq59oTNeQZ54J88HqlNA



(The man who made the video, who we encountered on the day, is himself an Algerian who hasn't seen his Singaporean wife and daughter in three years).

https://twitter.com/The_UK_Migrant/status/498428068764352514/photo/1 :



Now complete the Children's Commissioner Questionnaire!! :

http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/childrens-commissioner-questionnaire.html

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