IMPORTANT AND URGENT NOTICE TO ALL FCAEA MEMBERS...
“A freedom given up is not so easily regained.”
Please join members of the Foreign Correspondents' Association of East Africa, Committee to Protect Journalists, friends of Peter Greste and other local civil society and free press movements on Tuesday February 4th 2014, for a peaceful protest march and sit-in at the Egyptian Embassy, to protest the imprisonment of, and demand the release of Al Jazeera East Africa correspondent, Peter Greste, and his colleagues.
Peter Greste has lived in Africa for 10 years. He started here in Mombasa for the BBC, and is now with Al Jazeera English and a member of the FCAEA. Peter and his two colleagues, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed have been in jail in Cairo for over a month without charge. On Wednesday Peter's appeal was denied, and local news agencies in Cairo state that the Al Jazeera journalists would be charged in a criminal court with aiding terrorist activities.
The FCAEA cherishes its members rights, and indeed freedom, to do their jobs. Greste is a firm believer of those freedoms and holds the profession in the highest esteem, telling some of East Africa's most important stories. We stand in solidarity with Peter and his colleagues, and call on the Egyptian government to release them immediately.
Being a journalist is not a crime. Telling the truth is not terrorism. Walk with us, and work with us on Tuesday, to bring Peter home to Nairobi so he can continue being a part of our important profession. The protest will start at 10, and we plan to sit in solidarity with Peter outside the embassy, as is allowed for in Kenya's constitution, until we are granted an audience with the Ambassador, or until the embassy closes. We will deliver an open letter addressed to Peter that condemns the actions of the Egyptian government for arresting him and include a selection of books for him to read, including Mandela: A Walk To Freedom. Journalist and civil rights activist Boniface Mwangi knows Peter and is helping us organise and mobilise.
Spread the word far and wide.
DETAILS:
WHERE?
Java Coffee Shop at Valley Arcade shopping centre, Nairobi.
We will leave our cars there, distribute t-shirts and banners and other props, then walk the not far distance to the embassy. We will sit outside until either we are invited inside or the embassy shuts at 1600. Expect live broadcasts, social media campaigns, and a ruddy good protest.
WHEN?
10am, Tuesday February 4th.
WHY?
“You can't pick and choose which types of freedom you want to defend. You must defend all of it or be against all of it.”
WHO TO TELL?
Everyone you know who cares about their civil liberties and about journalists working freely around the world. Journalists, please encourage coverage from your own medium as well as the Kenyan press.
CAN'T TAKE PART?
Join our social media campaign. Instructions will go out Monday on how you can "virtually" protest with us on twitter/ FB/ instagram and online petition platform.
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FB page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kenya-Journalists-Petition-for-Release-of-Peter-Greste/716527105037588
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