We have been informed that a prominent member of the “Stroud Freedom Group” and “Info Hub” has received personal threats. We have not seen these threats so we can’t comment on the content. We are aware that The Light “newspaper” contains a great deal of material that many people find offensive, including a defence ofContinue reading “Our approach”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Open Letter – please withdraw the invitation to James Delingpole to speak in Stroud
The “Stroud Freedom Group” have organised a public meeting in Stroud to be addressed by James Delingpole. In this letter we provide details of Delingpole’s background which explain why we oppose this invitation and encourage people to boycott this event. Delingpole has a long history not only of denying the science around climate change, butContinue reading “Open Letter – please withdraw the invitation to James Delingpole to speak in Stroud”
Letters to the Stroud News and Journal, 12/10/22
The Stroud News and Journal has published two letters regarding The Light this week. Sadly, they haven’t published the reply our member Jeremy Green wrote in response to Richard House’s letter the previous week, but we have included it first on this page. Richard House’s letter to the SNJ says “If Mr Green would likeContinue reading “Letters to the Stroud News and Journal, 12/10/22”
Protest against ‘The Light’ paper as its editor speaks in Stroud
On Thursday 29th September, we hung a banner from the Merrywalks bridge , reading “No to “The Light” paper – lies, hatred and climate change denial”. We have previously protested against vile antisemitism and Holocaust denial being defended by the paper, as well as highlighting the “promotion of homophobia and transphobia”, and consistent climate denialContinue reading “Protest against ‘The Light’ paper as its editor speaks in Stroud”
Our offer of a facilitated discussion
Community Solidarity Stroud District have offered to have a facilitated discussion with local distributors of ‘The Light’ in response to requests from some of our friends and neighbours. We are awaiting dates.
Consistent denial of climate change in The Light
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.
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
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 myths that The Light supports are based in the rhetoric of the Religious Right from the USA about Black people, later extended to gay men, then further to other non-heterosexual and trans people.
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?”
Community Solidarity Stroud District 