European Sans-Papiers March from Brussels to Paris

Members of French collectives of sans-papiers (people without a residence and working permit) decided to organise a march from Brussels to Paris to make their demands [fr] heard. On 31 May, they started their march with a demo [pics 1 | 2 | 3). In the evening, they held a meeting to share their experiences with local people and to discuss the possibilities of starting a shared struggle of all the sans-papiers in Europe. The next day, a delegation was received at the European Parliament. During the meeting, the rest of the group gathered in a nearby park [pics].

On 2 June, the march went to Liège. The sans-papiers marched in a demonstration towards the detention center of Vottem, compared by participant to Guantanamo [pics 1 | 2 | 3 & video). In the evening, a public meeting was organised. The next day, they met sans-papiers from Liège in a Red Cross Center, then went on to Gent [pics 1 | 2 & video | 3). They left Gent on the 4th of June to go to Kortrijk [pics 1 | 2].

After Kortrijk, the march moved on towards France. On their way, the sans-papiers stopped in Mouscron, where the local mayor welcomed them. Then they went on towards the border. As crossing a border is a always a risky operation for "illegals", many members of a local union section were waiting for them in Belgium to cross the border with them. In France, the sans-papiers first went to Tourcoing, then joined a demo in Lille against the plan of the French governement to reform social security. They continued their demo in direction of the "Bourse du travail", where hundreds of sans-papiers are currently in a hungerstrike [photos of the day 1 | 2].

This hunger strike [fr] is the 13th of sans-papiers in Lille. It started on 12 May because the French authorities did not keep the promises they had made last summer [fr] at the end of a previous (57 days long) hunger strike. The French authorities had then promised to reconsider the possibility of granting most sans-papiers the right to stay on an individual basis.

The hunger strikers also demand that all sans papiers should be granted the right to stay and work in Europe, and to live a decent life here. Currently, the French authorities refuse to negociate with the hungerstrikers and claim that they are manipulated, which the hunger strikers explicitely deny. The sans-papiers of Lille declare that they started their hunger strike because they had no other choice and that the authorities just tried to silence them.

Last week, the police raided a hospital [fr] where the hungerstrikers had medical examinations on invitation of the local authorities. 132 people were arrested and some of them were sent to a detention center. The police clearly shows that it is willing to intimidate people who support the sans-papiers' action. For instance, police officers conspicuously collect license plate numbers around the "Bourse du travail" and make identity controls on every possible occasion. The sans-papiers are outraged by what is happening and declare that it only makes them more resolute. [See imc Lille (fr) 1 | 2]

After having expressed its support to the hunger strikers in Lille, the European march of sans-papiers went on through France (6 June : Lens - 7 June : Arras - 8 June : Amiens - 9 June : Creil - 10 June : Argenteuil - 11 June : Saint Denis - 12 June : Paris). The march ended on 12 June in Paris with a demonstration. More info in French on Indymedia Paris.