7oct: from Warsaw in Poland to Nouakchott in Mauretania
7th of October 2006: Transnational Actionday against migration-control
20.Sep.06 - One year after the escalations in Ceuta and Melilla a broad network of migrationrelated initiatives call for freedom of movement in a transnational day of action. In dozens of cities in Europe and also in Africa manifestations and demonstrations are in preparation for 7th of October.
To organize such a day of migration-related actions was decided on the European Social Forum in May 2006, when about 15.000 people from different social movements met in Athens.
Since last year the militarisation of EU-migration policy has got another instrument: Frontex! Thats the name of the new European Border Agency, which is located in Warsaw. Frontex organised already EU-wide charterdeportations and coordinates an operation now at the coast of West Africa: to intensify controls by ships and airplanes to prevent more so called African boatpeople from reaching Europe.
At the moment (September 06) still without meeting any success: every day new boats are landing at the Canary Islands, with more people than ever before, and some starting at about a 1200 km distance from Mauretania or even Senegal. During the last months hundreds of people drowned or died of hunger or of thirst when they risked this new route. And the same is still happening in the Sicilian Channel.
European governments put increasing pressure to African countries to become henchmen for their inhuman migration-policy. Beginning in July 06 a so-called "African European summit on migration and development" took place in Rabat, again mainly in order to push African governments to adopt more systems of migration-control: to implement more visa-restrictions, to establish detention-camps, to accept "repatriation"-programms. Mainly North and West African countries are targets of this externalisation-process at the moment, and they are supposed to block migrants on their way to Europe and help to deport them to the desert or subsaharan countries.
The European governments are responsible for thousands of deaths of African people in the last years; it is a kind of war against migrants and refugees. The above mentioned Frontex-operation is another step in this war, aiming again on the destruction of the (new) flight-routes.
With this backdrop the following call for actions on 7th of October is an important step of common resistance against this inhuman policy. Eastern European activists will protest in front of the aforementioned Frontex-office in Warsaw, while in a press-conference in Nouakchott the illegalisation of migration will be strictly critisized.
From London to Athens, from Hamburg to Barcelona, simultanous demonstrations and actions are exspected in dozens of cities all over Europe. And most important: not only in Mauretania, but also in Marocco, Tunesia and Benin activities have been announced as well.
As you can see in the long list of signatures many more organisations from various African countries have signed the call. They as well as many initiatives in Europe support the 3rd Day of Action on the 7th of October, which will be directed against the denial of rights, against the criminalisation of migrants and against all immigration controls, articulating clear demands within the framework of freedom of movement and the right to stay:
- For Europe-wide unconditional legalisation and equal rights for all migrants
- For the closure of all detention centers in Europe and everywhere
- For an end to all deportations and the externalisation process
- For the uncoupling of the residence permit from the labour contract and against 'precarity'.
If not stated otherwise, the events are taking place on Saturday, Oct 7, 2006.
Austria
In Vienna, several decentralised actions will take place. For 1pm it is a called to demolish the aliens law at Kärtnerstraße. And from 6-7:30pm a video screening on the topic "marriage without borders" will take place. A collective demonstration against detention-camps will start at 2:30 pm at the Deportation Jail on Hernalser Guertel 8-12, 1080 Vienna. (read the call) Further information: no-racism.net
Belguim
In Brussels, people 'with no papers' will join a Reclaim the Streets party on Saturday.
Benin
In Cotounou activities are planed for 6th, 7th and 9th of October.
Canary Ilands
On Friday, Oct 6 a March in Solidarity with Migrants will start on 6:30pm at the Monument of the Vela Latina, Avenue Maritima in S.Telmo Park, Las Palmas. ( read the maifesto)
France
In Paris there will be a gathering/demonstration, meeting point: 18h place du Bourg-Tibourg, 4ème (métro Hôtel de Ville)
In Rennes a demo on the construction site of the new retention camp at the airport will start at 4pm
Info: pajol.eu.org
Angers: CSP49 and CSSP49 (sans papiers and support groups) organize a march, departure 3pm quartier Verneau, 65 rue du Général Lizé.
Germany
Augsburg: A Demonstration for the right to stay - Against lager accomodation and racist exclusion will start on 11:30am at Koenigsplatz (see deutschland-lagerland.de)
Berlin: Manifestation and demonstration against a deportation-camp, Start: 10:00am Motardstrasse 101a, 12pm: manifestation in front of "Dussmann" (S/U-Bhf Friedrichstr.), 3pm: protestparty in front of refugee camp Motardstrasse 101a (more chipkartenini.squat.net)
Cologne: Demonstration for right to stay. Start 3pm, Rudolfplatz, final manifestation 4pm, Domplatte (info: kmii-koeln.de)
In Frankfurt a concert for right to stay on Oct 6 and an action at the entrance to the international bookfair against externalisation and for the right to stay on Oct 7 will take place.
Freiburg (Suedbaden): Demonstration in the city, meetingpont 12:00pm (noon) in front of city hall. (more infos aktionbleiberecht.de)
Hamburg: Nothern-germany-wide demonstration against deportation of migrants and externalisation - more informations fluechtlingsrat-hamburg.de and hamburg.euromayday.org
Lindau: A picket will start at 2pm at Menschenrechts-Stein (human-rights memorial at Leuchtturmmole), followed by a demonstration for the rights of refugees and migrants to the city hall.
Regensburg: Manfiestation for the rigth to stay! 11-12am the collective accommodation for refugees, Alte Straubinger Straße 7. After, from 12:30-13:30pm manifestation in front of the old city hall (Altes Rathaus).
Thuringia: Manifestation in front of the refugee-camp in Freienbessingen (more informations bergsteigen.net.tc
Greece
In Athens, the African Women League and the Network of Migrant Women in Greece, with the support of many feminist, migrants' and social organizations, call for a protest demonstration, raising the issue of the citizenship of migrants' children born in Greece. Protest Demo meeting point 3pm, Platia Dimarhiou (Municipality Square)
The youth of the green party of greece (iliosporoi) and "ecological athens" (candidate in next elections for local government) are organizing a multicultural open air concert with migrant and greed groups at Thisio (at the mall opposite to Gazi area) start 8pm. (Info: iliosporoi.gr)
In Thessaloniki members of the Migrants? Forum and Antiracist Initiative of Thessaloniki will give press conference on October 5 with the title "Migrants and local government", regarding the Action Day and the occasion of the forthcoming local government elections. The activities on October 7 will include the founding assembly of the Migrants' Forum in Thessaloniki and a cultural happening with music from various countries, start: 6pm, Labor Center
Italy
In Bologna a NoBorderParade will start at 4pm in via Indipendenza. ( see the call)
The Coordinamento Migranti Bologna several migrants' associations, some autonomous unions and other political groups will demonstrate in front of the local site of Government in Bologna. We aim to connect the particular situation experienced by migrants in our city with the transnational struggles against the European management of migration, mainly protesting against the link between the residence permit and the labour contract, the policy of "quotas" and detention centres. ( info)
In Milan some inmigrant's association make a meeting: AI MASS MEDIA DICIAMO BASTA! against the desinformation and defamation of migrants, meeting: 3pm, Ore 15, Piazza Cavour in front of palazzo dell'informazione.
Rome: Assembly from 10 am to 2 pm at Teatro Ambra Jovinelli, demonstration in front of the detention centre of Ponte Galeira at 4pm.
Mali
A forum taking place to remember the events of Ceuta and Melilla. It started on the 28th of september and will finish on the 7th of October.
Mauretania
In Nouakchott and Nouadhibou Press-Conferences and days of sensibisation will take place.
Morocco
The Rabat-migration-conference is proposing an action in Morocco on the 7th of October to remember the dead people in Ceuta and Melilla last year, and that's why the action should take place at the fence of Ceuta, exactly where these migrants lost their lives. It should be a symbolic action to remember the victims who are still without names. (read the call)
Netherlands
In Amsterdam Action in the shopping centre of Zaandam (near Amsterdam) to inform and mobilize the public on the two newly build detention boats in the Zaandam harbour. (Info: allincluded.nl)
Poland
Warsaw will see 2 days of protest: On the 6th of October at 3pm a demonstration in front of the Office for Repatriation and Aliens (Warsaw, 16 Koszykowa Street) will take place with participating refugees from Chechnya and Africa (mainly connected with Migrator Theatre). On the 7th of October there will be film show in the Warsaw University (26/28 Krakowskie Przedmiescie Street, Audytorium Maximum (B)) about situation of the refugees in EU with lectures by a law expert. (info: pl.indymedia.org)
Portugal
demonstration organized by the Left Bloc
Russia
In Moskow some action will take place.
Spain
In Málaga a demonstration for the rights of immigrans will take place on Oct 6, 7pm at Plaza de la Marina, followed by a festival against racism, 9pm at Plaza de Capuchinos ((see poster)
Further confirmed manifestations, actions, and demonstrations will take place in Almería, Barcelona, Bilbao, Las Palmas, Madrid, Motril, Sévilla, Ténérife, and Valencia.
Sweden
Manifestation in Gothenburg
Switzerland
In Lausanne a manifestation will start at 2pm from place Palud ( call)
In la Côte (a region near Nyon and Morges) something is planned by l?Autre syndicat and the Collectif des Sans-Papiers.
UK
London: there will be a March for Migrants' Rights, followed by a Social Benefit at rampART and a Conference on Sunday, the 8th.
Glasgow: there will be a similar March in Glasgow organised by the Union of Asylum Seekers in Scotland (UNITY).
Birmingham: the Anti-Racist Campaign are organising a Ceremony in the City Centre.
Other actions in the UK include a protest at the Communications House in London called by the Global Women's Strike on Fri the 6th, and a "No Deportations To Iraqi Kurdistan" demo on Saturday the 7th in Huddersfield called by the International Federation of Iraqi Refugees and the Kurdish Cultural Community in Kirklees.
US/Mexico
A mass demonstration is taking place at the U.S-Mexican border to demand "justice in our communities".
General contact: frassainfo@kein.org