Scotland Anti-racism Feature Archive
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AUDIO: "Voices from Africa" Conference - G8 - Migrants - Aid, Trade, Debt - HIV
In the wake of the Governments much hyped "Commission for Africa" came a reply - a conference not so much "for" Africa, as from Africans. There were excellent presentations and speeches by the usual suspects - Patrick Harvie, Tommy Sheridan, Aamer Anwar, representatives from Oxfam and G8 alternatives - but the most succesful aspect to the conference, what made it really striking, was the African speakers.
The conference was held at Caledonian University - Glasgow - 23rd April 2005.
Hunger strike asylum seekers close to death
A protest has been announced by a Glasgow based Refugee Solidarity Campaign for Thursday 18 March 11.30 a.m. in Edinburgh.
Three Iranian Kurdish refugees, who have been refused asylum in Glasgow, Britain, are on hunger strike. The Three men, Faroq Haidari, Farnborz Gravindi and Mokhtar Haydary, have now been on hunger strike for about 3 weeks. They have apparently now stopped taking fluids, and are in a really bad way. Friday, the 5th of March, two of the men blacked out and were admitted to hospital.
The men are faced with a harsh choice, as once refused asylum they have no right to work, housing or benefits of any kind. They must choose whether to return to Iran and face arrest, imprisonment, torture - perhaps death, or stay and starve on the streets of Scotland.
Around 200 people attended a hastily organised solidarity demonstration the evening of Tuesday, March the 2nd, outside the city chambers (council offices). In a statement read out to protestors, the men say they would rather die than return. Supporters say they are close to death. Faroq Haidari, Farnboz Gravindi and Mokhtar Haidari are getting weaker by the hour. More information: [1,2]
Glasgow Demonstrators Denounce Deportations and Evictions
"This is beyond humanity", cried a woman from Rwanda. "I fled for my life from Rwanda, now this Friday here in Glasgow they are coming to evict me and deport me."
Demonstrators rallied outside the Glasgow City Council Chambers in George Square last night, 9th November, to denounce the Council's new policy of evicting refugees who have been refused asylum. Protestors erected tents in the Square to illustrate the reality of the State's inhuman policies.
Asif, a refugee from Afghanistan, spoke on behalf of the Glasgow Refugee Action Group. "The Glasgow City Council are making millions of pounds from their contract with the Home Office to take refugees. Now they are throwing the refugees out on the street....We appreciate the support of ordinary people in Scotland. This is not the end of our struggle but the beginning."
Demonstrators besiege Dungavel refugee prison
Sticks, boots and bare fists beat a rhythm of resistance on the razor-wire fence around Scotland’s refugee prison, Dungavel, last Saturday 6th September. Over 1,000 demonstrators travelled to the south Lanarkshire countryside to demand the closure of Dungavel and freedom for the men, women and children imprisoned within.
Pics [1, 2, 3,] audio
2003: The summer of Resistance Camping
The summer of Resistance Camping is still ongoing. Starting of with the convergence of protesters against the G8 in Evian, tents and food kitchen have moved on to the noborder camps and various other activist gatherings in the sun, organised around particular pressing issues, such as computing (also see WSIS [1,2]), antinuke or ecology. Frock On and On
On 7th of june, the second "Frock On" Festival took place in Glasgow.
"Frock On and On" was helt this time at the Govanhill Neighbourhood Community Centre for the daytime workshops for women, and in the Queenspark Glasshouse for gigs and spoken word in the evening,the artists, audience and the bar in between exotic plants and small animals.
"Our goal is to make links with and strengthen/build on the existing feminist community with aim of making feminism cool again.
Frock On is against homophobia, racism, ablism, ageism, and men bashing.
It's about talking, having fun, making new friends, subverting, resisting, doing it yourself, gossiping/networking, respecting, listening, dancing, eating, rioting, drinking, laughing, relaxing, empowering ourselves and others, clothes swapping, cycling, supporting our music, creating, growing, expressing ourselves, challenging ourselves, learning, scheming, giggling, planning, cups of tea, taking care of ourselves, gaining confidence and self esteem, finding our voices and keeping it real."
More information under http://www.frockon.org
.
National Asylum and Immigration Act breaks human rights
Justice Collins, in his judgement yesterday on Section 55, said there were quite clearly breaches of Articles 3, 6 and 8 of the Human Rights Act and this has quite clearly influenced NASS to take the action to suspend issuing negative decisions.
Section 55 and 57 came into force on January the 8th and withdrew all support, such as food, shelter, clothing for refugees who claimed asylum in country without legally giving them the right to work, so to force them onto the streets and into complete destitution.
The National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns estimates that there are up to 7,000 asylum seekers who have received negative decisions since 8th January 2003. On average 60% of all applicants have been refused support.
These Sections are even more appalling as most asylum seekers in Britain come from war-torn countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq.
[ NCADC| Scottish Refugee Council | Noborder | audio: interview with activist | audio: interview with NCADC ]
Freedom of Movement is Our Right! Support Refugees!
with the introduction of “The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act” on January the 8th, 2003, thousands of refugees will have their support withdrawn and will be pushed into poverty, crime, prostitution, begging and discrimination.
Also new plans include to abolish the right of permanent settlement for those granted 'Refugee Status' or 'Subsidiary Protection'.
statewatch report
full story
Support refugees!
new law
statement of the NCAD
More links:
[National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns | Refugee Council | BarbedWireBritain | Noborder ]
New law leaves Refugees hungry and homeless
The new sections 55 and 57 of the Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act leaves the first persons starving and homeless on the streets.
[Glasgow refugee goes hungry and homeless | Daily Mails War on Refugees and Immigrants]
Anti-Rascist Demonstration in Glasgow after Refugee was stabbed
Around 2500 people marched in Glasgow on Saturday, 30 th of november, in the annual anti-racism demo organised by the Scottish Trades Union Council. The night before the annual anti-racism demo in Glasgow, an asylum seeker is attacked and stabbed by a gang in Sighthill, Glasgow.
[full story | the attack on the refugee | physical attacks and verbal ones ]
