Update from Calais
calais migrant solidarity | 21.07.2009 08:45 | Anti-racism | Free Spaces | Social Struggles | South Coast
The night passed with activists hanging around with migrants who were more visibly shaken than usual by the deportation threats. Activists patrolled other jungles in cars in an attempt to monitor the police. It has been a night of people arriving from Netherlands Belgium UK France to show solidarity withy migrants in Calais. Early in the morning CRS riot police shot tear gas into the Pastun jungle and beat up and removed five people. Unfortunately this is nothing new in Calais these days
Some UK and Dutch press arrived. The morning saw Eritrean and Iranian migrants being stopped and detained on the streets of Calais; again nothing new. Whether 48 hours detention or deportation for Iranians we don’t know. The racism of police actions was visible in their removal of black sans papiers while white activists refusing to show ID were let go as we watched our friends being taken away
giving us the thumbs up from the windows of the unmarked police van. We condemn these acts of terror. As the repression continues the links between migrant activists and resident activists grow..
We are tired and angry at what we see and learn, but for the migrants and activists dealing with this situation this is a daily test on the nerves. Maybe this ‘rehearsal’ by the police is to test our limits. But it only seems to strengthen peoples resolve as more people arrive to support jungles
Not loads of us but a steady stream to maintain solidarity. Come to Calais
Latest news here:
http://www.calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com
Some UK and Dutch press arrived. The morning saw Eritrean and Iranian migrants being stopped and detained on the streets of Calais; again nothing new. Whether 48 hours detention or deportation for Iranians we don’t know. The racism of police actions was visible in their removal of black sans papiers while white activists refusing to show ID were let go as we watched our friends being taken away
giving us the thumbs up from the windows of the unmarked police van. We condemn these acts of terror. As the repression continues the links between migrant activists and resident activists grow..
We are tired and angry at what we see and learn, but for the migrants and activists dealing with this situation this is a daily test on the nerves. Maybe this ‘rehearsal’ by the police is to test our limits. But it only seems to strengthen peoples resolve as more people arrive to support jungles
Not loads of us but a steady stream to maintain solidarity. Come to Calais
Latest news here:
http://www.calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com
calais migrant solidarity
Comments
Hide the following 10 comments
If you opened the borders we would be over run
21.07.2009 09:32
imperium
a very quick reply
21.07.2009 09:54
> foreigners in food clothing and state benefit when our economy is near bankruptcy
First of all there are plenty of resources to go around, the problem is that they are being hogged by the rich and powerful. We need to radically re-structure our society together on a more free and equal basis, then there will actually be plenty for everyone - it's a myth that there isn't enough.
Secondly, 'these foreigners' as you put it are human beings just the same as you and have as much right to a decent standard of living as you do. How on earth do you justify dividing the world into haves and have-nots and then enforcing that division with violence and fences?
Richer countries only got to be richer by invading and plundering the rest of the world. We now have a responsibility to kick out those elites that are still making war of the rest of the world (either directly with guns, or indirectly with economic levers) and share the resources we do have.
The alternative is to deny our common humanity with those shut outside our borders.
Solidarity with all the Calais resisters!
w
Other update information
21.07.2009 10:29
No Borders Brighton
Imperium, get a clue.
21.07.2009 10:42
How does Imperium think the economy got in such a mess? It certainly wasn't immigrant or foriegners in the seats of power of Government, banks, insurance companies and city trading firms.
I often ask racists and xenophobes what they think the rich would do if the UK threw out all the foriegners - would they put up wages for the remaining working population? Of course not! They would continue to screw us over for every penny they could get out of us.
Dofa
anti-human 'green' arguments have no place in the movement
21.07.2009 12:29
Social Ecologist
Hypocrites
21.07.2009 13:39
Over Population is an ecological time bomb whether you choose to listen to it or not, this issue exists very much so here in the UK. Let's not escalate this problem any further by insisting on opening the floodgates to unregulated economic immigration.
imperium
fuck the opt
21.07.2009 14:34
no borders
Like it or not ecology IS a sovereign issue
21.07.2009 16:08
Just because an environmentalist of a sensible nature refutes your nonsense 'no borders' theory as unsustainable you go and call them a 'Nationalist'? how very babyish and pathetic of you.
OPT July 2009 YouGov poll shows that 51 per cent of the public thinks the ideal population size for the UK is less than 60 million. *
Only eight per cent want it to be higher than 60 million.*
That leaves you in the minority doesn't it?
In the UK, population is officially projected to rise from 61 million (mid-2007) to 77 million in 2050 - that's more than another two London's.*
Absolutely frightening, so question:
1: Do we social isolate everyone and build up to the clouds?
2: Do we allow more filthy urban sprawl to expand all over our beautiful dwindling green belt?
3: Do we cram more people ever closer together and let our children inherit a Soylent Green type senario?
Come on, lets be realistic about this, which is it to be.... futurist? visionary?
* from the OPT website:
imperium
Our allies, not our enemies
22.07.2009 09:04
If you can free yourself from this indoctrination, you come to the conclusion that it's all one huge con and that those seeking asylum from our exploitations and wars abroad, are in fact our allies. Together we can make a more equal society, free from the self-serving scum that currently whip up the anti-foreigner sentiment that so many are swallowing without question. Those using the environmental crisis are the among the worse manipulators. The elite in this country are the biggest polluters, wasters and consumers.
anon
self vs community
22.07.2009 11:59
I know which option I prefer - but sadly the current economic system will drive towards the latter. That is our real battle for the next decades - to ensure that there are enough resources for everyone. Some of us are striving to minimise the effects of climate change, but if/when it happens, we will need to make sure that we respond to the benefit of all.
Simon