HRS’s Justice Wall was opposite Number 10 on Human Rights Day
On Human Rights Day, HRS built a Justice Wall opposite Downing Street where supporters wrote their messages about rights abuses. Human Rights Solidarity (HRS) organised an important action on 10 December Human Rights Day. HRS activists built a 3 metre high and 15 metre long Justice Wall (made of canvas) opposite the Prime Minister’s Residence (10 Downing Street).
The top half of the wall had previously been painted by an artist depicting the persecution and rights violations of different groups in Turkey. On the lower half of the wall, which was left empty, hundreds of people who supported the protest wrote messages of justice and peace.
The Justice Wall was also unveiled during the 3rd March for Justice in front of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on 2 October 2024 and attracted great interest from the participants. The march called on Turkey to implement the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights.
The Justice Wall on Whitehall Street, where the Prime Minister’s residence and some ministerial buildings are located, remained open from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm. During this time, hundreds of passers-by supported the action and wrote their demands and complaints about human rights on the Justice Wall.
Some of them reflected their thoughts on justice and equality on the wall by drawing striking pictures. While there were people of all ages from 7 to 70 among those who wrote messages, it was noteworthy that the expressions were written in languages other than English and Turkish, such as French, German and Arabic.
HRS also issued a statement on the occasion of Human Rights Day on 10 December. In the statement read by Ceyda Kemanci, leader of HRS Women’s Rights Committee, the 76th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was commemorated and it was emphasised that the continuation of wars, torture and rights violations around the world caused deep disappointment.
Stating that the Declaration proclaimed in 1948 was a great step towards securing human dignity and equality, the statement said: “However, we see that wars have not ended, torture still continues, the rights of women, children, minorities, refugees and people who think or believe differently are usurped every day. The principle of ‘everyone has equal rights from birth’ promised by the Declaration remains like a cry that does not find an echo in many corners of the world.”
The statement reminded that more than 2 million people in Turkey have been subjected to terrorism investigations on trumped-up grounds and nearly 200 thousand people have been arrested in the last 8 years, and it was stated that the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights have not been implemented. In addition, the ongoing persecution and violations in many countries such as Palestine/Gaza, China, Afghanistan, India, Iran and Yemen were explained.
The statement ended with the following statements: “Today, humanity is facing one of the most critical tests in the struggle for rights. The fundamental rights of millions of people are at stake and we should not wait for a global catastrophe to rediscover human values. We must fight together for a world where human rights are truly realised for every individual in every geography.”
