LGBT Labour to Protest at the Dorchester Hotel
LGBT Labour to Protest at the Dorchester Hotel
GMB London Region is supporting the call by LGBT Labour for people to join a protest outside the Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London W1K 1QA on Saturday 6th April at 2.00pm. The Dorchester is one of a group of nine luxury hotels around the world owned by the Brunei Investment Agency which is headed by the Sultan of Brunei.. On Wednesday this week Brunei enacted strict Sharia Law that makes homosexuality punishable by stoning to death.
Many well known personalities including George Clooney, Elton John and Ellen DeGeneres along with the LGBT+ community across the world and the UN have condemned these draconian measures and many are calling for a boycott of the hotel group.
The law mostly applies to Muslims, including children who have reached puberty, though some aspects will also apply to non-Muslims.
Under the new laws, individuals accused of certain acts will be convicted if they confess or if there were witnesses present. Offences such as rape, adultery, sodomy, robbery and insult or defamation of the Prophet Muhammad will carry the maximum penalty of death. Lesbian sex carries a different penalty of 40 strokes of the cane and/or a maximum of 10 years in jail. The punishment for theft is amputation.
Those who "persuade, tell or encourage" Muslim children under the age of 18 "to accept the teachings of religions other than Islam" are liable to a fine or jail, individuals who have not reached puberty but are convicted of certain offences may be instead subjected to whipping.
Vaughan West, GMB London Region Political Officer said:
"Such laws have no place in the modern and civilised world and the GMB would encourage anybody who is free and in London on Saturday afternoon to join the protest"
ENDS
