Global Courant
British big-hitters Russell T. Davies, Jack Thorne and Dennis Kelly are preparing to stand with writers around the world today in support of striking scribes on a global day of solidarity and action.
Badged ‘Screenwriters Everywhere,’ writers and protesters from almost two-dozen countries will march later to show support for their American counterparts, who put their pens down on May 2.
Actions are taking place throughout the globe including at Netflix’s office in Seoul, South Korea, Apple and Amazon in Canada and the European Parliament in Brussels.
The Writers Guild of Great Britain (WGGB)-organized protest in the UK will be attended by the likes of Doctor Who Showrunner Davies, Help’s Thorne, The Full Monty writers Alice Nutter and Simon Beaufoy, and The Third Day’s Kelly. WGGB President Sandi Toksvig and Chair Lisa Holdsworth will make speeches around 1 pm GMT (5 am PT).
Toksvig said: “Everything starts with the writer, and we need to make sure that those who profit from the creative brilliance of writers, share those profits with writers, so they can be paid properly, enjoy fair working conditions and are treated with dignity and respect. These are the principles on which the trade union movement was founded, and they are more important today than they have ever been.”
“It’s a hard thing, navigating it all is tough,” Thorne told Deadline last week. “I’m trying to work out what I’m putting on my placard. I’m going to be spending most of the rest of the week working out what clever thing I can write.”
The WGGB has urged all of its members to refuse work on WGA projects since the dispute – which shows no sign of ending soon – started six weeks ago. Other unions from around the world have made similar demands. The WGGB’s protest is being supported by Equity, Bectu, the Musicians’ Union and the National Union of Journalists, alongside WGA members in the UK.
You can see the full list of actions below:
Netflix, Buenos Aires, Argentina
European Parliament, Brussels
Apple and Amazon, Canada
National Assembly, Bulgaria
FoxTelecolombia, Colombia
Eiffel Tower, France
Cologne Cathedral, Germany
Tel Aviv Central Library, Israel
Estudios Churubusco, Mexico
EYE Film Museum, Netherlands
Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Poland
Netflix, Seoul, South Korea
Filmoteca de Catalunya and Valenciana, Spain
The Riksdag, Sweden
Leicester Square, London, United Kingdom
