Immigration Dawn Raid Protesters on Trial
Three protesters against immigration controls will be in Market Street Magistrates Court at 10am tomorrow, after being arrested whilst showing their solidarity to refugee families whose houses were raided by Immigration Services on the 10th of October last year.

At 6:30 am that morning Dawn Raid Watch (a group that monitors Immigration Service raids against refugee families) tracked a convoy of undercover snatch squad vans from North Shields to Newcastle. When the vans arrived in Fenham they reported the news to local asylum seeker support groups.
The Immigration Service officers raided two asylum seekers' family houses in Brighton Grove. Within minutes of their arrival a group of 20 local people gathered outside the houses in a noisy but peaceful demonstration in solidarity with the threatened families. Soon after, the immigration snatch squad withdrew with four arrested protesters in the back of their van but without any families being taken.
Roger Cox, who attempted to immobilize the Immigration Service vehicle, has pleaded guilty to obstruction and not guilty to the public order offense. One protester was released without charge and two protesters Malamo Korbetis and Effrosyni Kalafati have pleaded not guilty to obstruction of the police. While in custody one of them was refused translator and the other was strip searched.
Opposition to dawn raids carried out by the Borders and Immigration Service has intensified since the Home Office acknowledged in January that they are aware of the possible traumatizing effect of early-morning visits. The demonstration took place a week after the Independent reported chilling allegations of brutality by immigration officers against