Call to electoral action from the ACLU

Hi I can't say it enough: Elections matter. The 2016 elections brought us the Muslim Ban, transgender military ban, family separations, and the further undermining of women's reproductive freedom. Exactly 100 days from now, many of our civil rights and civil liberties will be on the ballot in the 2018 midterm elections. Our vote is one of the most powerful tools we have to defend our democracy and expand rights for all. That's why we launched ACLU Voter, a program to mobilize voters nationwide to engage in the upcoming midterm elections – up and down the ticket – and vote like our rights depend on it. JOIN THE CALL We're holding an important call this Wednesday at 8pm ET / 5pm PT to discuss our strategy for galvanizing voters in 2018. Activists across the country will be calling in – can you join too? You'll hear from my colleagues who are in the heart of the fight. We'll talk in detail about what's at stake with the upcoming elections, and what actions you can take right now to make sure everyone is voting like our rights depend on it. This election season, we envision empowered voters heading to the polls to choose candidates who will uphold our rights and liberties across the country, in every town and city. If every ACLU supporter votes like our rights depend on it this November, we will make a huge impact. All of us have a role to play if we're going to make this vision a reality. That's why I hope you can join this nationwide mass call for a rundown of our next steps to mobilize voters everywhere. Sign up here to join us this Wednesday at 8pm ET / 5pm PT. I hope you can join, Faiz Shakir ACLU National Political Director

Action Days countering Antisemitic Hate Speech

On the occasion of the Action Days countering Antisemitic Hate Speech, the No Hate Speech Movement is calling for civil society organisations, youth organisations and governmental institutions to join our efforts to counter the increasing antisemitic hate speech and to speak up for diversity and Human Rights as basic values of peaceful democratic culture.

Please join the Action Day by sharing this image on your social media channels and website.

Nick Clegg on Theresa May and Human Rights

Following on Theresa May repeated threat to repeal human rights legislation using the pretext of fighting terrorism, an email signed Nick Clegg (former LibDem leader) just arrived.

Theresa May has vowed to tear up the Human Rights Laws. That's scrapping your rights, my rights, our rights.

That's what this divisive Tory Party would do if they win another five years of power with no proper opposition.

I have sat around the cabinet table with Theresa May and other Tories and I can tell you from personal experience that they are capable of doing it without blinking^[1].

We must stop them. Not only for our sake, but for the sake of future generations. Currently, too many of our marginal Tory-facing seats are on a knife-edge, and we can only win with your help. Will you help me win?

We are the only ones who can take seats off Tories and stop this group of internet-banning, Human Rights-bashing, Brexit headbangers from vandalising our communities across our beloved country.

To stop them, we need to win seats and to do that, we need more money to target swing voters in our marginal Tory-facing seats.

Of course, it's not always the LibDems who are best-placed to oust a Tory throughout the country, so consult the Tactical voting guide to see how best to vote out the Conservative in your constituency.

Support your favourite party, even if it's not the one you're voting for, with a small donation. Party funding is skewed in favour of the Conservatives at the best of times, but this difference is exacerbated during a General election. Get an eyeful of this:

That's for the 3rd week of the campaign. If you think that's a little one-sided, then you can chip in (even a small amount helps) to one of the other parties' fighting fund:

• Donate to Labour
• Donate to Liberal Democrats
• Donate to the Greens

I haven't included any Scottish, Irish or Welsh parties, because they seem to be doing fine and it's the English constituencies that vote overwhelmingly for the Right.

If anyone starts scaremongering with cries of "coalition of chaos", laugh at them. If they claim we need a "strong and stable" government, remind them that's what dictatorships paint themselves as.

And if they try to sow doubt with words like "hung Parliament" then tell them that yes, we do need a Parliament with the balls to stand up to stupidity and bluster, with MPs who'll vote for what they believe to be right for their constituents and the country, not what some offshored business magnate wants.

Vote for your NHS, for your pension (it takes a lifetime to earn one), for your future.

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[1] They blink?

National Secular Society - What do the main parties have to say on secular issues?

The Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat¹ parties have all released their manifestos for the General Election. Read our analysis of what they say on issues from equality to human rights, Islamist extremism and education.

We'll continue to update this article as the other parties publish their manifestos.

Read full post: National Secular Society - What do the main parties have to say on secular issues?

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1. Now includes Green manifesto