Saturday 7 October demonstration

For Migrant workers and asylum rights

 

 posted: 11 Oct 2006

NO ONE IS ILLEGAL

NO BORDERS, STOP DEPORTATIONS

LONDON DEMONSTRATION

 

Approximately Five Hundred plus people gathered at the Imperial War Museum at midday for the 7 October demonstration called by the Athens European social Forum to highlight the plight of migrant workers and asylum seekers.  The demonstration was made up of a mixed crowd of the usual lefties selling their newspapers, asylum campaigners and migrant workers and asylum seekers from many communities.  The Migrant workers justice for cleaners’ campaign had a large visible contingent on the demonstration wearing red T-Shirts.  There were marchers from the Congo, Rwanda, Bolivia, Iraq and Iran. 

 

There were a large number of colourful banners from a wide variety of campaigns such as the Bolivian Solidarity Campaign, No Sweat, International federation of Iraqi Refugee, International Organisation of Iranian Refugees, Coalition to stop Deportations to Iraq, No Borders, T&G sex workers section there were also a large number of RMT flags on the demonstration   The Demonstration left the imperial war Museum to march slowly from the Imperial War Museum along Borough High St and along St Thomas’s St  past the infamous Becket House where asylum seekers are forced to sign at allotted weekly or monthly appointments.  Never sure if they are going to be released or transported to a detention centre to be forcibly deported.  The March ended at a park close to Jamaica Rd SE1.

 

The demonstration reached the park at 2.30.   On arrival in the park the Solidarity Campaign for Bolivia started playing some traditional Bolivian music and started to dance.  Directly following this display the organizers of the demonstration called for the speakers, one of the first speakers was Dashty Jamal from the Coalition to Stop Deportations to Iraq Dashty spoke of the current situation in Iraqi Kurdistan and the experience of Iraqi asylum seekers recently forcibly returned on 5 Sept 06.

 

“In this century starting with the war on terror there is not a safe place in the world.  Human Rights, Civil Rights, Migrant workers are under threat because of the policy of the new world order brought about by the war of terror of both state and non state terrorism.  We need an international Human Rights movement to stop this barbarism.  Today twenty three million Iraqis are affected by this policy, their daily lives are controlled by terrorism and civil war.  Even today thousands of young people are leaving Iraq looking for a better life.  On the 1st September 32 Kurdish Iraqis were forcibly returned to Iraq from the UK.  They were taken from a detention centre handcuffed accompanied by two security guards per asylum seeker.  They were forced to wear protective caps and flak jackets before they were forced off the Plane at Erbil Airport in Iraq.  Iraq is not a safe place this is why we have set up the Coalition to publicise the terrible way asylum seekers are treated in this country and stop deportations to Iraq.  The world needs a strong human right’s movement .  Please support our campaign and help us build this movement.

 

On the same day in Huddersfield International Federation Iraqi Refugees and Kurdish Cultural Community – Kirklees held a demonstration which marched from Nawaroz market to the city centre.  The demonstration was attended by a number of asylum seekers and campaigners from the International Organisation of Iranian Refugees and Workers Liberty. .The following slogans was used on the demonstration.

 

 No Deportations to Iraqi Kurdistan

Stop the war on Iraqi asylum seekers,

Asylum rights is human right

 

Burhan Fatah on behalf of the International Federation of Iraqi Refugees spoke asking for support for the campaign to stop deportation to Iraq and spoke of the current situation in Iraqi and Kurdistan telling people to visit their MP and to sign the petition

…..

 

Coalition to stop Deportations to Iraq

8-10-2006

www.csdiraq.com

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