Amnesty campaign highlights the benefits of the Act
Amnesty UK has criticised Network Rail for refusing to display its pro-Human Rights Act ads in train stations.
According to Amnesty’s press office, the campaign — highlighting the benefits of the Act, including for the Hillsborough families and the Northern Irish peace process — was pulled at the last minute on the grounds that it was ‘too political’.
Responding to the decision, Amnesty UK director Kate Allen said:
“We’re very disappointed by Network Rail’s decision to pull these adverts at the eleventh hour. We simply don’t accept that basic human rights are ever a political issue.
“The irony is that human rights cross party-political lines and so do failures, cover-ups and abuses. Successive governments managed to let down the Hillsborough families, and their story demonstrates precisely why we need enduring human rights protections which aren’t redrafted by the government of the day, on a political whim.
“It’s vital to safeguard basic rights in these politically volatile times as constant protections relied on by ordinary people.”
Transport for London carried the adverts as planned and those banned by Network Rail have been relocated elsewhere.
Barry Devonside, who lost his 18-year-old son Hillsborough, described the public sector body’s decision as ‘very small-minded’.
“Human rights aren’t political; they cover everyone right across society. I don’t think many people know about the Human Rights Act and how important Article 2, which protects the right to life, is. But we do, and the Human Rights Act is one of the most important things in our society.”
See also: Soldiers aren’t being harangued by lawyers – it’s a myth designed to discredit the Human Rights Act
8 Responses to “Network Rail pulls Human Rights Act ads for being ‘too political’”
Ropey Wyla
Network Rail are plain wrong to ban this advert.
In the interest of debunking wannabe Daily Heil writer Mick’s right wing propaganda, you do not have to be pro EU to believe in human rights. It should be noted that an independent country can sign up to any act it’s people wishes it to and doesn’t have to get the agreement of countless other member states in order to do so. Furthermore, anyone inherently arrogant and nasty enough to be right wing in their political persuasions who has the downright temerity to accuse lefties of arrogance etc. clearly has no understanding of the concept of irony. Perhaps Mick is from across the pond.
Dave Stewart
Dear MICK,
A Genuine question, why do you spend so much time and effort posting on virtually every article on this sight solely so you can contradict the original author and repeat your right wing tropes ad infinitum?
Do you think your comments are going to persuade anyone? All you appear to do is insult any and everyone who holds left wing views on a left wing blog. It’s not really a good way to go about getting people to change their mind and agree with you.
Of course the simple answer is that you do it because you enjoy winding people up but I thought I’d ask?
Mick
The only people wound-up are you. ‘Daily Heil’, indeed! I won’t be here forever, get over it.
Human rights? For people saying that opposing them is arrogant and nasty then, well, it’s a good job I’m here.
And no, you don’t have to be pro-EU to love human rights. At least there’s one chink of sanity in this whole burble! Just that Amnesty could be somebody else.