|
|
Recent articles by Joe
Céad Míle Fáilte*? Racial Profiling in the Ireland Oct 24 13 Irish Travellers - Apartheid, Irish Style Oct 23 13 Soutenir les familles de Dale Farm, arrêter les attaques racistes cont... Oct 12 11 Afghan Asylum Seekers occupy St Patricks Cathedral in Dublin ireland / britain |
migration / racism |
news report
 Thursday May 18, 2006 23:14 by Joe - WSM (personal capacity)
 41 men on Hunger strike There is a growing crisis in Ireland with the hospitalisation of around 8 of the 41 Afghan Hunger strikers who occupied St Patricks Cathedral on Sunday last. WSM members have been taking part in solidarity vigils and other support work for the 41 Afghan hunger strikers . We support their demand to be allowed to stay in Ireland and we will be taking part in demonstrations and other events over the new few days in support of that demand.
The following statement was issued by the Afghans on their first day and explains their reasons for their action Hunger strike by 33 Afghan asylum seekers in order to be given refugee status by the Irish Department of Justice Afghanistan has been a country in critical war conditions for a long time, whether it was occupied by Russia troops or whether there was civil war. The human rights records remained poor due to a weak central government and deadly insurgents. There are reports of politically motivated or extrajudicial killings by the governments or its agents. For example torture, official impunity, poor prison conditions, prolonged pre-trial detention, abuse of authority by regional commanders, restrictions on freedom of the press, religion, movement and associations, acts of violence, discrimination against women and minorities, trafficking in persons, abuse of workers rights, child labour, etc. Unacquainted with the totality of the current situation in Afghanistan, the refugee application commissioner has not given full attention to our situation and has refused most of our asylum application without considering our human rights. We held a disciplined demonstration against the decisions in Dublin in order to defend our rights and to fight for justice, but unfortunately we have not been give a positive response by the Department of Justice. We left Afghanistan to survive and protect our rights. We have been here in Ireland for a number of years and most of us have been suffering from mental and physical problems on top of the mental and physical torture we had to endure in Afghanistan. We could not bear this situation any longer. So finally we have taken refuge in this holy church and started a hunger strike to defend our human rights to asylum. We want the opportunity to live a life in peace here in ireland. Otherwise we will face death. St. Patrick's Cathedral Patrick Street Dublin 8 Justice Minister Michael McDowell claims Afghanistan is safe yet the Department of Foreign Affairs website updated 3rd of May warns “against all non-essential travel to Kabul and against all travel to other parts of Afghanistan”. It goes on to state that “ The security situation in Afghanistan remains serious and the threat to Westerners from terrorist or criminal violence, including kidnappings, remains high. Irish citizens travelling to Kabul are urged to exercise extreme caution and vigilance throughout their visit”. A vigil is taking place at 12.30 and at 18.30 every day outside the cathedral, please attend this. On Saturday there is a rally organised by Residents Against Racism --- For the latest news see http://www.indymedia.ie/migration
Add Your Comments >>
 printable version
with comments
   |
 Front pageIn the Rubble of US Imperialism Elementos da Conjuntura Eleitoral 2014 The experiment of West Kurdistan (Syrian Kurdistan) has proved that people can make changes [Chile] EL FTEM promueve una serie de “jornadas de debate sindical” Ukraine: Interview with a Donetsk anarchist Prisões e mais criminalização marcam o final da Copa do Mundo no Brasil هەڵوێستی سەربەخۆی جەماوەر لە نێوان داعش و & Contra a Copa e a Repressão: Somente a Luta e Organização! Nota Pública de soldariedade e denúncia Uruguay, ante la represión y el abuso policial To vote or not to vote: Should it be a question? Mayday: Building A New Workers Movement Anarchist and international solidarity against Russian State repression Argentina: Atentado y Amenazas contra militantes sociales de la FOB en Rosario, Santa Fe Réponses anarchistes à la crise écologique A verdadeira face da violência! Face à l’antisémitisme, pour l’autodéfense Reflexiones en torno a los libertarios en Chile y la participación electoral Mandela, the ANC and the 1994 Breakthrough: Anarchist / syndicalist reflections Ireland / Britain | Migration / racism | News Report | en Sun 05 Oct, 00:03
In the last fifteen to twenty years, two new phenomena have finally reached Ireland –Immigration and alongside it - Racism. This is not to say that we Irish never had our prejudices before the ‘blacks’ arrived, back then we were quite happy directing our bigotry and ignorance towards travellers, gays, Jews and Protestants.
The exploitation of migrant workers who are often paid illegally low wages has hit the Irish news many times in recent months. Labour party leader Pat Rabbitte reacted to this explotation by suggesting further controls should be place on migrant workers! Two people were arrested in Dublin on Tuesday as Residents against Racism activists attempted to block the deportation of 39 people (including fourteen children, 5 of whom were born in Ireland) to Lagos. Nigeria. This account is from Emma a WSM member and RAR activist who was arrested.
In the early hours of May 19th Michael Alabi was deported by the Irish State. Michael was resident of a hostel in Lower Gardiner street and was part of a group of Nigerian men who decided to go on hunger strike to protest against the department of Justice's draconian immigration policies.
The Dublin City North Branch of the INTO has passed a motion endorsing the call by outgoing union president, Austin Corcoran, that all schools become safe places for all children -to be given the status of embassies. It is hoped that more branches within the union will take up this issue and that by next year's annual congress a campaign will be launched in the union to make this a reality
The Irish government is currently trying to deport women and children under the threat of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), which frequently results in death. Asylum in Ireland can be sought on grounds of religious or political persecution. However the government refuse to acknowlege FGM as a political act and therefore women and children cannot apply for asylum on the basis they have suffered or will suffer FGM if deported.
Solidarity Action with the political asylum seekers Bahoz and Temiz, Friday, 24/06/2005 6pm outside the Greek Consulate, 50 Gogarloch Syke, Edinburgh, EH12 9JB Kurdish Asylum Seeker on Hunger Strike in Greece – close to death.
Over the last couple of days we have witnessed massive media hysteria about the case of Maria, a young girl supposedly abducted by a Roma couple in Greece. DNA tests and Lombroso-style racial profiling have come into action in a case that has stirred the irrational anxiety that feeds racism and bigotry. Beyond the fact that child abduction is a serious issue, the "whiteness" and "blondeness" of the alleged victim have been emphasised together with the "Roma" condition of the alleged culprits. Let us remember that this is taking place in Greece, a country where blatant racism (as expressed by Golden Dawn) is on the rise, so there are good reasons to be cautious about this whole case.
In Ireland institutional racism has evolved to come fitted as standard. At the same time the State dithers about making the decision on whether or not to grant Travellers ethnic status. As the Stephen Lawrence family lawyer, Imran Khan stated – when you write laws of the land specifically for a people – it is a sure sign that you recognise them as a specific group when you bring in laws that pertain only to them. So, in Ireland, are Travellers specifically targeted in the Anti-Trespass Act brought in 2002 and Section 24 of the Criminal Justice Act (1994).
Dale Farm is a halting site which is also the largest concentration of Irish Travellers in Britain, being home to over 1000 people (about 100 families), many of whom are said to have their cultural roots in Rathkeale in Limerick. It was started in the 1960s when a number of families bought the former scrapyard site and Basildon council granted planning permission for 40 houses. This happened in the context of broad progress in race relations and a brief breeze of relative official tolerance for Travellers, epitomised in the liberal-sponsored 1968 Caravan Sites Act. Basildon Council have put aside an £18 million budget to bulldoze the site and forcefully evict the families (a staggering figure when you consider that in 2010 the total UK budget for providing Travellers with halting facilities was less than 30 million). [Français]
The cracks beneath the surface in the peace process were once again exposed on the streets of East Belfast last night in the second night of serious sectarian rioting. A UVF led mob numbering in the 100's has been engaged in attacks on catholic homes at the edge of the Short Strand. This is the reality of a peace dividend which has failed to deliver to working-class communities and stands in stark contrast to suburbia only 5 miles away which produced golf champion Rory McElroy.
Rząd robiąc kozła ofiarnego z emigrantów zachęca rasistowskie zbiry more >>
Local members of the WSM have removed racist slogans which had been painted along the canal. |
make this your Anarkismo.net front page
Digg this
del.icio.us
Furl
Reddit
Technorati
Facebook
Twitter
|
