Every year, Britain marks ‘Remembrance Day’, a commemoration of members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces who have suffered and died in wars and conflicts abroad.
On Saturday 12th November, the day before Remembrance Sunday, LGSMigrants will be holding a commemoration ceremony to lay a wreath in memory of the people who have died fleeing war-torn countries to seek refuge over the past year.
People escaping horrific violence and conflict face abandonment at sea, abuse and intimidation from European border forces and the continued violation of their human rights. This increasingly harsh border regime has led to the deaths of many refugees in the UK and across Europe.
At this time of remembrance and reflection, we cannot forget those who have died trying to reach safety. We must not let any more people die at our borders. We need safe passage now.
PROGRAMME DETAILS:
1:30 - 3:00 - We will be holding a craft session at the ICA to make wreaths together.
3:00 - Meet at us at the ICA and we will walk from the ICA to the cenotaph and hold a minute’s silence before laying our wreaths to remember those who died seeking sanctuary. We will hear from speakers either at the ICA and the cenotaph, depending on the weather.
3:30 - 4:00 - Refreshments at the ICA
REGISTRATION DETAILS:
You only have register for the craft session (1:30 - 3:00) at the ICA because the room as limited capacity. If you would like to come just to vigil then you can meet us at the ICA after crafting at 3:00
We have a small budget to cover transport costs for those who need, please get in touch by email lgsmigrants@gmail.com if that's you
This is also a sober space. We understand that this can mean different things to different people. For us this currently means no alcohol or party drugs should be consumed or present at our events. If you have any questions or concerns about this please reach out to us.
SAFETY INFORMATION:
There is some risk involved in taking part in this evening, as members of the public may react with hostility. We will do everything we can to keep each other safe and will be updating the event page with further information, so please watch this space.
Safer Spaces Agreement:
By attending our events, you agree to our Safer Spaces Agreement. The basic tenet is respect. LGSMigrants is committed to making our events as safe as possible, whilst recognising that it’s not possible to create spaces that are completely safe for everyone.
- Respect each other (our backgrounds, identities, ideas and bodies) and respect the spaces we create together and are part of.
- Everyone has an equal right to be heard and an equal responsibility to listen – be aware of how people might express themselves differently to you.
- However strongly you feel about a particular topic, abuse is never tolerated. Respect other people’s right to speak.
- Any behaviour that demeans, marginalises or dominates others, or perpetuates hierarchies, is not welcome.
- Identify your own privileges – the things that sometimes give you an easier ride than others – and try to be aware of them.
- Be aware of the range of people’s identities (gender, race, class) and avoid making generalisations or assumptions about people.
- Be aware that anyone in the space could be a survivor of a particular form of oppression, for example, violence or racism.
- If someone is feeling uncomfortable, do not hesitate to raise this.
- It is everyone’s responsibility to challenge prejudice and oppression, and if we ignore it we are complicit in it.