Calais war bulletin 10/01/2015
Chiara | 10.01.2015 15:45 | Anti-racism | Migration
As wars all over the world cause 51.2 million refugees, the war against migrants intensifies. When under attack, fight back! People unite!
CALAS WAR BULLETIN 10/01/2015
PROTEST AGAINST THE FENCE
The 18/ 12/ 2014, Migrants' Day, the association Emmaus held a successful demonstration against the new fence at the ferry port (the 'Wall of Shame').
61 associations from all over France came, local associations, No Borders and some migrants, but not very many… migrants were very busy in those days, with the Christmas traffic and traffic jams. More people than usual went to England, but crossing remains very difficult.
EVICTIONS : Two eviction orders appeared on the 30/12, one in front of the Sudanese jungle, one in front of the Afghan jungle. Both eviction orders are dated the 9/12/2014, but were attacked later, too late for an appeal. Which sounds quite illegal. Solicitors are on the case. The Tioxide jungle and the squat Galloo
can be evicted any time, but there are no eviction orders, yet. Tioxide never benefitted from the 'treve hivernal'. The owner of Galloo has won an appeal to have the 'treve hivernal' removed. The 'treve hivernal' means a rented or squatted property cannot be evicted during the cold months.
CHRISTMAS HORROR: The minister of Interior Bernard Cazeneuve came to Calais on Christmas Eve, met Natacha Bouchart and some shop owners, congratulated the police, visited the centre Jules-Ferry.
THE NEW DAY CENTRE JULES-FERRY
The new day centre in the middle of nowhere is going to open for 10 days for food distributions only, from next Thursday 15/ 01/ 2015. Open but not really: the meals will be distributed outside the centre. Don't panic: Salam and Auberge des Migrants will keep distributing food in the usual place during these 10 days. After, who knows what will happen?
The evictions will NOT be on the 15th. People can reach the centre by walking on the dangerous motorway for a few miles, and then on a small country road . The day centre is surrounded by acres of bushes, where they want to push all the people in new jungles. There will be no accommodation by night. All services (food, showers etc.) will be concentrated in the centre. There are no houses, no shops, not a sign of life except for a few birds and wild rabbits, and a few hunters who do not want the migrants there. The management of the centre has been given to an association from Arras, La vie active, who have never worked in Calais.
HUMAINTARIAN AID: Emmaus has called for all the Emmaus centres in France and Europe to send blankets, clothes, shoes, food etc. to Calais. It is very difficult to find everything, the French government does not help, in fact they are not giving a penny to the associations like Salam who help the migrants.
If you can, send materials or organize a collection.
BAD WEATHER: The new cold weather shelter opened, just for a short while. It is managed by Solid'R, the same association from the old cold weather shelter (BCMO) and the women's home. The prefect decides when to open. That is when temperatures drop to -5 by night, or -0 by day.
GOOD NEWS: a big section of the new fence collapsed and fell because of strong wind.
ARRESTS: The Sudanese community have been targeted with arrests and threats of deportations. The judges release the men arrested after a few days, because they cannot be deported to Sudan. It is very important that people arrested let their supporters know that they have been arrested. They can call the No Borders or
the Police Violence number: 0605862150 (Lyca).
There are associations who do legal support in the deportation centres. In November a Sudanese detained in Coquelles was deported to Sudan.
Some Syrians have also been arrested and threatened with deportation to Italy.
Afghans are deported to Italy all the time. Many Albanians are deported to Albania. Albania is considered a 'safe country' but it is very unstable, many disappearances and killings by police.
POLICE VIOLENCE have gone up to levels never seen. The police are gassing people who try to cross, beating people unconscious, breaking bones - broken fingers, dislocated shoulders, facial cuts requiring stitches, bruises also very extended, sprained ankles and wrists; an Eritrean woman had a leg broken, a Sudanese man an arm broken in three points. If you are a victim of police violence, or if you see the police being violent, call this number: 0605862150 (Lyca) it is an anti-racist network.
DEATHS AT THE BORDER : The year 2014 has beenthe deadliest, at least 15 migrant people died in Calais. No wonder: police chase people and spray them with gas, they run on the motorway without seeing where they are going. Some activists saw some policemen deliberatley scaring a group of Eritreans, with clear intention to send them running under cars.
RACIST ATTACKS have multiplied since the nazis of Sauvons Calais got stronger. Usually migrants who are alone or in small groups at night get targeted by these cowards. A Sudanese was beaten when coming back from the hospital, another was hit by a car when he was cycling; an Afghan who was sleeping alone was beaten up. The Egyptian squat was attacked with molotovs. Anti-racists and volunteers from associations who help the migrants get also attacked and threatened.
FASCIST DEMO: the 25th January the fascists are planning to have another demonstration , in Calais and in Dover. The anti-fascists will probably have a conter-demonstration, come and join! Be extra careful around that date.
NEWS FROM THE JUNGLES
There are probably 2000 people living in the jungles and squats in Calais ( were 2300 approx at the end of Summer). These camps are very good communites but life is very hard. Relations amongst different nationalities are good, except for fights over scarce resources that can involve lots of people. Calais people are afraid, and is very bad when fights extended to the places where migrant people are sleeping, there are many women and underage kids, some very young – 13 or less. Most little children aged less than 5 are now indoors. There have been beutiful parties over the holidays in Tioxide and squat Galloo.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67141891@N04/15825239708/in/photostream/
Links: https://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com/
https://passeursdhospitalites.wordpress.com/
PROTEST AGAINST THE FENCE
The 18/ 12/ 2014, Migrants' Day, the association Emmaus held a successful demonstration against the new fence at the ferry port (the 'Wall of Shame').
61 associations from all over France came, local associations, No Borders and some migrants, but not very many… migrants were very busy in those days, with the Christmas traffic and traffic jams. More people than usual went to England, but crossing remains very difficult.
EVICTIONS : Two eviction orders appeared on the 30/12, one in front of the Sudanese jungle, one in front of the Afghan jungle. Both eviction orders are dated the 9/12/2014, but were attacked later, too late for an appeal. Which sounds quite illegal. Solicitors are on the case. The Tioxide jungle and the squat Galloo
can be evicted any time, but there are no eviction orders, yet. Tioxide never benefitted from the 'treve hivernal'. The owner of Galloo has won an appeal to have the 'treve hivernal' removed. The 'treve hivernal' means a rented or squatted property cannot be evicted during the cold months.
CHRISTMAS HORROR: The minister of Interior Bernard Cazeneuve came to Calais on Christmas Eve, met Natacha Bouchart and some shop owners, congratulated the police, visited the centre Jules-Ferry.
THE NEW DAY CENTRE JULES-FERRY
The new day centre in the middle of nowhere is going to open for 10 days for food distributions only, from next Thursday 15/ 01/ 2015. Open but not really: the meals will be distributed outside the centre. Don't panic: Salam and Auberge des Migrants will keep distributing food in the usual place during these 10 days. After, who knows what will happen?
The evictions will NOT be on the 15th. People can reach the centre by walking on the dangerous motorway for a few miles, and then on a small country road . The day centre is surrounded by acres of bushes, where they want to push all the people in new jungles. There will be no accommodation by night. All services (food, showers etc.) will be concentrated in the centre. There are no houses, no shops, not a sign of life except for a few birds and wild rabbits, and a few hunters who do not want the migrants there. The management of the centre has been given to an association from Arras, La vie active, who have never worked in Calais.
HUMAINTARIAN AID: Emmaus has called for all the Emmaus centres in France and Europe to send blankets, clothes, shoes, food etc. to Calais. It is very difficult to find everything, the French government does not help, in fact they are not giving a penny to the associations like Salam who help the migrants.
If you can, send materials or organize a collection.
BAD WEATHER: The new cold weather shelter opened, just for a short while. It is managed by Solid'R, the same association from the old cold weather shelter (BCMO) and the women's home. The prefect decides when to open. That is when temperatures drop to -5 by night, or -0 by day.
GOOD NEWS: a big section of the new fence collapsed and fell because of strong wind.
ARRESTS: The Sudanese community have been targeted with arrests and threats of deportations. The judges release the men arrested after a few days, because they cannot be deported to Sudan. It is very important that people arrested let their supporters know that they have been arrested. They can call the No Borders or
the Police Violence number: 0605862150 (Lyca).
There are associations who do legal support in the deportation centres. In November a Sudanese detained in Coquelles was deported to Sudan.
Some Syrians have also been arrested and threatened with deportation to Italy.
Afghans are deported to Italy all the time. Many Albanians are deported to Albania. Albania is considered a 'safe country' but it is very unstable, many disappearances and killings by police.
POLICE VIOLENCE have gone up to levels never seen. The police are gassing people who try to cross, beating people unconscious, breaking bones - broken fingers, dislocated shoulders, facial cuts requiring stitches, bruises also very extended, sprained ankles and wrists; an Eritrean woman had a leg broken, a Sudanese man an arm broken in three points. If you are a victim of police violence, or if you see the police being violent, call this number: 0605862150 (Lyca) it is an anti-racist network.
DEATHS AT THE BORDER : The year 2014 has beenthe deadliest, at least 15 migrant people died in Calais. No wonder: police chase people and spray them with gas, they run on the motorway without seeing where they are going. Some activists saw some policemen deliberatley scaring a group of Eritreans, with clear intention to send them running under cars.
RACIST ATTACKS have multiplied since the nazis of Sauvons Calais got stronger. Usually migrants who are alone or in small groups at night get targeted by these cowards. A Sudanese was beaten when coming back from the hospital, another was hit by a car when he was cycling; an Afghan who was sleeping alone was beaten up. The Egyptian squat was attacked with molotovs. Anti-racists and volunteers from associations who help the migrants get also attacked and threatened.
FASCIST DEMO: the 25th January the fascists are planning to have another demonstration , in Calais and in Dover. The anti-fascists will probably have a conter-demonstration, come and join! Be extra careful around that date.
NEWS FROM THE JUNGLES
There are probably 2000 people living in the jungles and squats in Calais ( were 2300 approx at the end of Summer). These camps are very good communites but life is very hard. Relations amongst different nationalities are good, except for fights over scarce resources that can involve lots of people. Calais people are afraid, and is very bad when fights extended to the places where migrant people are sleeping, there are many women and underage kids, some very young – 13 or less. Most little children aged less than 5 are now indoors. There have been beutiful parties over the holidays in Tioxide and squat Galloo.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67141891@N04/15825239708/in/photostream/ Links:
https://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com/ https://passeursdhospitalites.wordpress.com/
Chiara
Homepage:
http://watchtheborders.wordpress.com/
