NoToPope Coalition to mail hundreds of letters containing condoms to schools housing World Youth Day pilgrims
Press Release Monday July 14th 2008
A working bee at the Humanist House 12 noon, 10 Shepherd St, Chippendale Tuesday 15th July will take place with NoToPope volunteers inserting a letter of welcome and condoms into envelopes addressed to WYD pilgrims at hundreds of schools around Sydney.
Coalition activist Rachel Evans says "the letter welcomes Catholic youth to Sydney. Our Coalition respects everyone's right to practice their religion. She said 'but we have huge problems under the current 'annoyance law' NSW Regulations to practice our freedom of speech and to peaceful assembly."
Soubhi Iskander, spokeperson from the Sudanese Human Rights Association said "the Pope's policy on condoms is a death sentence for millions within Africa. It is an immoral stance. At the end of 2007, there were approximately 33.2 million people in the world with HIV/AIDS. Over two thirds of these are in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981 — 2.1 million in 2007. Almost 70% of people in the Third World who develop AIDS (as opposed to being just HIV positive) will die due to lack of drugs," Iskander concluded.
"We will hand out condoms at our rally to young Catholics" said Anthony Englund. "The annoyance laws will not stop us. Young Catholic people are quite capable of distinguishing what they want from their church's theology and what they don't want. By providing them with a token number of condoms we're reminding them they can make up their own minds about what they believe is appropriate behavior in terms of their personal sexual health, "he concluded.
The mass mail out was made possible by the list of prohibited areas, including addresses, which the government reluctantly provided to the Federal court last week in its attempt to justify its regulations against 'annoying' WYD participants.
NoToPope Coalition will peacefully protest on Saturday July 19th 12 noon Taylor Square, Oxford St, Darlinghurst to 'Defend the Right To Protest; No To Homophobia; Yes to condoms; Defend reproductive rights.
Rachel Evans 0403 798 420 Soubhi Iskander 0425 289 885 Karl Hand 0425 220 635 Luke Roberts 0400 195 203 Anthony Englund 0412 039 860
