UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA STUDENTS HAND DELIVERED PETITION TO UK GOVERNMENT IN WESTMINSTER

21 Mar UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA STUDENTS HAND DELIVERED PETITION TO UK GOVERNMENT IN WESTMINSTER

Students from the University of East Anglia gathered in Victoria Tower Gardens in Westminster today to hand in their peace petition of more than 55,000 signatures to the Foreign Office. The activists want the UK government to enforce the importance of a ceasefire at the UN Security Council. Recent reports of increased fighting in Yemen – already the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world – have cast doubt on the future of the peace process.

The group of students wanted politicians to hear them standing up for the children of Yemen and used pens to spell out ‘words not war’ on a board outside parliament. They were joined by activists from across the country to form a group of 60 to build an installation including a giant pen using some of the 55,000 regular-sized pens, to illustrate the petition signatures.

Following the creation of the installation the students walked to the Foreign Office in Westminster with the giant pen to present the printed names of the 55,000 signatories.

The slim window of opportunity to secure peace in Yemen is now. Students from East Anglia University want to show their solidarity with the children of Yemen and hope that Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will look at the petition and use his influence to promote peace for Yemeni children.