Copenhagen: occupation of a detention centre

16.Sep.02 - Today Activists of Global Roots occupied a detention camp for refugees. The day before the start of the informal meeting of the European ministers of the interior and justice, the danish activist group Global Roots organized a succesfull action of social disobedience. At 16.00 25 activists forced their way through the fences of a detention camp for refugees close to the city of Hillerød. The activist brougth ladders and climbed the roof of the dettention center. In the following three hours Global Roots was occupying the detention camp chanting slogans as "one, two, one two three, free all refugees, and coomunicating with the inmates of the prison, who also shouted and crashed a few windows. Meanwhile more and more riot-police arrived in the area. After three hours the activists decided to climb down by themselves to avoid injuries. All activists was arrested and held for 8 hours. At the moment when the activist entered the prison, ironically, about 100 cops were training riots at another entrance to the prison just 500 meters away. Specators tells that they suddenly seemed very busy!!!

Press release from Global Roots:

Global Roots occupies detention camp A few moments ago, activists from the Global Roots occupied the closed asylum prison of Sandholmlejren. The action is a protest against the EU refugee laws. It is launched the day before the meeting of the EU ministers of justice and the ministers of the interior in Copenhagen. Nikolaj Heltoft of Global Roots says:
"The refugees in this prison are living under dreadful conditions. 5 people sharing 15 square meters of space, having to do their dishes and go to the toilet in the same room."
The majority of inmates are not convicted of any crime, they are awaiting their deportation. Their only crime is their search for a better life. The conditions of Sanholmlejren mirrors the way that the EU treats immigrants. Since the year 1993, 3000 human lives have been lost trying to enter the fortified European Union.
Seen through the eyes of the Global Roots the current number of refugees is a result of global inequality. Nikolaj Heltoft says: "It would be an Utopian idea to believe that a world of such inequality would not cause migration. The migration from the poor parts of the world is not a criminal act. It is a healthy disobedience against an unjust world order."
The Global Roots reject the current European asylum policies: "Only people who can prove themselves to be victims of political persecution can dream of getting asylum in Europe. In our opinion people fleeing conditions of poverty have the same right. People must have the right to live wherever they want. At the same time we must commit ourselves to a fair distribution of the world's wealth, thus ensuring that nobody are forced to flee their home.
The Global Roots will continue the direct actions for boundless human dignity.
- No borders!!!
- No human is illegal!!