We had a very warm and productive meeting with Mary Robinson MP on 3 June in her office in Cheadle. We discussed various issues pertaining to Syria, including humanitarian aid drops on besieged areas, protection of civilians (and highlighting that Assad is the root cause of the problem), as well as bank account issues for Syrian residents and charities in the UK.
We were in Manchester University on 1 June along with a team of volunteers to encourage students to sign a petition and write to their MPs to conduct aid drops on besieged areas in Syria. This initiative was done to mark the deadline that the ISSG gave to the Assad regime to let in aid to besieged areas. We managed to gather over 100 signatures!
The International Syria Support Group has released a statement which 'calls on the World Food Program to immediately carry out a program for air bridges and air drops for all areas in need' if aid is not let into Syria's besieged communities by 1 June. Member states also pledged 'to support such a program'.
In response to the seven bombings that occurred in the Syrian coastal cities of Jableh and Tartous on 23 May, we released a statement on 24 to condemn these attacks by Daesh and to stress that we value civilian life 'whether in rebel or government-held territory, and regardless of the religious or ethnic identities or the political affiliations of those killed'.
Rethink Rebuild Society signed on to a letter sponsored by Syria Solidarity UK calling upon the organisers of a prominent Crossing Borders conference in Greece (on the issue of refugees) to disinvite one of its speakers, Tim Anderson, given his support of the Assad regime. Importantly, the letter stated that 'Academics who provide political cover
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