Over 20 women have been on hunger strike at Yarls Wood Immigration Prison near Bedford since Friday 5th February, calling for their immediate release.
Guards at the Serco run centre have tried to suppress the hunger strike from the start. On Monday 8th February the women were locked in a corridor for 8 hours without access to water and toilet facilities.
There have been a number of solidarity demos in support of the hunger strikers, including outside Yarl's Wood on Sunday 21st at the Serco offices on London on Friday 12th and outside Holloway Prison, in support of 4 of the so-called "ringleaders" of the hunger strike who have been incarcerated there, on Wednesday 17th.
The hunger strike is the latest in a long line of resistance within detention centres in the UK and beyond. For example, there have been disturbances at Harmondsworth centre near Heathrow in November 2006, and more recently at Brook House near Gatwick. 10 people are currently on trial in France, accused of arson at Vincennes CRA (detention centre) near Paris in June 2008.
Upcoming events:
Public meeting, 11/03/10 | Fundraiser, 23/03/10
Further links:
Voices from Yarl's Wood |
History of resistance in UK detention centres
Yarl's Wood Migrant Solidarity are calling a demonstration at midday on Sunday, 14 March in solidarity with the women on hunger strike in Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre. We join these women in their protest against the detention of migrants. We support their bravery and we oppose immigration laws that restrict the freedom of movement of those in need.
Saturday 13th March 2010
Demo from midday-1.30pm
Outside Harmondsworth immigration prison near Heathrow.
Noise demo in support of humger strikers in Harmondsworth.
Thursday 11th March, 7pm
SOAS, Russell Square. (Room TBC but please meet on the steps outside the main building just before 7pm)
Meeting to discuss support and solidarity demos for women in Yarl's Wood on hunger strike since Friday 5th February.
Holloway Prison, Parkhurst Road, London N7 0NU
Wednesday 3rd March, 6.30pm-7.30pm
Demo at Holloway Prison in support of the three hunger strikers imprisoned there as well as the twenty women still refusing food at Yarl's Wood Detention Centre.
Anti-detention campaigners held a protest at Yarl's Wood immigration
prison in Bedfordshire today (Sunday 21st February) in solidarity with women detainees who have been on hunger strike since 5th February.
Activists from London NoBorders, Campaign Against Immigration Controls and Feminist Fightback managed to get past the prison's security barriers and walk around the barbed-wire fence with banners, shouting solidarity slogans via loudspeakers and making noise with pots and whistles for well over an hour.
Over 50 women have been on hunger strike at Yarls Wood Immigration Prison near Bedford since Friday 5th February, demanding their immediate release from indefinite detention.
Serco, the company that runs Yarl's Wood on behalf of the UK Border Agency, has tried to brutally repress the hunger strike, most notably on Monday 8th February when Serco guards locked the hunger strikers in a corridor for 8 hours without access to water or toilet facilities.
London NoBorders calls for the immediate release of the hunger
strikers and an end to immigration prisons and is calling for a demo in solidarity with the hungers strikers on Friday 26th February at 2.30pm outside Serco's offices at 18-22 Hand Court (off High Holborn), London, WC1V 6JF. Please bring banners and instruments.
