Urgent: London Citizens Prayer Vigil for Syrian refugees

After a packed crisis meeting on Sunday afternoon, Citizens UK announced plans for a series of Citizens Vigils for refugees to take place this week. On Tuesday, 8th September there will be vigils in London, Cardiff and Birmingham from 7 to 8.30pm. Nottingham Citizens will be holding a Vigil on Monday, 7th September at 7pm.

The London Citizens Prayer Vigil will be held on the Piazza outside Westminster Cathedral.

The Vigil is open to all. Senior representatives of the major faiths and civic leaders have been invited to lead the prayers and reflections. The aim of the event is to remember the thousands who have died escaping war and its consequences; to recognise the plight of those who have fled and now languish in refugee camps and marking and (where appropriate) celebrating the various practical and political actions being taken by governments and civil society to tackle the present crisis.

CUK members are asked to bring banners and use whatever digital media that is open to them to promote Vigil using the #refugees welcome hash tag and add either the name of your group and/or Citizens UK if possible. There will be music and testimony from Syrian and other refugees and asylum seekers - and pledges from political leaders; private landlords; individual families; health and education leaders.

Channel Four News has been filming Citizens UK and will be presenting a feature about the action at 7pm on Monday night.

A downloadable '#refugees welcome' A4 size banner should be on the CUK website on Monday morning.

The CUK web site also has a form for anyone to fill in with offers of housing; hospitality; mentoring; English lessons; bursaries to Colleges or Universities etc.

Send any queries, offers of assistance, music, press contacts, pledges of practical assistance for the refugees to: james.asfa@citizensuk.org; peter.brierley@citizensuk.org; or george.gabriel@citizensuk.org

We will be publishing more details as we receive them.

For more information see: www.citizensuk.org/

and www.facebook.com/CitizensUK?fref=ts

See also: ICN 2 September 2015 Petition: Let's welcome refugees into our homes www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=28207