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.”

DATE: 10 December 2021

PLACE: Opposite of Number 10, Downing Street

COMMITTEE: Executive Committee

We celebrate our rights on the 10th of December every year on the occasion of the UN Human Rights Day. We demand justice for those who cannot speak up for themselves and whose voices are not heard. To make sure our voices are heard, we showed up opposite Downing Street with an 8m long banner wall and asked people to write their views on justice and current human rights violations around the world. We’ve seen people demanding justice for Uyghurs, Latin Americans, Palestine, Kurds, Turks, Libyans, Afghanis, Belarusian, women and transgenders. This project showed us the importance of true solidarity for human rights. We supported our Justice Wall with Instagram broadcasts at different times throughout the day.

Here are a volunteer’s words on their experience at the Justice Wall:

“ It was phenomenal, and one of my first interactive events (other than protests). I feel like us being in the frontier and socially interacting people in public and getting to see their reactions live was energetic and hyping!! It let us remember what we are doing, and what we can do. I truly believe it was a huge motivator as well as an amazing and inclusive project.”

And here is the speech HRS volunteer Asiye Betul made during the protest:

Dear friends,

Before we get started, I would like to celebrate our rights. Mine, yours and all of ours! Happy day human rights day to us!

We have united here today to observe and  celebrate the day of our rights, the day of  the rights that make us who we are and the rights that should be available for all of us. While doing so, we demand justice for those whose rights are being violated, those whose voices are being silenced. We remind you that we will not forget the rights that some have forgotten.

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, and has been celebrated every year since then.

But Dear friends,

How much have these rights been applied since then? Why can’t all humans reach those rights?

Isn’t it strange that some rights are still being violated while we’re sat here celebrating them? Isn’t it strange that there’s a genocide happening in front of our eyes in China? Isn’t it strange that we’re building walls, putting out immigration bills? That there are journalists arrested in Brazil and Turkey? Isn’t it so strange that our rights are still being violated, in this very day?!

As we stand here with our wall of Justice, we will ask for the long awaited justice! We will not only ask for ours, but everyone’s rights! And we will let this wall be proof, of all those whose rights are denied and forgotten.

Because rights are only human, when they apply to all of us.

Because we are only human, when we fight for rights.

Dear Friends!

Happy Human rights day!

Let us celebrate our rights! Let us fight for our rights!