The Palace of Westminster will be lit up with red lighting on Wednesday evening (November 23) as part of the Red Wednesday events in honour of those persecuted or killed in acts of religious hatred.
Aid to the Church in Need have organised the event in which participants will wear red to remember those persecuted because of their faith.
A number of other religious and academic buildings will also light up their facades in red as part of the event.
Westminster Abbey and Cathedral, Brentwood Cathedral, St George Coptic Cathedral, St John’s Wood Synagogue are among religious participants.
Stonyhurst College and University of Birmingham will also light up parts of their institutes in red.
A red Routemaster London bus bearing the slogan ‘Stand up for Faith and Freedom #RedWednesday’ will make its way through London stopping at the Imam Khoei Islamic Centre, St Paul’s Cathedral, and St John’s Wood Synagogue and Westminster Abbey.
Speaking about the importance of the campaign, Lord David Alton said: “Red Wednesday is a chance to show solidarity with victims of genocide, persecution and discrimination. Far too many people live their faith at the cost of their lives.”
A Holy Mass will be celebrated at Westminster Cathedral from 5.30pm.
The service will be followed by music, films and talks from speakers including His Holiness Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, based in Damascus, Syria.
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