HOME | IMC UK | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Support Us

Liverpool Indymedia

Over 100 school children rally in Wigan

Emma Ginn (posted by sp) | 09.11.2005 10:17 | Anti-racism | Migration | Social Struggles | Liverpool

Over 100 school children took part in a rally last Saturday 5th November 2005 to demand five of their class-mates are brought back from Uganda.

Wigan School Kids
Wigan School Kids


Sarah Hata and her children - Dennis, Hope, Maureen, Peace and Moris - were taken from their home in Wigan, detained, forcefully taken to three planes within 48 hours and finally, without warning, removed to Uganda on the 26th October 2005.

Councillors and teachers joined pupils from St Thomas More RC High School and St. Cuthbert's Primary School as read they out letters they have written to Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and sang "Give Peace a Chance". They demanded that the Hata family are returned to their home in Wigan from Uganda whilst their solicitor continues to make representations on their behalf.

"Peace Kasonko [Sarah's 11 year old daughter] is in the same class as my ten year old daughter" explained Ruth Fisher, one of the many who is campaigning for the family's return. "My daughter and her friends are devastated by Peace's "disappearance". As elected Chair of Governors at the primary school that these children attend, I can perhaps voice the distress and confusion that staff and children are experiencing over this family's removal from our midst"
Sarah and the children were taken from Yarl's Wood Removal Centre just hours after being seen by her doctor, Dr. Frank Arnold MB ChB FRCS, who said "The entire family show signs of post traumatic stress disorder and are not fit to be removed from the UK"

Sarah arrived in the UK in 2002. She says she was imprisoned for 5 years in Uganda, during which time she was tortured and raped - she has visible scars.

As a result of what she experienced in Uganda, Sarah has been continuously receiving treatment for psychological problems. However, no medical report concerning her scars of torture was used in Sarah's asylum case before she was removed from the UK. Having examined Sarah, Dr Arnold confirmed that "Sarah Hata has scars of torture".

Describing the multiple removal attempts on the family, Dr Arnold explained "The children were terrified and the youngest boy had an epileptic fit on the airplane while an attempt was being made to remove them from this country. He was suffering from severe pain in his chest and back from a forceful and inappropriate attempt to revive him. During his epileptic fit his mother was prevented from going to help him and his sister was injured by her head being forced under the food tray attached to the seat in front of her". He also explained "No attempt was made to protect them from malaria before they were returned and as I understand, Sarah and several of her children now have malaria".

It seems the family have suffered not just at the hands of the Ugandan authorities, but also by the UK authorities.

The entire family integrated very successfully into the community in Wigan and made many friends. Sarah was a student at the local FE college. The children all did well in their local schools. Dennis (15), Hope (14) and Maureen (13) attended St Thomas More RC High School. The entire school have expressed their whole-hearted support for the return of the children. Peace (11) attended St. Cuthbert's Primary school with her brother Morris (9), where she was recently voted House Captain by pupils and staff, who have been devastated by their disappearance. Dennis and Moris were altar boys at St. Cuthbert’s church.

The community that so cherished this family are sad and angry. They are appalled by the way this loving, caring family were treated in detention and sustained injury during removal attempts. They now just want them all to come home.

Emma Ginn (posted by sp)

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

deportations

11.11.2005 14:36

sorry to hear of the forced removal of this tragic case in wigan,over at liverpool we fight to defend people from deportation and recently held a march to highlight a racial muder in huyton. It was good and positive like the previos vigili still think we should all make the extra effort to fight and redouble our energy to protect and defend the families and victims of this govts racial laws..a national strategy to revoke the government legislation,to keep the people from snatch squads maybe or social centres in all the citys; a safe zone for those under threat of immediate removal.. the function and running can be decided later. with having tried 2 times to establish them in Liverpool 3rd time lucky.they are needed badly .i hear lancaster are about to do something radical too.

hohno


u go kids

23.12.2005 12:04

hey there i really do agree with what these kids are doing and want to wish them good luck

damien


help?

06.01.2006 22:50

can we do something about this? what can we do? its so infuriating!

Lora
mail e-mail: lora_maisey@yahoo.co.uk


can i help?

20.03.2006 15:36

Are they back in england now? Is this campaign still going on? How r they now? Is there anything i can do to help?

davina ann
mail e-mail: annakissed@hotmail.com


can i help

20.03.2006 15:39

r they back in england now? is this campaign still going on? How r they? Ive got lots of free time + lots of friends, is there anything we can do 2 help?  annakissed@hotmail.com

davina ann
mail e-mail: annakissed@hotmail.com


Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

Topics

Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

[navigation.actions2016]

[navigation.actions2015]

[navigation.actions2014]

NATO 2014

Actions 2013

G8 2013

Actions 2012

Workfare

Actions 2011

2011 Census Resistance
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Occupy Everywhere

Actions 2010

Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands

Actions 2009

COP15 Climate Summit 2009
G20 London Summit
Guantánamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
University Occupations for Gaza

Actions 2008

2008 Days Of Action For Autonomous Spaces
Campaign against Carmel-Agrexco
Climate Camp 2008
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Smash EDO
Stop Sequani Animal Testing
Stop the BNP's Red White and Blue festival

Actions 2007

Climate Camp 2007
DSEi 2007
G8 Germany 2007
Mayday 2007
No Border Camp 2007

Actions 2006

April 2006 No Borders Days of Action
Art and Activism Caravan 2006
Climate Camp 2006
Faslane
French CPE uprising 2006
G8 Russia 2006
Lebanon War 2006
March 18 Anti War Protest
Mayday 2006
Oaxaca Uprising
Refugee Week 2006
Rossport Solidarity
SOCPA
Transnational Day of Action Against Migration Controls
WSF 2006

Actions 2005

DSEi 2005
G8 2005
WTO Hong Kong 2005

Actions 2004

European Social Forum
FBI Server Seizure
May Day 2004
Venezuela

Actions 2003

Bush 2003
DSEi 2003
Evian G8
May Day 2003
No War F15
Saloniki Prisoner Support
Thessaloniki EU
WSIS 2003

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech

Publish Your News


Temporary Scroogle search

-->