G4S targeted by national campaign

Initial impetus for the campaign comes from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) because of the firm's involvement in Israel - but it has widespread backing from other groups.

The Stop G4S launch takes place in Sheffield on October 6. John Snowdon of the Boycott Israel Network and Newcastle PSC said the campaign's aim is to build a wide-ranging coalition of groups and activists across Britain against G4S.

Mr Snowdon said the campaign's backers include "unions, community, public housing, refugee and asylum support, anti-deportation and anti-workfare" campaigners.

Palestine campaigners, anti-privatisation and human rights activists, community legal advice services and students are also supporting the push.

Organisers pointed to a string of G4S debacles, the most recent being its dismal security failings during the Olympics.

G4S was paid millions in taxpayers' cash even though the army was called in to make up for shortfalls in the number of security guards the company provided.

The firm has faced serious criticism over Angolan asylum-seeker Jimmy Mubenga, who died in 2010 while being restrained by G4S staff as he was forcibly deported.

Its involvement with Israel includes working in illegal settlements and on the apartheid wall, and providing equipment and services to jails where Palestinian prisoners including children are held and tortured.

It has been awarded £210 million of public money to house asylum-seekers in the Midlands and north of England and is involved in privatisation of police, courts and prisons and in forcing jobless people into unpaid work.

Campaign organisers said: "Despite its track record of complicity in human rights abuses in the UK and abroad, G4S is being handed control of public services - everything from policing to 'asylum markets' to the welfare system.

"Even after the Olympics debacle, G4S looks set to take over even more control of our communities.

"Campaigns have begun to highlight the appalling record of G4S and to work to prevent it from putting profit before human rights and dignity." organisers said.

"From local campaigns to pressure G4S as it cuts corners, to demonstrations targeting the company's AGM and headquarters, we're beginning to damage the G4S brand."

The conference is endorsed by the Boycott Israel Network, Corporate Watch, No Borders UK, Newcastle PSC, Sheffield PSC, Stop Deportations and South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group.

The launch conference takes place at the Workstation, Paternoster Row, Sheffield S1 from 10am-4pm on October 6.

Contact stop-g4s@riseup.net for more information.

peterlazenby@peoples-press.com