The migrants evicted from the camps have occupied the place of food distribution; the police will not evict them until the end of the week.... we need to use the festival as an occasion to raise awareness/ spread information - since three migrant camps housing well over 600 refugees and migrants were evicted for the occasion!

Three squats opened by No Borders/ Salut a toit, housing over 100 migrants, are also under eviciton and could be evicted any moment.

The women's squat in Victor Hugo will not be evicted thanks to successful campaigning and will stay until the women and children are re- housed in a better place -however we are no more there, since the prefect Denis Robin ordered the association Solid'R to take it over, else it would close it!


The festival:

It is a very nice reunion of old ships, with sails: the oldest took part in the battle of Trafalgar!
From the place of food distribution, now occupied by well over 300 migrants of all nationalities, we see the ships pass.
There is also a section for fluvial boats that will pass the canal on Friday -near where the camp of the Africans was.
The main event day is Saturday. You can go on the ships. Fireworks.

Leaflet/ poster:

Stop in Calais
against displays of the event causing the destruction of the camps.
does anyone of you have opportunity to make color copies? A3 if possible, or otherwise A

 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1457039374540370&set=o.174026419459683&type=1&theater

.

Evictions and occupations:

Timeline (incomplete):

- Monday26/ Tuesday 27: The Africans who were in the camp by the Town Hall (on the way the river boats will pass), started moving in the place of food distibution and sleeping there.
-Tuesday evening: The treatement for scabies was distributed- only a couple dozen people took it. Nobody went to the showers but two young people: later they called their friends saying they were 150 km from Calais.
-Wednesday 28 May: morning: the two main camps were evicted and destroyed, and a smaller camp near the place of food distribution. The people from the so called Syrian camp, and the smaller camp, occupied the place of food distribution, joining the Africans. No Borders activists phisically stopped the police in riot gear to get to the migrants/ enter the place of food distribution. We are very proud of them. Small barricades were improvised by migrants using ready materials such as rubbish bins. Lots of media present. Great turn out of associations, local people and other anti racists. 5 nazis turned up briefly, sheltering behind the police (Kevin Reche of Sauvons Calais and a few mates).
Also on Wednesday, the same day of the destruction of the camps: police went three times to the Afghan jungle and pepper sprayed some tents. Police have been going there every day since, usually twice, to count people: so, when police say that they will leave migrant people alone if they move to smaller, less visible camps out of town, you can be sure they are lying through their teeth. Arrests and beatings are commonplace in the jungle, besides spraying tents.
-The migrants in the place of food distribution (poplularly called SALAM after the associaton that gives the food) begin to organize autonomously. They have general assemblies, meetings within their communities, and meetings of delegates from the communities - Afghanistan and Pakistan, Eritrea and Ethiopia, Sudan, Arabs of different countries. They write a list of demands and refuse to leave the place of food distribution until they are offered solutions. It is an unanimous decision. No Borders, associations, Calais Ouverture Humanité and individuals continue to support. The migrants appreciate the support very much.
The demands:  http://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com/2014/06/01/the-demands-of-the-exiles/
- An Afghan man climbs a pilon just outside the place of food distribution and threatenes to jump. He says he has enough of a life without hope. After 2 hours is rescued by an Afghan friend who goes up to take him with the fire brigade.
-Saturday 31 May
10 am: A representative of the Prefecture goes to meet the migrants in SALAM camp but he does not offer any solution. He says he will return on Tuesday. The sub-prefect Alain Gerrard also arrives.
from 2 pm: Some 350 migrrants and anti-racists gather in place d'Armes.
also from 2pm : emergency distribution of blankets and clothes from the vestiaire.
-All the Africans move from SALAM to the old municipal camping site with all their gear, following some vague promises from police. No Borders activists go with them. When they arrive they are stopped by police who tell them to go back. The Afghans, who were preparing to go to the same place, start upacking.
-It is now Tuesday: the representative of the Prefecture has not come back but has posponed his visit to date to be announced; it seems the migrants will be left undisturbed in the place of food distribution until after the week end.

PLEASE COME TO CALAIS AND SUPPORT.
Watch the ships, meet the people and prepare for the evictions!

Resistance now and always!

Chiara

For more information:

 http://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com/
 https://passeursdhospitalites.wordpress.com/