The current government has taken a lead in the forced deportation of asylum seekers and others without documentation, often denying them any legal representation or proper appeal. Many who speak English only poorly or not at all are questioned and detained without an interpreter.

Detention centres hace been condemned by many, including the official inspectors, and the conditions there and lack of access to legal advice show a clear and institutional contempt for human rights. And although the government will not deport people to some countries because of the threat to their lives, there are too many cases were people who have been returned are subjected to imprisonment and torture.

Among those present at the 'Speak Out' were members of the Suarez family, who prevented the deportation of John Freddy Suarez Santander last month by going together to the airport to stop it. John Freddy came to the UK from Colombia with his family when he was six, 15 years ago, and grew up here - he now has a 3 year old son. All his family now live in Europe and he has no relatives back in Colombia. But five years ago he committed an offence and waas sent to a young offenders institution for 7 months. Two years after he had served his sentence, the UK government passed a law to deport all immigrants with a criminal record, and an order was made for him to be sent back to Colombia.

John Freddy's case has now reached the European Court of Human Rights, and a decision is awaited, but the government tried to prempt this by deporting him. The UK law seems to go against the principles that people whould not be pubished twice for the same act and that laws chould not be applied in a retroactive manner, as well as the European court assertion that juvenile offences should not be seen as a part of a criminal record.

Other speakers at an open mike included a Bolivian activist, who is currently on bail, having been detained in the Yarls Wood Immigration Detention centre, who was able to speak at first hand about the rotten conditions there, particularly over the detention of children. There were speakers from 'No Borders' groups in Canada and London and other groups campaigning for justice for migrants, as well as speakers about the racist nature of the press, the activities of multi-national corporations - particularly in Nigeria, where Ken Saro Wiwa who had campaigned against Shell was murdered.

We were reminded also of the role of Cuba inspiring development in Latin America by a speaker from 'Rock around the Blockade', and of the Miami 5, still held in US prisons.

During the time I was there, a steady stream of people came past the 'Speak Out' and quite a few took leaflets and stayed for at least a few minutes to listen, with some looking at the material on the stalls or signing the petition.

Unfortunately I was unable to stay for the entire protest, and so missed the street theatre and some of the speeches. But the most moving came from Christina, a young woman whose husband is in Campsfield Detention Centre, who spoke for the first time in public and broke down in tears as she told us of the effect his deportation would have on her young family. It was a very human moment that cut through the politics to what really matters, and that made me angry and ashamed at the actions of a Labour government and the Borders Agency.

More pictures on My London Diary shortly:
 http://mylondondiary.co.uk/2009/06/jun.htm#speak