Tyneside Community Action for Refugees (TCAR) held its fourth speak-out against racism on Saturday 21st March at Grey’s Monument in Newcastle. These speak-outs give an open platform for any anti-racists to talk about issues of racism, from immigration laws to police harassment, and to counter the lies spread by the racism of the mainstream press and the racist Labour government.

This action had a focus on immigration prisons: the terrible conditions, dawn raids, where families seeking asylum are dragged from their homes and bundled into immigration vans before being taken to these prisons and ultimately deported, and how all of this means seeking asylum is treated like a crime and people seeking asylum are treated like criminals.

There was a good turn out with a lot of people willing to speak, there was street theatre with a cage and a prisoner and the event seemed to polarise people as either racist or anti-racist. As the crisis deepens this polarisation will become more evident and people will be forced into action, sitting silent on the fence is no longer an option.

No to all immigration controls!
Immigration is no crime! Lock up Labour!
Together we are stronger!