Climate change denial has featured in almost every single issue of The Light. Other than the pandemic, it is probably the most common theme. The Light does not discuss the existing harms of extreme temperatures, droughts, floods, or sea-level rise. Instead, it repeatedly asserts that climate change is a “hoax”, a “con”, a “scam”. We think this is important. Action is urgently needed – causing delay by spreading misinformation or undermining interest in developing solutions is harmful, indeed – arguably – complicity in genocide. This is an issue of justice as well as an environmental issue. The communities on the frontline of fighting climate change are often the same who have resisted centuries of colonialism, chattel enslavement and white supremacy, and who continue to fight against the ecocide of fossil fuel companies.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Remember the Beacon? Still a Gateway to extreme right wing ideas
Remember The Beacon – the shop that once served as HQ for the anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists in Stroud? You might remember the window displays minimising and trivialising the coronavirus, described as ‘dangerous and completely wrong on all levels‘ by a local GP. Or the poster introducing the people of Stroud to the writings ofContinue reading “Remember the Beacon? Still a Gateway to extreme right wing ideas”
Using our freedom of speech to criticise ‘The Light’ – CSSD statement
Community Solidarity Stroud District has been leafletting about the distribution of the horrible “newspaper” The Light in the High Street of Stroud and published the following statement on 4th March 2022 (also sending it to the Stroud News and Journal paper in response to a letter from someone who hands out ‘The Light’): We wantContinue reading “Using our freedom of speech to criticise ‘The Light’ – CSSD statement”
How ‘The Light’ promotes transphobia and homophobia
By Hannah Boss, member of Community Solidarity Stroud District. The Light has published articles by many homophobic and transphobic people. It also gives credence, through praise and through web links, to groups and people that promote hate and mistrust of anyone that falls outside of their blinkered ideology. The origins of some of the mythsContinue reading “How ‘The Light’ promotes transphobia and homophobia”
How have local people responded since we started to raise our concerns about distribution of The Light ‘newspaper’ in Stroud district?
On 29th January, a group now known as Community Solidarity Stroud District started leafleting about a publication regularly distributed on Stroud High St, in Dursley, and occasionally in other parts of the district – including through door to door posting through people’s letterboxes. Our leaflets pointed to a lengthy article “Why are people in StroudContinue reading “How have local people responded since we started to raise our concerns about distribution of The Light ‘newspaper’ in Stroud district?”
Why are people in Stroud handing out a paper that defends Holocaust denial and antisemitism?
This article is about a piece in The Light’s November 2021 issue regarding an online radio host, Graham Hart (69), who has been jailed for 32 months after pleading guilty to eight counts of making a “programme in service with intent or likely to stir up racial hatred”. We explain why we feel that to defend someone like Hart and minimise the harm their words and actions cause – as the article in The Light does – is to promote hatred. To invite people to empathise with an antisemite and to downplay the harm their words and calls to action can cause is to promote antisemitism.
Community Solidarity Stroud District 