The persecution of Roma - Infonight - 28/09/10

In the last few weeks we have seen a terrifying attack on the Roma in France. Led by President Sarkozy himself, the French state has declared war on the Roma population, both recent arrivals from Eastern Europe and Roma who have lived in France for generations. There have been highly publicised eviction raids on Roma and Gypsy settlements with mass deportations to Eastern European countries. The language used by the French state is the same as that of Vichy when they rounded up Jews for the concentration camps. This has polarised French opinion and thousands came out to demonstrate in solidarity with the Roma across France.

Screening of "Erasing David" with Q&A with director David Bond, 14/09/10

London NoBorders presents:

Erasing David - a documentary about privacy, surveillance and the database state

Tuesday 14th September 2010

At the Shortwave Cinema, 10 Bermondsey Square, SE1 3UN (nearest tube: London Bridge)

Film starts at 7.30pm, followed by a Q&A session with the film's director David Bond.

Suggested donation: £5 waged, £3 unwaged

Demonstration against evictions of Roma, French Embassy, 04/09/10

The Irish Traveller Movement in Britain is calling for a demo at 1pm on Saturday 4th September outside the French Embassy (58 Knightsbridge) against the recent policies of the French Government, which have resulted in families with children as young as 2 weeks old being evicted with less than 30 minutes notice to gather their things and left homeless on the streets of France. Others have been packed onto planes with no choice and sent back to their home countries. Some of the Roma have lived in France all their lives.

Updates from Calais ( 12-14 August 2010 )

Sat 14th August

Numerous arrests in the morning when people go to town from their jungles and squats.

Police went to Pashto jungle in the morning around 9.30, everybody who had no papers went to hide, no arrests were made.

A group of 6 or 7 Pashto were stopped on the road to town around 10 am, one young man was arrested the others had papers. Others were arrested elsewhere. Two boys were arrested in the Richelieu park at around 11, despite having just returned from the police station.

A group of 6 Africans were arrested on the road coming from the African squat.

Calais Updates 8 August 2010

Sunday 8th August: The Pashto jungle was raided at 2 am today and some underage boys aged 14 to 16 were arrested and taken to Coquelles, from where they had to walk back for approx 1 hr 45 min. Three of the same boys were arrested again in front of the food distribution place at approx 3.30 together with two adults. The boys were soon released and turned up at food distribution in the evening.

Hunger Strike in Campsfield ended

The hunger strike at Camsfield, which began on the evening of Sunday 1 August, ended yesterday morning, Monday 9 August.

see also: Hunger strike at Campsfield immigration prison | Inside Campsfield Detention Centre | Second Statement by Detainees in Campsfield | Campaign to close Campsfield

Inside Campsfield Detention Centre

Report from visitors to a detainee on Wednesday afternoon 4 August 2010 :

BC [the detainee] affirmed that some 180 detainees in Campsfield are standing together in the hunger strike.

He also affirmed that organisers had made clear to everyone that any kind of violent behaviour such as breaking windows, damaging property or attempting to break out would not be tolerated. Their action was directed at the manifold injustice of the Asylum and Immigration system and to get a proper response from its authorities in the Ministry and Government.

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