Protest at Harmondsworth, Sat 13 March

Saturday 13th March at Harmondsworth

Demonstrate outside Harmondsworth immigration prison, Heathrow

12 noon – 1pm

Detainee Solidarity London is calling for a demo this Saturday at Harmondsworth in solidarity with the 55 detainees on hunger strike since last week. At any one time, over 2500 people are in immigration detention in the UK. Some have been detained for months, others for years. We call for the immediate closure of all detention centres and stand in solidarity with all those in Harmondsworth, Yarl’s Wood and elsewhere resisting this barbaric practice.

Meeting points, and statement from hunger strikers:

(1) 10am at Boots, corner of Piccadilly/Berkeley St (by Green Park Tube), or

(2) 11.30am at Heathrow Bus Station (catch the U3 to Harmondsworth), or

(3) 12 noon outside Harmondsworth, on the A4 (Colnbrook By-Pass), Heathrow

Please bring banners and instruments.

Statement from the Harmondsworth hunger strikers:

1) The courts used at the detention centres are a mockery of the justice system, they are staged. It seems the outcomes are decided before the actual court appearance.

2) The Home Office appear to have put in place their own officials (solicitors, judges), both in the AIT courts and the High Court, to raise a high standard of failures in people?s applications to boost their statistics.

3) There are people who have spent 5,8 or 10 years working hard in this country, who have never been involved in any criminal activities, please like religious leaders and many more, who are valuable to this country.

4) The immigration system in this country is a cold war that has separated families and their loved ones, and has caused mental, physical and emotional torture to both detainees and their families.

5) Many people are in poor medical conditions to be kept in detention, some of whom have even been removed to their countries, yet their conditions can only be managed in the UK.

6) We are aiming for a fact finding mission, we recommend they send an independent body to come and audit, and interview detainees and also re-examine their cases.

7) People are being denied their bail rights even though they meet all the requirements needed. Detainees? sureties are not allowed in court after travelling from far distances to support bail applications.

8) The general treatment of detainees is very appalling e.g. medical treatment, security control etc. We wonder if such treatment as we are undergoing is an order from above.

In summary, considering the reputation of Great Britain, we fear this will jeopardise the good work of the great men and women of this country and the efforts of their forefathers.