Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire
Promoting human rights from Salisbury UK
December 2025
We are pleased to attach our minutes and newsletter for the December group meeting thanks to group member Lesley for compiling them. They include several reports some of which appear elsewhere on this site with links to other sites of interest.
Item 12 refers to upcoming events which if you are interested in joining us are a good opportunity to make contact.
Previous posts:
November 2025
We are pleased to attach the minutes and newsletter for November thanks to group member Lesley for compiling them. They contain reports from other group members and are of general interest to followers of human rights issues. There is a report on immigration for example a topic which continues to make political waves in the UK. It makes the point that whereas the main focus of political ire and furious editorials and commentary is the number of arrivals on boats, the actual number is relatively tiny in proportion to the total number of immigrants.
There is also a report on human rights issues in the UK a matter of increasing concern. Both the Conservative and Labour governments do not like protests and have – or are planning to – introduce more and more legislation to hamper, ban or severely restrict protests and demonstrations.
There is a list of forthcoming activities which would provide an opportunity for anyone interested in joining to make themselves known.
Recent posts:
Other Amnesty groups are free to use content.
October 2025
We were sad to note the death this summer of Brian Oosthuysen who was 87. Brian was an active member of the Stroud Amnesty group and, with other members of that group, took part in the campaign we ran on North Korea. Brian was born in South Africa during the Apartheid era. The picture below shows him holding the banner on one of his trips to Salisbury. There is an obituary in the Guardian which describes his many activities including being a County Councillor, helping at a food bank as well as his Amnesty work. We sent Our condolences go to Carole and family.
Members of Salisbury and Stroud Amnesty groups (Brian is 6th from right) in Queen Elizabeth Gardens.
October 2025
We are pleased to attach our latest October group minutes and news thanks to group member Lesley for preparing them and to other group members for their contributions. The summary from our monthly death penalty report is included and the effects of the more aggressive approach to the use of the penalty in the US can be seen all too clearly.
We have become more concerned at the increasing threats to our membership of the ECHR and to the Human Rights Act. Both Reform and the Conservatives are talking in these terms and the Labour party is less than full-throated in its support.
The weekly vigils are continuing and we hope the ceasefire holds and negotiations can lead to a lasting settlement for both the Israelis and Palestinians.
Immigration and boat crossings continue to make considerable political waves with all parties trying to outdo each other. There is a report in the minutes which can be read separately here.
We are also trying to interest local schools in human rights issues which we hope to be able to report on at the next meeting.
The next meeting is on 13 November.
September 2025
This is a short list of things we have planned for the coming months. If you were thinking of joining us, one of these would be a good opportunity to come and make yourself known. Joining the group is free.
Keep an eye out here or on Facebook or Bluesky for updates @salisburyai.
August 2025
We do not have a meeting in August so instead, we meet to have a ‘social’ in the village of Great Durnford near Salisbury. We were blessed by the weather which has been abnormally warm this year, it was just a pity some were away or ill.
Our next meeting is on Thursday 11 September at 2pm in Victoria Road.
July 2025
We are pleased to attach our July minutes and newsletter thanks to group member Lesley for producing them. We no longer publish a newsletter due to a lack now of outlets but there is a lot of content in these minutes which would be the basis of such a newsletter. We must also thank group members Andrew and Fiona for their contributions and reports and also Lesley for her work on the death penalty report.
There will not be a meeting in August and the next meeting is on 11 September at 2pm.
June 2025
PAST EVENT
We held our coffee morning in St Thomas’s Church in Salisbury this Saturday 5th July
This is a fund raising do but it is an opportunity to meet the group if you are thinking of joining us. The issue of human rights is ever present with mass violations around the world some of which we have featured in previous posts. But it is also a rising issue in the UK with the legislation passed by the previous Conservative government curtailing various freedoms and increasing police powers to limit demonstrations, which are still on the statute book. The Labour government shows not sign of repealing them. The threat by the Home Secretary to prohibit Palestine Action is also of concern.
We look forward to seeing you.
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Coffee morning
June 2025
We have pleasure in enclosing the minutes of our last meeting held on 12th June with thanks to group member Fiona for preparing them.
May 2025
Members of the Salisbury group will be at the People in the Park event this Saturday 17th from around 10:00 and we would be delighted to see you. It would be a good opportunity to say hello if you are interested in joining us. To get an idea of what we are doing, have a glance at our last set of minutes and news. Look forward to seeing you there.
The following handout will be available.
Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire 