FRFI 198 August / September 2007
‘Washing one’s hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful.’ Paulo Freire
Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! is not just a newspaper that seeks to understand the world but is written with the intent of changing it as well. Roundup recalls the work we have carried out in support of the oppressed and the work that we have planned for the future. If you agree with what you have read then it is time to put that knowledge into action. To know and not to act is to ultimately side with the oppressor.
Fighting racism
In Manchester the North West Asylum Seekers’ Defence Group (NWASDG) is continuing to support Halima Aboubacar in her struggle to stay in Britain with her children. Halima’s appeal was recently rejected and she faces deportation to Cameroon, with her one-year-old son Bailey Jr and her new baby daughter Farida (both born in Britain).
NWASDG has also attended protests organised by Congo Support Project (CSP), including the Congo Independence Day march on 30 June and demonstrations outside Dallas Court reporting centre in Salford. NWASDG held a picket of Dallas Court on 18 June, which was supported by the International Organisation of Iranian Refugees.
NWASDG was invited to speak about fighting third world poverty at a Tameside African Refugee Association conference in Gorton on 23 June. A NWASDG/FRFI speaker described imperialism as the biggest cause of human suffering. FRFI comrades in Glasgow attended UNITY (an organisation supporting asylum seekers) activities against deportations and criminalisation during Refugee Week, as well as dawn vigils in Red Road following a raid on a Pakistani family in June.
In Newcastle FRFI activists have continued to play an active role in Tyneside Community Action for Refugees (TCAR), working hard to strengthen democracy and accountability against repeated attempts both to censor FRFI and other publications and to prevent organisations, as opposed to individuals, affiliating to TCAR. Comrades’ efforts paid off in July with the election of a new, larger committee.
On 23 June TCAR members and supporters held a protest in the centre of Newcastle demanding the right to work, and on 28 June they supported a sleep-out against asylum destitution called by Tyneside People’s Working Committee on Zimbabwe.
FRFI has been organising regular stalls and street meetings in the Arthurs Hill area of Newcastle. On 5 July a broad cross section of the local community attended our forum on ‘Seeking asylum – fleeing imperialism’. There was discussion on imperialism’s role in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its relationship to the treatment of asylum seekers in Britain.
In London FRFI continues to hold a monthly picket at Communications House Immigration Reporting Centre. People who report and sign on while we are there have told us that the demos have become well known and that there is a positive effect on their treatment while we are outside. On 2 and 13 July, comrades attended the demonstrations organised by the Congo Support Project to highlight the Country Guidance Tribunal related to deportations to the DRC.
Support prisoners!
On 13 June and 9 July FRFI supporters in Manchester and London joined demonstrations outside Styal and Holloway prisons organised by Pauline Campbell. Since 2004 Pauline, whose daughter Sarah died in Styal, has mounted a relentless campaign to expose the inhumanity of the system.
On 25 May, 8 June and 13 July comrades in London and Scotland supported the Friends of John Bowden campaign demonstrations outside the Parole Board and Scottish Prison Service. For further information contact: [email protected] <www.myspace.com/friendsof johnbowden>
Stop the War!
On 3 June when Gordon Brown visited Newcastle for the Labour leadership hustings, FRFI activists joined the demonstration called by Tyneside Stop the War. The Socialist Workers Party organiser openly attempted to prevent any chants critical of the Labour Party and initially claimed that he had signed away the protest’s right to even use a megaphone outside the hustings venue. However, on checking with the police FRFI activists discovered this was in fact a restriction imposed by the organiser alone, which went beyond anything demanded by the police. As FRFI activists were about to speak on the megaphone the SWP organisers declared the demonstration over and led people away, leaving even their own Stop the War stalls and banners behind to be packed up by FRFI comrades and a couple of more reasonable STWC activists.
On 24 June FRFI joined the Stop the War Coalition’s demonstration in Manchester on the day of Gordon Brown’s coronation as Prime Minister. We formed a small but noisy contingent on the march and were joined by the CPGB(ML) and others in chanting slogans in solidarity with the Iraqi resistance. The demonstration’s organisers, using the slogan ‘Change the policy, not just the leader’, kept opposition to the Labour Party off their platform. STWC’s pre-demo statement, signed by Lindsey German and Andrew Murray, claimed that ‘this view is shared by many people in the Labour Party itself’, and called on ‘the British government to break from George Bush’s wars’. Excusing the parasitic role of British imperialism in the world explains how the anti-war movement has demobilised to a turnout of just 3,000 people for a national demonstration.
Victory to the Intifada!
FRFI members and supporters around the country have continued to be active in support of the Palestinian struggle through the Victory to the Intifada group. VTI is continuing its demonstrations at Marks and Spencer – Britain’s biggest corporate sponsor of Israel and held a meeting at the London School of Economics regarding the occupation. We also had a large and vibrant contingent on the Enough! demonstration for Palestine on 9 June. As the brutal occupation of Palestine intensifies and the imperialists attempt to destroy the struggle of the Palestinians once and for all it is imperative that we go out onto the streets and make our voices heard. Look at our events below and join us in supporting the side of the oppressed.
EVENTS
NEWCASTLE
Thursday 16 August 5-7pm
Stall and street meeting
against racism
Stanhope Street (outside Iceland), Arthurs Hill
Thursday 30 August 6-8pm
Victory to the Intifada picket of
Marks & Spencer
Northumberland Street
Every Saturday 3pm
Weekly meeting of Tyneside Community Action for Refugees
Downstairs at Amnesty Bookshop,
bottom of Westgate Road
email [email protected]
Street actions every Saturday 12-2pm
For details call 07857 323 523
Or email at: [email protected]
Website: www.frfinortheast.co.uk
MANCHESTER
Saturday 4 August 12 noon
North West Asylum Seekers Defence Group (NWASDG) street stall
Market Street
Saturday 11 August 12 noon
Asylum Rights March
NWASDG, Sukula Family Must Stay Campaign, No One is Illegal, Samina Altaf Will Stay Campaign, International Organisation of Iranian Refugees, Ethiopia Support Project and Bolton NUT.
Assemble at Platt Fields, Rusholme
Sunday 2 September 2pm
Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! Public forum
Cross Street chapel, off Market Street
Donation on the door, wheelchair access available
Saturday 22 September 12 noon
Protest: Hands off socialist Cuba!
Free the Cuban 5!
Part of the international month of action
Piccadilly Gardens
For further details call 07816 547 066
Email [email protected]
Website: www.manchesterfrfi.co.uk
To contact NWASDG: call 07779 189 794, email [email protected]
Website: www.asylum-seekers-defence.org.uk
Leeds
RCG/FRFI in Leeds are currently
planning new activities in the area.
To get involved contact 07899 983 131, [email protected]
GLASGOW
Saturday 18 August 3-5pm
Street meeting: Hands Off Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia!
Top of Buchanan Street
Thursday 23 August 7-9.30pm
Film showing: The Revolution will not be televised
Govanhill Neighbourhood Centre,
Daisy Street
Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! will have stalls during Freshers’ Week at Glasgow University and Strathclyde University. For details email
[email protected]
For information on more activities in Scotland check out the Scotland page on www.revolutionarycommmunist.org
LONDON
Tuesdays 7 August and 4 September
1-2pm
Defend asylum seekers!
Stop deportations!
Monthly demonstration
Outside Communications House
210 Old Street roundabout, EC1
(Nearest tube Old Street)
Wednesday 12 September,
7.30-9.30pm
Public meeting
Health and education after ten years of hard Labour
Upstairs at the Yorkshire Grey pub
Corner of Theobald’s Road and
Grays Inn Road, WC1
(Nearest tube Chancery Lane/
Holborn)
Every Thursday 6-8pm
Victory to the Intifada picket
of Marks & Spencer
Oxford Street (Marble Arch end)
For further details call 020 7837 1688
Email [email protected] or
[email protected]
