Outrage over cases like that of the Vucaj family and countless others who haven't made the news has spread across Scottish society, reflected in an extraordinary alliance of protesters. Around 30 Anarchists, Christians, Communists, Clowns, liberals, Muslims, pagans, refugee support workers, socialists and people of no particular allegiance descended on Brand St at 5am with the aim of preventing a dawn raid for one day at least. Once there, they found a number of police stood in the road preventing access to the gates and an informal candlelit vigil was held outside. Placards proclaiming "Jesus Christ was an Asylum Seeker" and "Scar on Scotland's Conscience" contrasted with the Orwellian "Building a Just and Tolerant Society" on the Home Office.
After an hour of quiet vigil-ing some especially keen child-snatchers began arriving for work. Moved from the road, protesters wondered aloud at the spectacle of police ("building safer communities") facilitating the abduction and terrorising of children. After a while, a distraction of clowns arrived and the mood lightened a little. They declared themselves to be from Elsewhere and attempted to turn themselves in for deportation to Denmark, Jamaica, any country more sane than this one.
Around 8.30 the protesters left, satisfied that no raids would or could take place that day but determined to continue and grow resistance to this inhuman practice. Judging by the unprecedented alliances this campaign is generating, it's very unlikely that those responsible (or pretending no responsibility) will be having a Merry Xmas or a Happy New Year. And quite fucking right too.
The next protest at Brand Street takes place this Saturday (the 17th) at 10am, complementing the weekly vigil there. The venue is easily reached by the Underground or any bus via Paisley Road West.
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suggestion
14.12.2005 16:48
So I would like to offer some advice on how other families can be spared the cruel fate of deporations. Rather than have one off large scale demos, why not arrange a permanent vigil at the place, a rota of one or two people there all the time to keep a watch on their actions, and to phone when the van's turn up to snatch families. Many more families could be saved this way, and eventually they would have to give up - a real victory.
Michael Howard
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info@tory.org