Leeds Protest against 'ID cards for foreigners'
James Elsdon-Baker | 14.11.2008 14:04 | Other Press
NO2ID Logo
Protest against the Introduction of ‘ID Cards for foreigners’
On the 25th of November the government will be introducing compulsory Identity cards for Non-EAA students and Non-EAA national applying for marriage Visas. Those affected will be required to attend one of six centers (Croydon, Sheffield, Liverpool, Birmingham, Cardiff, and Glasgow) on arrival their fingerprints and photographs will be taken and they will be issued with an ID card.
The government has made use of the UK Borders Act 2007 to enable these cards, cards that discriminate against certain visitors in placing these groups of people under a regime of state surveillance and suspicion.
Although the government has made no significant headway with developing the intrusive National Identity Register, they have cynically altered the existing visa infrastructure to introduce these cards. Once the methods of Identity card registration and management have been trialed on some of the most vulnerable groups in society they intend to start picking on their next target group. They seek to whittle away our opposition, but we will stand together in defense of our liberty, freedom and right to a private life as enshrined in the European Convention of Human Rights.
In opposition to the scheme we invite all individuals and groups opposed to ID cards to join us in Leeds City Centre where we will be setting fire to a mock ID card,
PROTEST
TIME: 6pm
DATE: Monday 24th November
LOCATION: Dortmund Square, Outside St John's Shopping Centre, Headrow, Leeds
Called by Leeds NO2ID
Contact: James Elsdon-Baker, Regional Yorkshire NO2ID coordinator, 07817605162,
yorkshire@no2id.net
James Elsdon-Baker
e-mail:
yorkshire@no2id.net
Homepage:
http://www.yorkshireno2id.org www.no2id.net
Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
First they came for the immigrants...
14.11.2008 16:53
"Other points from UKIP's immigration policy:
[...]
Put in place border controls so that all non-UK nationals who enter the UK can be registered and tracked on their entry and exit from the country. Anyone overstaying their visa will be subject to arrest and removal from the country and will incur a ban on further entry to the UK for a minimum of five years"
[...]
The UK would withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights
[...]"
This registering and tracking doesn't quite seem to be compatible with opposing the 'database state', does it?
If ID is going to be beaten it's time for NO2ID to cut out the rot, and get rid of those who are not able to show solidarity with the first targets of ID cards.
Fry a UKIPper
I am no....
15.11.2008 21:47
Indeed, I consider myself very far removed from such a brand of politics. That said I do not see a problem with people and political parties across many a divide coming together behind a campaign such as NO2ID. It only becomes an issue when one group pushes it's other agendas to the extent that the original campaign becomes diluted and but a platform for others ambitions.
Cheers!
Z
Inclusive campaign
17.11.2008 10:04
ID cards and immigration policy are not the same thing, as much as the Government would like to play to populist opinion on immigration in order to convince people that ID cards would some how stop what they call ‘illegal immigration’. For example the arguably racist leaflet produced by Labour in the Crewe by-election accusing the Tories of ‘being opposed to making foreign national oppose ID cards have’. Lot’s of people who are opposed to illegal immigration who are also opposed to ID cards. It’s not a logically inconsistent position to hold.
NO2ID does not have and cannot have a position on immigration policy any more then it can have a policy on vivisection, arms trading, climate change, hunting etc. It is a single issue non-discriminatory campaign that provides a framework of opposition to ID cards. The government would love opposition against its scheme to be split down political fault lines, and it must be a constant frustration to them that NO2ID is hugely diverse with supporters from right across the political spectrum from all different walks of life.
If you don’t like the approach of NO2ID then you could join the campaign and put forward a motion at the AGM or start your own campaign with others who share your own set of political beliefs
James Elsdon-Baker
e-mail:
yorkshire@no2id.net
Very Well Put James
17.11.2008 10:39
Z