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Home Office in Glasgow locked down - 3 arrests

transmitter | 21.11.2005 12:19 | Anti-racism | Migration | World

21 Nov 05: Once again the Home Office Immigration offices in Glasgow have been closed down by protesters. Earlier this morning 40 people gathered outside the building and padlocked two of the gates. 3 protestors have been arrested. More details and photos to follow on imc scotland:
 http://scotland.indymedia.org/newswire/display/2289/index.php


This is from imc Scotland:

11:30am 21 Nov 05 - article on imc scotland

Three protestors, including Tommy Sheridan MSP for the Scottish Socialist Party, have been arrested following an action at the Immigration reporting Centre at Brand Street, Govan, in Glasgow. Those arrested have been taken to helen Street police station, and protestors are heading that way too.

Today’s action follows the recent occupation of the centre and a series of demonstrations and pickets, including a picket on Saturday, called by No Borders Glasgow and part of a national day of action against deportations of children and students.

It is thought that at least one dawn raid has been prevented today. Brand Street is the base for the Immigration snatch squads who leave, in unmarked dark blue vans with blacked-out windows, to carry out their raids on families and individuals living in Glasgow. At 5:30am a team arrived for duty, but were prevented from entering the centre. Security cut through one of the chains at about 10am, allowing access, but as at 10:45 are still not letting in any staff, or asylum seekers who have turned up to sign on.

Centre of misery and fear

Today’s dawn raid by protestors is the latest in the campaign against the inhumane practices of the UK immigration and asylum policy which are terrorising Glasgow communities. Brand Street, at the Orwellian-named Festival Court, is the Home Office hub in Scotland where families (there are very few single asylum seekers in Glasgow at present) have to sign on every week, as part of a system of control and intimidation.

Some people turn up to sign on, and are never seen again, joining the ranks of disappeared, spirited away to immigrant detention centres like Dungavel, then deported back to war zones, oppressive regimes, or abject poverty. Others have to endure the bullying of Immigration Officers who every week threaten imprisonment of asylum seekers and their children if they do not agree to try and return to their home countries.

Solidarity

On Saturday (19th November) around 100 people from across Glasgow and across the world, joined the regular picket of the Reporting Centre, in solidarity with the lone protestor who has been standing at the gates every Saturday between 10am- 12 noon for the past 6 weeks. His one-man picket has become the target of increasing racist abuse and intimidation from Group 4 Security Guards (and the builders of Campbell Construction on the building site opposite).

It was freezing cold at 10am when the first protestors arrived, and it didn’t get any warmer. The friendly police came by and moved the early arrivals down the road from the main gates, but as more people turned up, the picket moved back to the gates. The stated reason for the police request to move away was that the many children on the picket might be in danger of cars on the road. There was danger from vehicles alright – from Immigration snatch squad vans. At about 11:30 the main gates were suddenly thrown open and an unmarked car left at high speed, followed by two sinister looking vans, dark blue, unmarked, with opaque windows. Some of the people on the picket have seen the inside of those vans. The vehicles were travelling too fast for anyone to do anything about them (and too fast for safety on a small street crowded with protesting families and their children). But people promised that no vans will leave that centre during future pickets.

Children in need

The solidarity picket was part of a national day of action, with demonstrations in central Manchester and London. In Children in Need week, the demonstrations called for an end to deportations of children and students. At Brand Street, young people from Drumchapel Secondary school spoke of their campaigns against the deportations of their friends, most recently for 13 year old Saida Vucaj and her family.

Last week, the “Glasgow Girls” as they have been dubbed by the media, won the Scottish Campaign of the Year Award at the annual Scottish politician of the year ceremony in Edinburgh (other nominations included the make Poverty History campaign). At the ceremony, the girls warned that they don’t see the award as a pat on the head and a time to rest, but that they would keep up the fight for the right of all young people to stay in Scotland, and against all deportations. In front of the gathered media, they also eyeballed Jack McConnell and demanded to know just what had happened to the “protocol” he promised between social services, education services and the Immigration police. A clearly embarrassed First Minister could only waffle about ongoing talks with his bosses down south.

Keeping up the pressure

Saturday’s picket was a success. Those working in the centre know that the campaign against what goes on in there is growing. People on the picket talked about keeping up the pressure, picketing the place every Saturday between 10am and 12 noon, bringing music and drums and food and hot drinks to keep up spirits. And people also left muttering about the vans that left while we stood by, and what kind of direct action could stop them. And some folk returned today, in the wee small hours, and for another day no vans left to carry out their dawn raids.

 http://www.openborders.org.uk

transmitter
- Homepage: http://scotland.indymedia.org


Additions

Statement from the SSP

21.11.2005 15:34

SSP Research, Policy & Media Unit
Press Release: 19/11/05
Eddie Truman: 07919 868463

MSP Sheridan arrested after peaceful direct action
Remains detained as at 13.30

Scottish Socialist Party MSP Tommy Sheridan was today arrested along with
one other protestor following peaceful direct action at the immigration
office, Brand Street, Glasgow that succeeded in preventing any dawn raids by
Home Office immigration officers.
Those taking part included Paddy Hill, founder of the Miscarriages of
Justice campaign MOJO.
Tommy was arrested just as the demonstration was ending and following a
short speech in which he thanked the police for the way they had handled the
protest.
Tommy was charged with breach of the peace and was taken to Helen Street
police station.
Protesters who witnessed the arrest said that it was completely unnecessary
and questioned why Sheridan had been picked out for arrest given that he was
only one of approximately 40 people who had attended the event including
Paddy Hill and a Church of Scotland minister.

Before his arrest Tommy had said;
"People are being removed from their homes in disgraceful dawn raids with
children being dragged out of bed in their night clothes and deported.
"I as an ordinary human being think that is unacceptable in the 21st century
and we're calling for a more humane immigration service at the very least.
"We are hopefully going to stop any dawn raids today - that's what our
target is."
[ends]

************************
Eddie Truman
Press Officer
Scottish Socialist Party
07919 868463

Mhairi McAlpine


Sheridan and two other demonstrators held overnight

21.11.2005 19:22

SSP Research, Policy & Media Unit
Press Release: 21/11/05 : 18.25
Eddie Truman: 07919 868463

Sheridan held overnight, appears Glasgow Sheriff Court Tuesday

Glasgow Scottish Socialist Party MSP Tommy Sheridan has been held overnight
at Helen Street police station and will appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on
Tuesday 22nd November alongside two other campaigners against the Home
Office dawn raids to deport asylum seekers.
Sheridan was arrested on Monday morning after a successful direct action
prevented Home Office immigration officials and police from leaving the
Brand Street offices where the dawn raids are launched from.
[ends]

Mhairi McAlpine


Please support the three in court

21.11.2005 19:54

The three people arrested - Tommy Sheridan, David and Stu - will be appearing in Glasgow Sheriff court at 10am tomorrow.

Please come along to show your support.

Anon


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  1. arrestees bailed — michael c

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