hi all,please check out our new info event guide with all the basic info about the march and its infrastrcutre. a lot f information is still not reall the right information because we have still a lot of issues we have to decide collectively on our next meeting in brussels. but this guide should anyways push more the decentralized mobilisation in other regions and cities of germany! it shuld empower other groups in other cities to organize info events or info tours themselves..please translate it into other languages!!i will frequently update the info event guide alongside our (new) decisions...you can find the doc as well on our wiki. i loaded it as a public filewe hope it will be helpful!solidarity, nadiye
Info-Event Guide for the
March For Freedom from Strasbourg to Brussels in May
2014
1st version 10.03.2014
*******
Dear refugee activists and supporters of
the protest march!
This sheet is a guide to empower local
political groups and refugee activists to organize themselves in thei cities
and regions to inform refugees in Lager/Asylheim or supporters and other
political groups to join and support the march from Strasbourg to Brusells.
It contents until now just preliminary
information as we have still many open questions and decisions to be made
together with the the groups on our NEXT international meeting end of March
2014 in Brussels!!
1.) The only “rule” to be followed is that
you should try to organize info events for two seperate target groups. The
first one are refugees in Lager and/or refugee activists and the second one are
supporters and or refugee activists. As refugee activists are mostly the link
between political groups or supporters and refugees in Lager, we counted them
as part of both target groups. We – the action and mobilization group of the
protestmarch which consists of both refugee activists and supporters – thought
that to have seperate info events would allow a more transparent provision of
information, discussion and deeper politization. It would also prevent the
domination by supporters.
In any kind of info event refugee
activists should have the appropriate space to speak for themselves and present
the key info about our action and the political reasons!! to create trust and
transparency to let persns concerned speak for themselves was, is and always
will be the strength of our mobilization for the rights of refugees!
2.) If you are having an info event either
for refugees or for supporters you should be aware that there are enough of ur
different kinds of flyers, posters and all this in different languages
(http://freedomnotfrontex.noblogs.org/). Also please organize translation for
the events! You can use this guide as a frame for the event but feel free to
present the demands and the reasons why to march to Brussels as yu think is the
best. It is also good to have technical equipment to show empowering pictures
and movies, music to the audience. Please always have a big r digital version
of the route of the protest march with you in order to present the way to
Brussels better to the audience.
3.) The input at the info events about the
actions and infrastructure of the march should be simple (!) and short (!).
Although EU politics and law is very difficult and although there is a lot to
be organized you should be careful of not talking too much about organizational
and acadrmic stuff regarding the EU. We are proposing four thematic blocks. The
reason for that is to empower the audience to be part of the presentation and
to feel free to give input by itself. So the event shuld not be about the same
indviduals talking and talking for hours until everyone is either gone oor just
wasted.So leave enough time for questions and ideas! Keep the audience vivid!
***
Good
luck and see you soon on the other side of the border!!
***
1.
Introduction
/ Presentation
ñ Who are we?
We are asylum seekers, refugees,
undocumented migrants, migrants from many European countries, we are Europeans
with a “migration background”, we are all those who have no full priviledge of
citizenship, but also citizens who share a common anger against the racist EU
migration policy
ñ We are part of a eurpeanwide network of
refugee movmements and antiracist struggles that are organizing the protest
march to Brussels together. We are as well connected to struggles outside of
the EU – but we need more networking!
ñ Why are
we protesting?
We decided to organize a European caravan which will
go from the largest number of European countries towards Brussels (Belgium),
where the European institutions are settled. Showing that we don’t respect the
borders they impose us, holding us prisonners of the states borders and in the
lagers, we will exercise our basic right of freedom of movement and adress our
demands directly where the decisions come from.
The protestmarch will start at the 19th
of May 2014 in Strasbourg and we will march 4 weeks to Brussels. We will
arrive in Brussels on the 21st of june.
On the 26th of june
there will be a summit of the European
Cuncil (head of the states and goverments from all member states) where
they will discuss migration and asylum law! We will organize an action week against this summit from
the 22nd of june leading to the summit.
ñ European Parliament Elections will be held between the 22nd and 25th of
May, rise of right wing parties and racist attacks and it is expected that far
right parties will take over most of the seats (France: National Front; NL:
Party of Freedom, AUT: Liberal Party FPÖ). These parties will also influence
the elections with antimigratory propaganda. They will also be represented in
the summit end of june.
ñ Germany will have 96 candidates/ seats in
the EU-parliament, all in all 28 member states are represented
ñ special info for supporters:
EU is propogating to be transparent and
democratic. This propaganda denies the inhumane living realities of refugees
all over Europe. We will have personal reports of those people who are affected
by racist and colonialist laws.
Our privileges : reproduction of
exploitation, racist structures and status
elections: only citizens can vote,
propaganda for more citizens rights vs. Refugees whose basic human rights do
not exist and are even officially decreasedmore explanation about european
system (plus link to global problems) and about working groups, what needs to
be done, how people can support
ñ extra info for the audience: you can use this point if there are
questions regarding the conclusions from the summit
on December 19. and 20th, 2013 after the catastrophe at Lampedusa
(quote:
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/140245.pdf):
IV. MIGRATION Flows
41. ...Primarily an enhanced dialogue with third countries
should be done to prevent migrants on dangerous routes in the European Union
try to enter. Information campaigns, regional protection programs ,
Mobility partnerships and an effective return policy are important components of
this comprehensive approach... The European Council calls for a strengthening of border surveillance operations of FRONTEX and measures to combat smuggling and trafficking as well as to ensure adequate solidarity towards all Member States with high migration pressure.
Mobility partnerships and an effective return policy are important components of
this comprehensive approach... The European Council calls for a strengthening of border surveillance operations of FRONTEX and measures to combat smuggling and trafficking as well as to ensure adequate solidarity towards all Member States with high migration pressure.
42. The European Council invites the Council of
the EU (it consists of all the governments and its presidency changes every 6
months so that every member state can guide) to watch the implementation of
measures. The Eurpean Council will meet in 26/27 June 2014 for migration and
asylum issues in a broader and more long
term based political perspective when strategic guidelines for further legislative and operational planning within the area of freedom , security and law will be established. The Commission is invited to the Council prior to this meeting on the implementation of the actions outlined in its Communication to report .
term based political perspective when strategic guidelines for further legislative and operational planning within the area of freedom , security and law will be established. The Commission is invited to the Council prior to this meeting on the implementation of the actions outlined in its Communication to report .
What can we reach? Or have reached so far?
Demands:
·
Freedom
of movement and of residence for all asylum seekers
·
Stop
the Dublin trap and the obligatory residence in Lagers throughout Europe
·
Permanent
documents without criteria (not depending on working contracts or individual
state prosecution)
·
Stop
the imprisonment and deportation of migrants
·
Same working conditions for all
·
Same
political, social and cultural rights for all :
right to study and to work
·
Stop
the European imperialist policies : no more free trade treaties and NATO
·
Abolish
Frontex, Eurosur and other anti-migration policies and measures
2. What are we fighting against?
2. What are we fighting against?
ñ Why people are becoming refugees or are
forced to leave their countries?
CAPITALISM: Colonisation, exploitation of
the resources of the South through free trade agreements between the EU and
other countries/regions like Africa, Asia, Middle East or Latin America, NATO
wars and weapon trade
ñ What is the situation of refugees in
Europe?
Dublin II/ III, Residenzpflicht, fingerprints: both
systems exist to control refugees and to finaly put them into detention centers
to deport them back. Aim is to impede refugees to reach the EU and a safe life. FRONTEX, Eurosur, interpol: Frontex and Eurosur are an agency
that cooperate with the local police or european police netork (Interpol),
military and secret services to persecute refugees who want to enter Europe or
who are moving within Europe. The aim is deportation
or killing of refugees.
ñ European migration policies :
For example Lampedusa: Policy of EU is not
about how to solve the problems of fleeing or killings on the way to Europe but
rather to strengthen the control and shut down of the borders for people
outside of the EU (Frontex, Eurosur, Walls at the borders in Greece and
Bulgaria). The EU is as well creating different categories such as
political/economic refugees, refugees without documents, refugees with a
Duldung/“suspended deportation“, refugees with a humanitrian visa etc..we are
all against this division of different status that is covering the reasons why
we all have to flee.
The EU is strongly and violently criminalizing migrants. The EU law is aiming at further
militarizing of the border control through the cooperation with Frontex. All
the policing institutions of the member states are cooperatiing with eachothers
(Frontex, Eurosur, national police, Inrepol) and the data is being exchanged
between the member states and Frontex and Eurosur (Schengen Information
System).
The consequence for refugees is that their basic and human rights are denied when they
manage to enter the EU. They are kept in detention centers to be deported back,
they are victims of police violence, they are isolated from society due to the
Lagersystem as in Germany and Netherlands. This all has physical and as well
psychological consequences for the individuals
Therefore the problems of refugees are not only existing in Germany but
are part of a Europeanwide racist strategy ! This is why we want to have a
strong international network and solidarity! QUESTIONS
WELCOME !
3. How do we want to fight?
Basic infrastructural info ; see flyer
„call for support“ for supporters and groups
How
people can join our departures? SEE MAP : places of action, borders, risks...
Local
groups should collect money for travel costs for refugees to joind the actions
or the march itself.
Where and When :
You can join us (but this all still has to be discussed in
our next international meeting end of march in Brussels!!) :
·
in Berlin before the march to help the
preparation : before the March, we meet every sunday at 3pm in the room
next to Kaffee Kotti, on Kottbusser tor, in Kreuzberg, PHONE CONTACT (have to
be published still!!)
·
The
departure of the Berlin group should
take place on the 17th of may at
Alexanderplatz,
·
on
the 18th we will be in Freiburg and we will cross the first border together at
Kehl on the 18th?
·
Then we join all the other european groups
in Strasbourg on the 19th of may (?)
·
Anytime on the road you can join, but you
should organize transport to the cities we cross.
Sleeping: we will sleep in simple tents, with isolation
mattresses and sleeping backs. If you have this things, please bring them with
you! We will have cars for transportation of your luggage.
Food: we bring our own kitchen team who will
cook for us every day (without meat)
Kids: are very welcome at the march!! We will have an extra
tent for playing and hang around. There will be people doing child care every
day! Kids can use our transport to not walk long distances if they don’t want
to
Communication: we can hold meetings to communicate and
get to know each other, we will have people able to translate from many
different languages
Medical
support: we will take
basic medicine with us and we try to find people who are professional with this
to join the march. If you have a serious health problem during the march, we
will support you!
Costs: we are happy about donations but you can take part
without any paying, if you don’t have enough money!!
4. How we can deal with problems
/
provide a minimum
SECURITY?
ñ we are organizing a public political march
with a lot of media on our side. This would offer us as well security. For
other international protest marches of refugees this was enough to proof this
action as political and claim free movement for to cross the border. This was
working out for the
ñ not only refugees are marching but also
citizens will join which will provide as well security
ñ we already organized protestmarches and
faced repression (in ex.:http://www.afrique-europe-interact.net, http://marche-europeene-des-san-papiers.blogspot.de, http://asylstrikeberlin.wordpress.com, http://refugeestruggle.org/de,). We should at this point share the
exsperience of repression regarding people having no safe residence status!
ñ We
are going to inform responsible politicians of the regions and citites we pass
as well of the European parliament
ñ we have a list of lawyers that can also
write letteres for authorities
ñ legal support group: it will care for the
repression casses while the march continues
How to cross borders?
What to do when people are arrested?
What when police tries to stop the march?
An awareness group on the march ( How to deal with problems within the group)
How to cross borders?
What to do when people are arrested?
What when police tries to stop the march?
An awareness group on the march ( How to deal with problems within the group)
The legal support group will as well
publish a flyer together with lawyers regarding repression against refugees and
the rights for political participation.
ñ still it is a political action against
eurpean authorities, so it must be clear that there are still risks existing
even if we try to minimize them. It depends on the decisiveness of individuals
if the want to join or not
´ *****
open questions
open questions
maybe: movies, empowering pictures
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