At around 7am this morning (Tuesday 9 Jan 2007) a Kurdish family was snatched from their home in Blakelaw and sent to a detention centre to await deportation. Yakup and Melish Demirci, with their 9-year-old twin girls Yagrum and Damla, who have helped with translation at TCAR meetings, and their four year old Lale.

Cases like this are happening every day. Particularly, a number of Kurdish families have been snatched in recent weeks, at the same time as the British Labour government is friends with the fascist Turkish regime, which continues to oppress and brutalise the Kurdish people.

This morning TCAR members who had been alerted arrived just minutes after the snatch squad had left. TCAR is launching a Pledge of Resistance to snatch squads, and needs people to sign their commitment to turn out and oppose snatch squad raids on their local area, if called on to do so in the early hours of the morning. More information on how you can get involved in this will be sent out soon.

TCAR has also called an EMERGENCY DEMONSTRATION in solidarity with the Demirci family and all others facing deportation: TOMORROW Wednesday 10th January, 11am Outside Government Offices North East, Gallowgate, Newcastle (opposite St. James' Park Metro, next to China Town)

There will also be a TCAR stall from 1-2pm to advertise the demonstration on 20th January. Please come and help, or take leaflets to give out in your community, in churches, mosques, drop-in centres, on buses - everywhere! You can also ask to put it up in shops - many shops say yes.


SHOW YOUR SOLIDARITY. TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER!



Solidarity,


TYNESIDE COMMUNITY ACTION FOR REFUGEES (TCAR)