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No-one is illegal! protest in Birmingham city centre

imc-birmingham kollective | 02.04.2005 18:11 | Anti-racism | Migration | Social Struggles | Birmingham

About 50 people gathered together in the centre of Birmingham to mark the E.S.F. day of action in support of refugees and migrants. This protest was organised in a matter of weeks after Birminghams A.R.C. (Anti-Racist Campaign) conference in support of migrant worker’s rights and forging links with the trade union movement.

The protest took place beyond the corporate border separating Bullring™ shopping centre, Birminghams new cathedral to consumerism, from the public space opposite the Rotunda. A positive carnival atmosphere was created amongst Saturdays shoppers reclaiming public space, proclaiming diversity over racism and corporate homogeneity.

A range of speakers including refugees from Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and trade unionists spoke passionately about the issues facing refugees in the UK and worldwide. Clear links were made with government policies and business practices and the plethora of people being forced to claim asylum. Anger was also voiced at the governments policy of enforced destitution for ‘failed’ asylum seekers, over 1000 of whom are destitute in Birmingham, and the cynical indifference which forces many people into the illegal economy where they face exploitation.

Protestors made the best of the glorious Birmingham sunshine, singing, dancing and distributing leaflets exposing the media and government myths around asylum. Particular disdain was voiced towards the major political parties, who are currently engaged in an electoral race to the bottom of the barrel in terms of asylum policy and scapegoating refugees. As numerous placards of subverted Tory election billboard adverts exclaimed, ‘it IS racist to impose limits on immigration!’ and people in Brum were definitely thinking what we were thinking.

In the face of an ever-increasing tide of poison around the asylum issue, the reaction of passers-by was largely positive, with a generous collection made for anti-racist campaigns and agencies working to support destitute asylum seekers. Even though one member of the ‘master race’ did see fit to tell the protestors to “fuck off back to where you came from” - from a safe distance obviously - it was met with laughs and confused looks from the diversity of Brums population.

Journalists from two local radio stations turned up not to interview refugees and protestors about the real issues they were protesting about, but asked “is it going to be a peaceful protest?”

Local police and Bullring™ security looked on bemused and one lucky police officer received a ‘refugees are welcome here!’ sticker on his back much to the delight of a six year old girl.

Photos and audio reports to follow…

imc-birmingham kollective


Additions

Birmingham Photos

03.04.2005 12:21

placards
placards

singing
singing

no one is illegal singing
no one is illegal singing

dancing
dancing

lies poster
lies poster

stall
stall

interview Shear
interview Shear

interview Dave
interview Dave

Here's some photos of the Birmingham Protest

audio to follow

Vinnie
mail e-mail: vincenzo@riseup.net


Audio from Birmingham Protest

03.04.2005 14:28


Download: No One Is Illegal! singing chanting and drumming - mp3 1.6M


Download: Interview with Dave who works for ASIRT - race to the bottom - mp3 1.8M


Download: Interview with Dave - refusals - what kind of person refuses such cases? - mp3 1.8M


Download: Interview with Shear - confusion and delays regarding his application - mp3 1.9M


Download: Interview with Shear - new no win no fee system violates right to fair trial - mp3 1.4M


Download: Interview with Shear - extremist government policies - mp3 1.1M

some ambient audio of singing n drumming & a couple of interviews with participants

Vinnie
mail e-mail: vincenzo@riseup.net


Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

local media

02.04.2005 19:46

>>Journalists from two local radio stations turned up not to interview refugees and protestors about the real issues they were protesting about but asked, “is it going to be a peaceful protest?”

yes. nick watson should add 'local media' to 'starve the parasite':

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/04/308106.html

- -


done

02.04.2005 19:52


.
.
.

nick watson
- Homepage: http://www.zmag.org/cartoons


But...

02.04.2005 20:04

...I thought, they all want to come to Germany??? That what all the racists tell me here...
So who is right? (Attention parody)

Goodnightwhitepride


E S F Day in Birmingham on Saturday 18th June

21.06.2005 21:35

Sadly, I was only able to get to the City Square opposite the Council House owing to attending other meetings before this event. What I saw was very moving in one small marquee. A group of Bosnians from a Theatre Group had gathered along with a few of us in a story-telling session. It was a family group, really, but they were kept in a Detention Centre about 6 years ago and now successfully are building their future. The whole unpleasant treatment of this community could not but come alive, by merely meeting them.

Zarina Bhatia


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