12,000 speak out for trade justice

More than 12,000 campaigners put trade justice high on the political agenda when they converged on Westminster for the biggest ever mass lobby of Parliament on 19 June, 2002.

More than half the MPs in Parliament - 346 in total - were lobbied by constituents who travelled from all parts of the British Isles to speak out for trade justice. The lobby prompted the Government into talks with representatives of TJM organisations, with briefings to the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Secretary of State for International Development.

Two debates on trade were held in Parliament on 19 June and some 288 MPs have signed an Early Day Motion supporting the trade justice campaign, which aims to put trade on the agenda of three important international summits this summer.

» Survey of MPs confirms TJM success
» Read TJM's press release on the day
» Politicians stunned by biggest ever lobby
» The day's events, hour by hour
» Supporter soundbites and speaker quotes
» Photo gallery
» Winner of text poem competition
» Radiohead kick off Trade Justice lobby

Video clips from Christian Aid
» Sights and sounds of the Lobby
» Interviews with Radiohead and Dennis Skinner MP
» Martin Khor: the Director of the Third World Network and others stress the importance of the lobby and the campaign for trade justice.
 

Mexican partner compares World Cup defeat with unfair trading relationships
Sergio Cobo, a speaker at today's event compared Monday's defeat by USA with Mexico's experience of NAFTA: "Football is just game, but trade is a matter of life and death." He thanked the thousands expected to arrive in London : "People in Mexico are given strength and hope and courage by your solidarity."
» 17 year old Laura Brown meets her MP Tony Blair: "I used to campaign on debt in the past... not only does debt need to be cancelled, but you've also got to do something about making trade work for poor people. Otherwise, you're just going to keep running into the same problems."
» Christian Aid: Trade for Life event kicks off mass lobby
» From Fair Isle to fair trade: campaigner arrives from Shetland