Initiatives from France, the UK and Belgium organised the transnational Noborder Camp in Calais, France, a week of convergence, discussions and protest, which took place from 23-29th of June 2009, including a transnational demonstration for Freedom of Movement on June 27th 2009.
Transnational Demonstration (Photos): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Articles on Indymedia UK: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
Articles on Lille Indymedia (en): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15
Radio Interview (10min, en)
Daily Camp Newspaper: June 23rd | June 24th
Microblogging: on identi.ca | NoBorders South Wales on Twitter
See also: Camp Info Website | Directions to the camp | Callout [en]| Video call out | Transnational demo in Calais | Travel Info | First aid call out | Breaking the Law of the Jungle (background article) | Repression against Refugees and Supporters in Northern France (again) | more articles
The Noborder Camp took place at Calais from 23-29 June 2009 with a transnational demonstration on Saturday 27th of June in Calais.
Why a protest camp in Calais?
While Europe is tightening its border controls to the outside of
Europe, and especially to Northern Africa, one of its internal borders
is often overseen. Many migrants who come to Europe aim to reach the
United Kingdom, but after the closing down of the centre in
Sangatte/Calais, people are forced to sleep rough in the woods around
the harbour, getting pushed around and often finally sent back to Paris
where they are forced to sleep rough in their hundreds.
Furthermore the UK Border serves as a mechanism of internal control and filtering in Europe. By pushing the UK border onto French territory, the British government has made it impossible for many people to claim asylum in the UK and forced those that do try into the hands of people smugglers. This situation can only be changed when we start a public discourse about the UK Border regime and the humanitarian situation of the people who try to reach the UK from France.
The Border regime can be only understood in its political and economic context, i.e. the exploitation of cheap work from migrants. Therefore we think that the struggle for equal rights for migrant workers and the struggle against the European detention and asylum system are closely connected. We also believe that we need to intensify the transnational cooperation between initiatives made by people on both sides of the border who find the current situation unbearable.
Some links to initiatives who work in the area: