Wed 16th: Demo in solidarity to the Harmondsworth detainees
no borders | 11.04.2008 11:31 | No Border Camp 2007 | Anti-racism | Migration | Repression | London
Althogh many detainees have resumed eating following the repression, some are still on hunger strike. The repression continues, we just had news that another of the hunger strikers has been taken and put in isolation. The detainees want us to demonstrate and make their voice heard.
Demnstrate in solidarity to the Harmondsworth detainees on hunger strike.
Wednesday 16th April 5.30pm to 6.30pm at Kalyx headquarters, 25 Great Chapel Street (nearest tube Edgware Road). Called by No Borders London.
The detainees are complaining that they are being deported without having their cases properly heard. The so-called fast-track system means that asylum seekers are not getting enough time to prepare their cases. Legal representation is often of very poor quality. They further say that they are being abused by detention staff.
Harmondsworth is run by Kalyx (formerly UK Detention Services), a subsidiary of multinational company Sodexo.
On Saturday, 5th April, between 5 and 6am, around 50 agents in riot gear stormed Harmondsworth detention centre to break the detainees hunger strike.They took 30 detainees away and most of them were put in solitary confinement or taken into normal prisons to prevent them from communicating with each other and the outside world. One detainee, who managed to contact supporters, is saying he is bruised all over his body, had injuries from handcuffs and a damaged ankle. He also reported that he saw another detainee being violently 'manhandled' by police.
The detainees' peaceful protest had started at 9am on April 1st, with mass food refusal by almost all of the detainees in the so-called immigration removal centre. Later, they also occupyed the courtyard and around 120 of them remained there all night. A petition, with 116 signatures, has been sent to the European Court of Human Rights, John McDonnell MP and others .
Links: No Borders London | No Borders UK | National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns | Indymedia UK's Migration page
Previous protests inside/at Harmondsworth: November 2006 | April 2006 | January 2006 | July 2004 | The Harmondsworth Four acquitted
Wednesday 16th April 5.30pm to 6.30pm at Kalyx headquarters, 25 Great Chapel Street (nearest tube Edgware Road). Called by No Borders London.
The detainees are complaining that they are being deported without having their cases properly heard. The so-called fast-track system means that asylum seekers are not getting enough time to prepare their cases. Legal representation is often of very poor quality. They further say that they are being abused by detention staff.
Harmondsworth is run by Kalyx (formerly UK Detention Services), a subsidiary of multinational company Sodexo.
On Saturday, 5th April, between 5 and 6am, around 50 agents in riot gear stormed Harmondsworth detention centre to break the detainees hunger strike.They took 30 detainees away and most of them were put in solitary confinement or taken into normal prisons to prevent them from communicating with each other and the outside world. One detainee, who managed to contact supporters, is saying he is bruised all over his body, had injuries from handcuffs and a damaged ankle. He also reported that he saw another detainee being violently 'manhandled' by police.
The detainees' peaceful protest had started at 9am on April 1st, with mass food refusal by almost all of the detainees in the so-called immigration removal centre. Later, they also occupyed the courtyard and around 120 of them remained there all night. A petition, with 116 signatures, has been sent to the European Court of Human Rights, John McDonnell MP and others .
Links: No Borders London | No Borders UK | National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns | Indymedia UK's Migration page
Previous protests inside/at Harmondsworth: November 2006 | April 2006 | January 2006 | July 2004 | The Harmondsworth Four acquitted
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