CALAIS: report and new callout after fire in Coulogne‏

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Online with pics here: https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2014/02/515610.html

CALAIS: CALLOUT TO HACKTIVISTS AND EVERYONE FOR ANTIFASCIST SOLIDARITY.

Calais, North of France, 25/2/2014. Addressing antifascists, hacktivists,
and all concerned people. After the burning by fascists of the occupied
farmhouse in Coulogne, we urgently need your support to see off a surge in
neonazi violence.

For years the situation for migrants in the French port town of Calais has
been extremely harsh. They face constant police repression and harassment,
and increasingly now also attacks from non-state fascist groups,
particularly the neonazi gang "Sauvons Calais" (Save Calais).

Calais is the main French port for crossing the English channel to the UK.
Several hundred refugees and undocumented migrants (mainly from
Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, East Africa and other war zones) are stuck there
at any moment, trying to cross by any means such as hiding in goods trucks
or under trains. Deaths are frequent: four people have been killed so far
just this winter. Fatal accidents trying to cross are compounded by police
attacks including beatings, repeated arrests, theft and destruction of
tents, sleeping bags, food and belongings, etc.

Recently the level of violence against migrants, and also towards people
of the 'No Borders' movement who offer solidarity, has been mounting. The
escalation began last October when the right-wing Mayor of Calais, Natacha
Bouchart, called for residents of Calais to report migrants occupying
abandoned buildings in the town. The mayor's call was taken up by a new
anti-migrant group called "Sauvons Calais". Representing themselves as
concerned citizens without political affiliation, the group is in fact
closely linked to neo-nazi and far-right movements including Front
National and Generation Identitaire. Its spokesperson Kevin Rêche is a
neonazi with a swastika tattooed on his chest.

In recent days Sauvons Calais led an attack on a farmhouse in Coulogne, a
suburb of Calais, squatted by homeless people (in fact, in this case, not
'migrants' but French nationals). On Saturday 22 February they gathered
more than 80 supporters outside the house. From the afternoon until 1 am
the mob attacked the house with stones and later with molotov cocktails,
destroying the windows and roof and eventually burning down one of the
out-buildings. During the most violent period Sauvons Calais held a
'buffet' outside the house offering food and coffee.

French police were present throughout the assault. The inhabitants of the
house wrote in a statement:

"The police were notable in their passivity, only intervening on two
occasions. The first time, while a friend was hit by a rock to the neck in
front of their eyes, they took him into their police car for less than a
minute, then let him go. Another striking event was when a drunk man
arrrived with a packet of fireworks, the police confiscated a few of them
and then let him approach the house with the rest. Indeed they went so far
as to hang the protestors' banner on the fence, and some of them were
laughing as our attackers showed their joy when the stones hit their
target."

In short, we are seeing a situation that is all too familiar for anyone
who has studied history or been following recent events in Greece and
across Europe. State authorities (politicians and police) are working hand
in glove with extra-legal fascist gangs attacking and intimidating
"foreigners", homeless peopled other outsiders, and their supporters. Are
we going to let this become an everyday reality in Calais?

The attacks eventually led to a fire which burnt down one of the farm
buildings. Fortunately, no one was killed or hurt. Burnt out, the
inhabitants of the farmhouse have now been forced to leave. But with
several hundred migrants and other homeless people sleeping rough and in
deserted buildings in Calais, this story is certainly not over. Next time
the consequences could be far more serious.

The demonstrations against the house were coordinated via two web pages,
administered by active members of the group "Sauvons Calais". These pages
are also a window on their ideology, showing links with active and
well-known fascist and neonazi movements across France.

One of these sites is a Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/page.sauvons.calais
This was used to organise the demonstrations at the farmhouse. It is also
full of fascist individuals posting death-threats and appeals to violent
action against migrants and "No Borders".

The other is a blog administered by the same gang:
https://sauvonscalais.wix.com/sauvons-calais

We invite all individuals and groups in solidarity to contribute to the
struggle against these
fascists and racists. Come and join "No Borders" in Calais, or get in
touch to help strengthen the network against fascism in France and
beyond. Or take action in your own ways, following your own ideas and
talents.

Here are just a few ideas that have been suggested, but please come up
with your own ideas too:

** Come to Calais to join the struggle on the ground. To get in touch with
No Borders call 06 45 46 59 86 (from France) or 00 33 6 45 46 59 86
(outside France). Or email calais_solidarity@riseup.net.

** A demonstration "for tolerance and solidarity" will be held in Calais
on Saturday 1st March, 2.30PM in the main square Place d'Armes. Please
come along, or help spread the word. Further information here:
http://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com/2014/02/24/solidarity-demo-rally-for-tolerance-1st-march-1430/

** The facebook and blog of Sauvons Calais should be taken out of action
along with other sites of their Nazi friends. Numerous people have
reported the Sauvons Calais page to facebook for harassment and threats
(to do this, click on the flower next to the 'message' icon). Facebook
have refused to take the page down. If you know other ways to help, please
do.

** These fascist sites are also potentially full of information about the
attackers, for example names, telephone numbers, addresses, email
addresses, contacts, etc.

** Finally, we remember that the struggle against borders, and against a
world of controls, surveillance and oppression, does not stop with
particular fascist gangs. We equally invite you to take action wherever
you are against all those who are part of the construction of this
totalitarian world, including the French and other governments, the
European border police force Frontex, mercenary corporations such as G4S,
Serco, Mitie and others who run migration prisons and border controls, and
all those individuals and companies who profit from their actions.

For further information see:

calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com/ (English and French)

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2014/02/ (English)

https://passeursdhospitalites.wordpress.com/ (French)

http://luttennord.wordpress.com/2014/02/22/sauvons-calais-les-miliciens-sont-dans-la-rue/
(detailed expose of the fascists in Sauvons Calais, in French)

Quelques personnes solidaires et révoltées !!