The Stop the War Coalition is calling for protests outside BBC studios and offices across the country, on Tuesday 4th April. In Southampton the event will be taking place at 1pm outside the BBC studios on Havelock Road. This is opposite the Civic Centre.
read Stop the War letter to BBC Director General:
Mark Thompson, Director-General, BBC
22 March 2006
Dear Mr Thompson,
We write to protest in the strongest possible terms against the failure of the BBC to broadcast any reports of the anti-war demonstration in London on March 18 on any of its TV news bulletins.
This demonstration was one of a large number held around the world to mark the third anniversary of the start of Iraq war, a significant landmark. We estimate that 80-100,000 people attended the London protest. Speakers at the concluding rally included the chief foreign representative of the al-Sadr movement in Iraq, a major force in that country’s politics, parliamentary figures from the Labour, Liberal Democrat, Plaid Cymru and Respect parties, the well-known musician Brian Eno and the parents of several of the British soldiers who have died in Iraq, as well as an SAS soldier who had recently served there.
It defies belief that you found this event unworthy of the slightest mention. Such an attitude can only undermine belief in the power of peaceful democratic protest. We would like to quote from just one of the many e-mails received on this subject:
My daughter and her friend joined the march on Saturday. It was their first independent project as 'citizens' and they were elated to be doing it. On returning home they both looked to see what coverage of the march there was on the BBC. As you say, there wasn't. This was a disappointment to two idealistic young people eager to make their voices heard. It was not a good experience of 'living in a democracy'.
We also note that the Defence Secretary John Reid was afforded the opportunity to attack the demonstration’s purpose on the Today programme on the morning of March 18 – thereby incidentally establishing its news-worthiness – without any representative of the organisers, or any alternative view, being given a chance to comment.
This would seem to us to indicate a systematic hostility to the anti-war movement and to those critical of the government’s Iraq policy, notwithstanding that we speak for most of the country on this matter if opinion polls are to be believed. We believe that this represents an abandonment of the BBC’s charter obligations to impartiality and fairness on matters of political controversy.
We would be grateful for an explanation of BBC policy on these matters, and in particular as to why news of Saturday’s demonstration was blanked out by BBC News, and would ask you to make time for a meeting with us to discuss this further.
Yours sincerely,
Andrew Murray (chair)
Lindsey German (convenor)
Mark Thompson, Director-General, BBC
22 March 2006
Dear Mr Thompson,
We write to protest in the strongest possible terms against the failure of the BBC to broadcast any reports of the anti-war demonstration in London on March 18 on any of its TV news bulletins.
This demonstration was one of a large number held around the world to mark the third anniversary of the start of Iraq war, a significant landmark. We estimate that 80-100,000 people attended the London protest. Speakers at the concluding rally included the chief foreign representative of the al-Sadr movement in Iraq, a major force in that country’s politics, parliamentary figures from the Labour, Liberal Democrat, Plaid Cymru and Respect parties, the well-known musician Brian Eno and the parents of several of the British soldiers who have died in Iraq, as well as an SAS soldier who had recently served there.
It defies belief that you found this event unworthy of the slightest mention. Such an attitude can only undermine belief in the power of peaceful democratic protest. We would like to quote from just one of the many e-mails received on this subject:
My daughter and her friend joined the march on Saturday. It was their first independent project as 'citizens' and they were elated to be doing it. On returning home they both looked to see what coverage of the march there was on the BBC. As you say, there wasn't. This was a disappointment to two idealistic young people eager to make their voices heard. It was not a good experience of 'living in a democracy'.
We also note that the Defence Secretary John Reid was afforded the opportunity to attack the demonstration’s purpose on the Today programme on the morning of March 18 – thereby incidentally establishing its news-worthiness – without any representative of the organisers, or any alternative view, being given a chance to comment.
This would seem to us to indicate a systematic hostility to the anti-war movement and to those critical of the government’s Iraq policy, notwithstanding that we speak for most of the country on this matter if opinion polls are to be believed. We believe that this represents an abandonment of the BBC’s charter obligations to impartiality and fairness on matters of political controversy.
We would be grateful for an explanation of BBC policy on these matters, and in particular as to why news of Saturday’s demonstration was blanked out by BBC News, and would ask you to make time for a meeting with us to discuss this further.
Yours sincerely,
Andrew Murray (chair)
Lindsey German (convenor)