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Sheffield Naseh Demo - 21st Aug

Chris | 21.08.2004 19:30 | Anti-racism | Migration | Sheffield

There was a march today from Ellesmere Green, Burngreave, into the centre of Sheffield to a rally on the Town Hall steps, to demand that Naseh Ghafor be allowed to stay in the UK. At the start of the demonstration it was announced that he has removed the stitches from his mouth and stopped his hunger strike and is now recieving medical attention.

Assembling at Ellesmere Green

Marching down Spital Hill

Passing under the Wicker archs

Marching down the Wicker

Crossing Lady's Bridge

Marching up Waingate

Rally at the Town Hall steps

It's been a long time since a demonstration in Sheffield followed the old route from Caborn's Corner, Spital Hill into town, and it made a change from the mini circular routes in the centre of town.

There was probably somewhere between 100-200 people on the demonstration, and although there was support from passers by (tooting of horns on The Wicker for example) there was also a shout of "send them home" from a passing First bus driver on The Wicker and chants of "piss off" as we passed Castle Market.

I wonder if the reception would have been any different if more radical demands were raised in addition to the "asylum seekers welcome here" variety, a clearer and less ambigious demand for No Borders and the right for everyone on the planet to live where they choose is in some ways easier to argue for and gets away from the idea that this is just an issue for Sheffield or the UK. Already EU citizens have the right to live anywhere in the EU -- this hasn't led to Greek Islands sinking due to the influx or poeple from less nice parts of the EU -- people generally like to stay living where they are and this is mostly the case the world over.

The No One is Illegal web site,

http://www.noii.org.uk/ has a manifesto (NO ONE IS ILLEGAL! For a world without borders! No immigration controls!) that is well worth reading and the No Border Network web site

http://www.noborder.org/ has news from campaigns across the EU.

More info about Naseh Ghafor:

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2004/08/296115.html

Chris

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Display the following 6 comments

Open borders is not exactly a popular policy! — Vox Pop
No Borders and open borders are not the same thing... — Chris
Spliting hairs — messenger boy
no class.. — mozaz
Video of the start of the march — Chris
Video of the start of the march — Chris

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Sheffield Naseh Demo - 21st Aug

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