A farcical curtain of steel has descended on Calais, and the massive campaign of demonisation of our camp by the local authorities continues in the press. The camp is now fully set up with approx 300 people from all over Europe. Many local people are visiting the site and a group of around 40 mostly Kurdish and Afghani migrants. It is nice big site, quite open for people to come walk around and a lot of local kids hanging out. It runs alongside the main motorway from the port out of town and is just a few minutes from the Jungle, the makeshift camps where migrants are living. Many of the migrants seem to be very young, one just 12 year old Afghani visited the camp last night. Migrants report that currently the controls at the border are very tight and that no one has been getting through for few weeks, consequently the number of migrants in Calais are at their highest in several years.
Repression of migrants continues; on Monday night there was a violent raid of squat in town where mostly Eritrean people were living. One person had their arm broken during the attack. There are rumours of another one this afternoon; we waiting to hear more from people at the camp who have gone down to support the migrants. People from camp are also helping at food distro points that are being hassled by police.
Police presence in town is very heavy and both activists and migrants are being stopped and searched in the area. Some items have been taken but we have not heard of no major problems getting to camp so far.
The atmosphere on site is good, the migrants here seem to be enjoying some conversations and games of football they would not normally have the space to play and at least for now it is quite relaxed. There are three kitchens, showers being built, internet up and running, cinema, workshops, medical tent, trauma support, legal tent, and an invite has gone out to local people and other migrants in area to come to camp.
In a direct action this morning, 30 people blockaded detention centre Losquin in Lille using arm tubes to prevent removal of someone scheduled for today. 29 people were arrested and are due to be released tonight. A group of solidarity formed and we are all hoping for more actions to show oour resitance to this horrific machine
An information leaflet is being distributed on what to expect in the UK for migrants is being distributed and being translated to Arabic and Kurdish languages. There is also a newspaper being produced on site, Nomad, and distributed in town, accompanied by bike sound system.
The route of demo on Saturday being negotiated with authorities and they put out a press release today to 'reassure local people as to the nature of our intentions and we want to invite all local associations and people who would like to see the situation improve for migrants and those that help them to join us on Saturday for our march which is still planned to gather at 10am on Saturday in front of the lighthouse. We call for the inhabitants of Calais and the activists of associations, trade unions and political parties and not to be intimidated by the discourse of the authorities and to come and participate in the activities of the camp and to the demonstration on Saturday.'
Apparently, the wearing of masks has been banned by police. More information to follow.
A big discussion will be happening tonight about local situation with the humanitarian groups. It is our belief on the camp that people should have free movement and the situation here is a million miles away from that. Explaining to the migrants that we are against the border but that we are not able to make it any easier to cross is frustrating to say the least! They are so bravely challenging the border and risking so much every night. This camp has already strengthened the transnational solidarity and re-politicised the issue locally. It must be just the beginning and we must do all we can to continue to fight the border regimes that are causing so much suffering. It is one thing to hold a political position and quite another to be here and trying to see a way that this situation can be changed.
We denounce in the strongest terms the attempts to criminalise us and to intimidate local people into silence on an issue that affects them directly. We denounce completely and call an end to the extreme violence and intimidation being directed towards migrants by the police,
THE DEMONSTRATION FOR FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND THE RIGHT TO STAY- SATURDAY 27th JUNE 10am AT THE LIGHTHOUSE IN CALAIS
FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT FOR ALL, STOP DEPORTATIONS, NO MORE IMMIGRATION PRISONS, ASYLUM IS NOT A CRIME, NO ONE IS ILLEGAL!!!
http://calaisnoborder.eu.org
calais_press@riseup.net
press phone on site (En) 0447766700131
Police presence in town is very heavy and both activists and migrants are being stopped and searched in the area. Some items have been taken but we have not heard of no major problems getting to camp so far.
The atmosphere on site is good, the migrants here seem to be enjoying some conversations and games of football they would not normally have the space to play and at least for now it is quite relaxed. There are three kitchens, showers being built, internet up and running, cinema, workshops, medical tent, trauma support, legal tent, and an invite has gone out to local people and other migrants in area to come to camp.
In a direct action this morning, 30 people blockaded detention centre Losquin in Lille using arm tubes to prevent removal of someone scheduled for today. 29 people were arrested and are due to be released tonight. A group of solidarity formed and we are all hoping for more actions to show oour resitance to this horrific machine
An information leaflet is being distributed on what to expect in the UK for migrants is being distributed and being translated to Arabic and Kurdish languages. There is also a newspaper being produced on site, Nomad, and distributed in town, accompanied by bike sound system.
The route of demo on Saturday being negotiated with authorities and they put out a press release today to 'reassure local people as to the nature of our intentions and we want to invite all local associations and people who would like to see the situation improve for migrants and those that help them to join us on Saturday for our march which is still planned to gather at 10am on Saturday in front of the lighthouse. We call for the inhabitants of Calais and the activists of associations, trade unions and political parties and not to be intimidated by the discourse of the authorities and to come and participate in the activities of the camp and to the demonstration on Saturday.'
Apparently, the wearing of masks has been banned by police. More information to follow.
A big discussion will be happening tonight about local situation with the humanitarian groups. It is our belief on the camp that people should have free movement and the situation here is a million miles away from that. Explaining to the migrants that we are against the border but that we are not able to make it any easier to cross is frustrating to say the least! They are so bravely challenging the border and risking so much every night. This camp has already strengthened the transnational solidarity and re-politicised the issue locally. It must be just the beginning and we must do all we can to continue to fight the border regimes that are causing so much suffering. It is one thing to hold a political position and quite another to be here and trying to see a way that this situation can be changed.
We denounce in the strongest terms the attempts to criminalise us and to intimidate local people into silence on an issue that affects them directly. We denounce completely and call an end to the extreme violence and intimidation being directed towards migrants by the police,
THE DEMONSTRATION FOR FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND THE RIGHT TO STAY- SATURDAY 27th JUNE 10am AT THE LIGHTHOUSE IN CALAIS
FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT FOR ALL, STOP DEPORTATIONS, NO MORE IMMIGRATION PRISONS, ASYLUM IS NOT A CRIME, NO ONE IS ILLEGAL!!!
http://calaisnoborder.eu.org calais_press@riseup.net press phone on site (En) 0447766700131
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Pics?
24.06.2009 18:33
Chiara
article in the Metro
24.06.2009 23:40
The whole article, including the headline, were out of character for the Metro and the wording used jsut wasn't them. I am pretty convinved that the article, which intended to scare off people planning to attend the camp, was put in by French Police/Borders Agency.
The general gist of it was that lots of anarchists were going to descend on Calais but that the French Police would come down on them like a tonne of bricks, so don't worry everyone! Law, order and justice shall be restored ten-fold! pfft....
did anyone else see this article?
in Untity, with Strength, through Action!
cakey
Metro article - they are part of Daily Mail group
25.06.2009 08:16
librarian
similar article in the Sun
25.06.2009 09:26
The rag also reports that Calais' mayor blames the UK for attracting so many migrants through their lax immigration policy and benefit system, and subsequently she wants border controls to be lifted, so the migrants are not her problem anymore.
sun reader
Obviously NOT TRUE
25.06.2009 14:49
reporting the Camp participants as violent thugs aiming to storm the
border. We were shocked to read in The Sun a story about hundreds of us
being stopped by the French police trying to storm the Channel Tunnel; an
event which never took place. If such an action had been taken there would have been reports for sure. There have been no violent confrontations between activists at camp and the police so far. But violence is a daily reality for the people without papers here in Calais.
Although we never expected positive coverage from these papers we have
been amazed at the willingness of the British media to not only exaggerate
rumours about the intention of participants at the camp but to entirely
fabricate stories that have no basis in truth. These stories then get
repeated as fact by papers such as the Independent, which normally takes a
much more measured stance on migration issues.
Although its frustrating it is important that such reports do not go unchallenged. This drivel affects the debate around important issues of asylum and migration that are causing a genuine humanitarian crisis for hundreds of individuals here in Calais.
It may be useful to write comments on sun blog and letters to the editor of Independent demanding to hear other side of story
No One is Illegal
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