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Calais Latest: stand off outside the police station

some of no borders | 10.07.2012 10:14 | Migration | Policing | Repression

Currently 60 people are gathered outside the police station, while members of Nooredin's family are inside. They are still refusing to let them see the body. Around 20 CRS riot cops are out, one with rubber bullets at the ready, and all the streets have been blocked off.

remembering Marie Noelle
remembering Marie Noelle


LATEST

This morning at 10am (9am UK time), the family of Nooredin, along with
legal representation and interpreters / supporters from the catholic
charity Secours Catholique, went to the main police station to demand again
to see his body. Yesterday there were rumours that Nooredin's body had been
moved to another town, but apparently this is not true. The police story
seems to be changing every five minutes. According to one person who spoke
with them, they do now admit that N was attacked, but are still refusing an
autopsy even so. We will publish full details soon, for now there's no
point spreading various rumours.

11.40am (10.40 UK), the family members are still inside the police station.
There is a crowd of around 60 people gathered outside, mainly migrants,
with some supporters from No Borders, Secours Catholique and Medecins du
Monde. Now the riot police (CRS) are out in force. They have blocked off
all the streets around the police station. There are around 20 CRS riot
cops in sight, including one armed with rubber bullets. Two police
representatives are trying to calm the crowd but keep on giving confusing
and conflicting information. The situation is tense. The family members
have still not been allowed to see Nooredin's body.

----

Statement from yesterday

Another friend killed in Calais

Calais. 9.7.2012.

One more death. In the early hours of Saturday Morning (7 July), our
friend N., 28 years old, from Sudan, died in Calais town centre. His body
was dragged out of the canal near the Sub-Prefecture. As often in the past,
the police have been point blank refusing to allow friends and family
access to his body, or to hold an inquest into his death. They have already
prepared their story about his death, which is starting to unravel as more
evidence comes to light.

Not because it bears any relation to the truth, but this is the official
line: N stole a mobile phone in the town centre, he was chased by a friend
of the "victim", and somehow he managed to fall or jump into the canal,
where he drowned. Apparently there is no need for an autopsy or inquiry. No
need to explain police movements that night just before N died. No need to
wait for evidence that he stole anything. This story, straight from the
mouths of the cops, was parroted by the local hate-rag "La Voix du Nord"
without further investigation. A migrant. A black man. A thief. An
accident, maybe even a well-deserved death.

N's friends, and witnesses, tell a different story. We cannot write more
about what really happened at this moment, but we will do so soon. This
morning (Monday 9) around 40 people demonstrated outside the police station
in Calais. N was well loved. We hope to write more about his life soon as
well, with full respect to all his family and friends. We will not let this
death be forgotten.

The cover-up by state authorities and media accomplices of deaths in Calais
is standard. Just to give another recent example, on December 22, another
friend, Ismael, was found dead at the bottom of a bridge in central Calais.
The police immediately closed the case, calling it suicide. They refused to
allow his friends to see or identify the body, and refused an autopsy.
Ismael's friends went twice to the police station asking to see his body
and were twice refused and threatened with arrest by the immigration police
(PAF) if they didn't leave. Only one white French friend was allowed in to
identify him. There was no further investigation.

The border kills. We don't know how Ismail died. We have seen many times
police chasing migrants off bridges, into canals, into the harbour. Bullets
and clubs are not the only way to kill people. A fall from a bridge can
kill just as well. Constant beatings and hunger can kill just as well.
Years of fear and frustration and humiliation can kill just as well. These
are the deaths that keep Europe's looted wealth safe from the foreigners.

Ni Oubli. Ni Pardon. (Don't forget. Don't forgive.)

...

Encore un ami tué à Calais
Calais. 9.7.2012.

Une mort de plus. Au cours des premières heures du samedi 7 juillet
2012, notre ami N. 28 ans, originaire du Soudan, est mort dans le centre
ville de Calais. Son corps a été sorti du canal à proximité de la
sous-préfecture. Comme souvent, la police a refusé catégoriquement à la
famille et aux proches l'accès au corps, et de rechercher les causes de
la mort. Elle avait déjà une histoire à raconter, qui tombe en morceaux
à mesure que les informations arrivent.

Pas que ça ait forcément un rapport avec la vérité, mais voici la
version officielle : N a volé un téléphone dans le centre ville, il est
pourchassé par un ami de la "victime", et, d'une manière ou d'une autre
en arrive à tomber ou à sauter dans le canal, où il se noie. Apparemment
il n'y a pas besoin de faire une autopsie ou une enquête. Pas besoin
d'expliquer les mouvements de police cette nuit-là juste avant que N
meure. Pas besoin d'attendre une preuve du fait qu'il ait volé quoi que
ce soit. Cette histoire est sortie tout droit des bouches policières
pour arriver sans plus d'investigation dans le journal-perroquet de
caniveau et de haine "La Voix du Nord". Un migrant. Un noir. Un voleur.
Un accident, peut-être même une mort bien méritée.

Les ami-es de N, et les témoins, ont une version différente. Nous ne
pouvons pour le moment en dire plus sur ce qui s'est réellement passé,
mais nous le ferons très bientôt. Ce matin (lundi 9 juillet 2012)
environ 40 personnes ont manifesté devant le poste de police à Calais. N
était très apprécié. Nous espérons écrire davantage sur sa vie
également, dans le respect de sa famille et de ses proches. Nous ne
laisserons pas oublier sa mort.

Que les autorités étatiques et les médias complices des morts à Calais
étouffent l'affaire est habituel. Rien que pour donner un exemple
récent, le 22 décembre 2011, un autre ami, Ismaël, était retrouvé mort
en bas d'un pont dans le centre de Calais. La police avait immédiatement
clos l'affaire, concluant à un suicide. Elle avait refusé que ses ami-es
voient ou identifient le corps, et avait refusé de pratiquer une
autopsie. Les ami-es d'Ismaël sont allé-es deux fois au poste de police
demander à voir sont corps et les deux fois avaient essuyé un refus et
reçu des menaces d'arrestation de la part de la police aux frontières
(PAF) s'illes ne partaient pas. Seul un ami, Français et blanc, a eu le
droit d'entrer pour l'identifier. Il n'y a pas eu plus d'investigation.

La frontière tue. Nous ne savons pas comment Ismaël est mort. Nous avons
vu maintes fois la police chasser les migrant-es des ponts vers les
canaux, vers le port. Les balles et les bâtons ne sont pas les seuls
moyens de tuer les gens. Une chute d'un pont peut tout aussi bien tuer.
Les coups répétés et la faim peuvent tout aussi bien tuer. Les années de
peur et de frustration et d'humiliation peuvent tout aussi bien tuer. Ce
sont ces morts qui gardent à l'abri des étrangèr-es le butin pillé par
l'Europe.

Ni Oubli. Ni Pardon. (Don't forget. Don't forgive.)

some of no borders
- e-mail: calaisolidarity@gmail.com
- Homepage: calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com

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