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Protesters against dawn raids give Tony McNulty the send-off he deserves

"Positive Action in Housing" | 27.03.2006 18:48 | Anti-racism | Migration | Social Struggles

50 protesters, including asylum seekers, church ministers and charity workers gave Tony McNulty, immigration minister - the man who refuses to end dawn raids on Scottish soil - the send-off he deserves, letting him know in no uncertain terms that asylum seekers are Scotland's future lifeblood and are needed and wanted here, but he is not.

Protesters booed the immigration minister as he went to his car outside the Radissons hotel in Glasgow where he held a press conference. They then followed McNulty to the city chambers in Glasgow where he met council official regarding the proposed housing contracts for dispersed asylum seekers. Around 150 protesters waited at the city chambers for Mr McNulty, who refused to come out of the main entrance when he saw the strength of feeling amongst the crowds. Council officials then offered him a side exit to leave by. Mr McNulty gladly took it.

However, astute protesters, including Paddy Hill, Church of Scotland Minister Reverend David McLachlan, the Singh Family, actor Peter Mullan and Sandra White MSP located the side entrance and approached the City Chambers side entrance. Behind the tall iron gates, Mr McNulty was trapped "like a rat" in the city chambers tunnel inside his car and was unable to leave for 20 minutes while protesters blockaded the side exit to the chambers.

Said Robina Qureshi, Director, Positive Action in Housing:
"It's a pity because all I wanted to ask him was why he won't stop dawn raids, and why he insists on making asylum seekers destitute on the streets of Glasgow when they have nowhere else to go in this world. I don't think he has a heart to even answer that question. So he was trapped like a rat in a tunnel by the protesters and got the send off he deserved. Mr Mcnulty was not welcome in Glasgow in November and he is still not welcome today.

"Today Glasgow spoke loud and clear and the message is leave our communities alone, we need and want asylum seekers. Mr McNulty is not welcome here with his barbaric inhumane practices on Scottish soil, and I doubt if he'll be back for a while. We want asylum seekers here because they are Scotland's future lifeblood. We demand an amnesty for those already here. Such an approach would complement the Fresh Talent initiative and the one Scotland Many cultures campaign launched by the Scottish Executive."

"Positive Action in Housing"
e-mail: home@paih.org

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MNCULTY IS A SCUM BAG

27.03.2006 21:09

MCNulty, who is the husband of Tower Hamlets chief executive Christine Gilbert worked hard to place two major worksites including spoil and 24-hour tunnelling operations in a poor but largely ethnic area of Spitalfields in the East End of London. This man thinks he can ride roughshod over the poor and alienated largely because he has created this climate.

This man is scum, have people read what he and other corrupt Labour councillors have been doing, someone I cannot suspect who has been busy hacking into any websites particularly Corporate Watch UK who have covered this story to see what sleazy Labour have been doing. See url

http://libcom.org/news/article.php?story=crossrail-spitalfieds-corporate-watch

notocrossrail
Homepage: http://libcom.org/news/article.php?story=crossrail-spitalfieds-corporate-watch

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Now stop this eviction

28.03.2006 14:15

This is a call for people to come and support the Bajaj family being evicted from their flat in Cardonald.

Two weeks ago the Glasgow No Borders Network managed to delay the eviction of the Afghani Sikh Bajaj family from being evicted whilst the council carried out a Community Care Assessment.

To carry out the assessment the council sent the same social worker who had already told the Bajaj family to return to Afghanistan in December. The decision to evict the family was confirmed yesterday afternoon despite the request for medical information being only delivered to the family's GP on Friday and too late for it to be considered.

An independent Community Care Assessment carried out this morning (paid for independently of the council) came to the conclusion that for medical and welfare reasons, the Bajaj family should not be made homeless. Unfortunately the formal reportfor this will not be ready for the Bjaj's lawyer until Thursday at the latest.

Mr and Mrs Bajaj are both elderly and suffer from a number of complaints, not least the fact that Mr Bajaj suffers from serious back problems including severe curvature of the spine. Their teenage children live with them, trying to attend college and looking after the Bajaj's grand-daughter.

They do not feel they can safely return to Afghanistan. Under the Taliban regime Sikhs and Hindu's were subject to severe discrimination and persecution - being forced to wear yellow patches and having their businesses boycotted. During the civil war many Sikh templkes were used as military bases and were subsequently destroyed and the population of Sikhs has fallen from 200,000 Sikhs and Hindus before 1992 to 3,500 families in 2004. Returning families have found that their homes and businesses have been seized by the Northern Alliance warlords and have little to live on. Many families are living in the few remaining temples.

The eviction is due to happpen at 11.30 tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.
No Borders Glasgow is calling for people to come along and show support for the Bajaj family during the eviction. Meet outside tower block 5, Queensland Court, Cardonald from 10.00am.

Directions -
Take a 9, 55, 54 or 34 bus along Paisley road West from Glasgow city centre. Get out at the Morrisons supermarket in Cardonolad and walk down Maule Street to almost the motorway. Queensland court is the two tower blocks and number 5 is the second one from the road.

By train take a train to Cardonald station from Central station. Turn left out of the station, walk along the road, over the bridge and then turn right. 5 Queensland Court is the second tower block.

No Borders Glasgow
Homepage: http://www.openborder.org.uk