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Fire in French Migrant Detention Centre.

iosaf | 02.08.2008 18:04 | Migration | Other Press | Repression | World

17h30 today a fire broke out within the migrant detention centre at Mesnil-Amelot. Spokespeople for SOS sans-papiers have said they believe there are injured inside the centre. The same collective had been peacefully protesting France's criminalisation of migrant workers this afternoon between 16h00 and18h30.
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Meanwhile migrant acitivists in Belgium have stopped their occupation of a scaffold at Béguinage church this afternoon but sporadic occupations of construction cranes continue.

Commercial news coverage (French language)
[leftist leaning]
 http://www.libeorleans.fr/libe/2008/08/nouvelles-meute.html
[rightwing]
 http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2008/08/02/01011-20080802FILWWW00528-un-incendie-dans-un-centre-de-retention.php

The migrant camp at Mesnil-Amelot has been scene of clashes between inmates and authorities before, most notably in December 2007, hunger strikes which were reported on IMC UK  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/world/2008/01/388723.html

Many will remember the events of July this year when a migrant holding camp in Vincennes burned down  https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/06/401755.html

See also (for background) a French language timeline of events 2007-2008 at both Vincennes camp and Mesnil-Amelot  http://www.migreurop.org/article1256.html

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Belgium news (French language) on end of church scaffold occupation
 http://www.rtlinfo.be/news/article/156040/--fin+de+l+action+des+sans+papiers+au+beguinage
 http://www.levif.be/belga/generale/78-6-59414/des-sans-papiers-escaladent-les-echafaudages-de-l-eglise-du-beguinage.html

Background from German rightwing magazine "Speigel" in English language with photographs of ongoing construction crane occupations by migrant workers in Belgium
 http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,569299,00.html
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there will be an update on today's fire and the injured involved or hopefully better "escapes" as soon as anything appears.

iosaf

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