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Freedom of movement?

lx | 26.06.2009 21:50 | Migration | World

Road blockade to Calais port at the No Borders camp and police repression

International activists blockaded the road leading to the port this afternoon in protest against the latent hypocrisy of 'free trade'. Refugees and migrants are forced to watch goods produced in their own countries trafficked en masse across the border to the UK, lorries filled with waste leaving the country, and clearly branded trucks carrying components for the manufacture of bombs, arms and military equipment: the very instruments of terror which have driven them from their homelands.

At the behest of a teenage Somali refugee, activists stormed the motorway and were immediatly greeted with an onslaught of tear gas and riot policemen. As planned in the *extensive* affinity group meetings that day, it was to be in fact the police who would obstruct the traffic of goods to the port.

After several hours of tension, the police attempted to negotiate an agreement: protesters could have their banners displayed on billboards by the road for the duration of the camp if they would agree to stay off the motorway.

Our response, for better or for worse was a refusal to negotiate with police after an uncountable number of abuses of confidence over the past week on the part of police; including reports of violence, drugs and weapon trafficking and even allegations that we had attempted to wreak terror in the Channel tunnel!

As you may already be only too aware, the only terrorists are those that deny us freedom of movement, wage unnecessary wars, alienate our populations into somatic stupours and uphold this status quo not with fraternal goodwill but with the threat of guns, gas and kidnap.

Stay tuned for the Saturday demos.

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lx
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