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A protest opposite St Stephen's Gate at Westminster was organised by SOS Immigration Discrimination (SOSID). A second was held outside the racist newspaper the Daily Mail, organised by the Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers.
See pictures from both demos below.
The protests were part of a European wide action against the detention of asylum seekers and migrants called for at the European Social Forum held in Paris in November 2003.
The protest called for by SOS-ID, it is promised, is the first in a series of intiatives to be organised by this new organisation, mainly made up of Congolese asylum seekers based around Britain.
The protest outside the Daily Mail was opposed by a counter-demonstration of some 20 BNP (not NF, as some readers suggest) members. Their banners read "Vote BNP, Read the Daily Mail" which proved the point made by anti-Daily Mail demonstrators who noted that the paper has fascist connections going back to the days of the BUF.
The UK movement is slowly realising the importance of adhering to such European initiatives, but still the turnout was small. While in other countries, particularly those with shorter histories of immigration, such as Italy there is an acute realisation of the connectedness between other themes of social struggle central to the movement for globalisation from below, in Britain it appears that anti-racism and pro-immigration campaigns are still held at a distance.
It is vital that those involved in anti-racism and the rights of migrants and asylum seekers become aware that the consolidation of policy at a European (and global) level necessitates a unified response. While we cannot overlook the importance of local action, where possible we should try to highlight how the problem, unfortunately, goes beyond the confines of any single nation state.
Bill McKeith of the Campaign to Close Campsfield has suggested the need for a European-wide mobilisation against the European Parliament in Brussles to protest against MEPs' failure to counter the effects of Fortress Europe. This is an initiative to which the movement in the UK should give its support and expertise.
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