STOP THE ARRESTS.

Letter Template

Dear [ADD THE PERSON YOU ARE SENDING THE LETTER TO]

Stop the Arrests campaign is calling for a moratorium on arrests, detention and deportation of sex workers during the Olympic games. I have signed the petition and am hoping that you will too.

This call is being made to pre-empt crackdowns on sex workers in the lead up to the Olympics – practices that are likely to undermine the safety and autonomy of sex workers and lead to arrests, detention and deportations.

A letter outlining the need for a moratorium and list of signatories will be presented to the Mayor, Boris Johnson. It is hoped that he will support the campaign in co-operation with the police and UK Border Agency.

Please get in touch if you would like to be added to the list of organizations and individuals that support the campaign. Send an email to moratorium2012@gmail.com, or sign up via the website http://www.moratorium2012.org/open-letter/

The case for the moratorium:
http://www.moratorium2012.org/the-case-for-a-moratorium/

You can read the letter to the Mayor of London here:
http://www.moratorium2012.org/open-letter/

In solidarity,

[YOUR NAME]

Comments are closed.

Complete the boxes to sign the open letter to the Mayor of London

Boris Johnson
Mayor of London
Greater London Authority
City Hall, The Queen’s Walk
London SE1 2AA

Dear Mr Johnson,

Stop the Arrests Campaign is concerned that the policing of sex workers and sex establishments in the lead-up to the Olympics threatens to compromise the safety and autonomy of sex workers. In light of this, we are calling for a moratorium on arrests, detention and deportation of sex workers with immediate effect until the end of the Olympic
Games in London.

We are aware of “clean-up efforts” targeting sex workers and sex establishments that are underway in London, particularly east London, in the run up to the Olympics. These efforts are partly a response to the claim – made by governments, charity organisations and campaign groups – that the Olympics will lead to an increase in trafficking for prostitution. This is despite the fact that there is no evidence that large sporting events cause an
increase in trafficking.

These include multiple raids and closure of premises, which have resulted in arbitrary arrests, detention and deportation of people working in the sex industry. This creates a climate of fear among workers, leaving them less likely to report crimes against them and more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. It is an inadequate response to sex work and to
trafficking.

Last December in Barking & Dagenham a violent gang carried out a series of robberies on brothels at knife point. Sex workers were deterred from pursuing the attacks after police threatened them with prosecution. Thus many more were attacked and one woman was raped. Once the police agreed to an amnesty from arrest sex workers were able to come
forward.

In light of this, we are calling on yourself, in cooperation with the London Metropolitan Police and UK Border Agency, to suspend arrests, detention and deportation of sex workers using, or during enforcement of, the criminal laws laid out in Appendix 1.

We await your positive response.

Stop the Arrests.

[signature]

Twitter

Letter Template

Sign the Open Letter

Complete the boxes to sign the open letter to the Mayor of London

Twitter