From The Commune

Last month the English Defence League announced plans to march in Tower Hamlets, East London, in protest at an Islamist conference planned for June 20th at the Troxy centre. The conference was planned by groups tied to Islamic Forum Europe, among the major Islamist groups in the area.

Anti-racists planned to demonstrate against the EDL: but the SWP-run Unite Against Fascism and its front group United East End insisted this should be on the basis of uncritical support for — and collaboration with — the conference organisers. This meant whitewashing the worst religious fundamentalists and supporting their right to represent the Bengali community in the borough.

While the conference was ultimately cancelled by the Troxy centre, and the EDL abandoned their march, UAF held their demo regardless. Here local Bengali secular activist Ansar Ahmed Ullah reflects on the episode.

What is Islamic Forum Europe?

In 1971, during the Liberation War of Bangladesh, there were widespread killings of the civilians and other atrocities were carried out by the occupying Pakistani forces and their local collaborators.

The collaborators were local Islamist groups, namely Jamaat-e-Islam, Nezam-e-Islam and the Muslim League.

Soon after the independence of Bangladesh in 1971 some of the alleged Jamaat-e-Islami war criminals fled Bangladesh and took refuge in various Arab countries, Pakistan and the UK. A Channel 4 Dispatches programme aired on 1995 exposed such 3 alleged war criminals.

The IFE was set up by one such alleged war criminal in 1989 to disguise their past crimes and fundamentalist ideology.

What was your reaction when the EDL announced their plans to march and UAF planned its counter-demo?

The entry of the English Defence League into Tower Hamlets to protest against the meeting was a direct provocation to stir up racial tensions, foment dissent among faiths and attempt to bring disunity amongst the communities of the borough. We condemned the fascist EDL whose sole objective is to act as storm troopers for the British National Party and pick up the pieces for them after their miserable rout in the local and national elections in neighbouring Barking and Dagenham Council.

However, we are also opposed to fundamentalism and so had watched with growing concern the way in which the United East End coalition become a hub for legitimising the base of Jamaat-e-Islami activists in the borough. We had questioned how and why the Islamic Forum Europe came to occupy such a central place in the mobilisations.

We believe that fascism and fundamentalism should be challenged equally.

They are both right wing forces growing in strength and numbers within local areas, and any campaign against the right wing should encompass an active stand against both fascism and religious fundamentalism.

We continue to oppose the EDL unconditionally but we also do not want to be involved in anything that consolidates the power base of IFE in this way.

We in the Bengali and the Muslim community were being asked to stand side by side with the most reactionary, far right, anti-Bengali, Anti-Hindu, Anti-Jewish, fundamentalist group, IFE. This we refused to do. The IFE does not represent the Muslim community in Tower Hamlets nor do they uphold the glorious tradition of Cable Street, Altab Ali (murdered by racists in 1978) and the anti-racist movement.

Under the patronage of an exclusivist Wahhabi Islam emanating from Saudi Arabia they are attempting to impose it amongst the Bengalis in the borough. Just as the EDL takes the guise of being ordinary English citizens to hide their true identity of fronting the fascist BNP, so do IFE act as the sole representatives of ordinary Muslims but are in fact operating under the direction of their parent organisation Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh.

What effect did this episode have on the Bengali community?

It is hard to say what threat the EDL posed because they do not exist in Tower Hamlets: but whatever the threat the Bengali community is able to defend itself.

The Bengali community has a long tradition of resisting racists from the 1970s to 1990s. Racism has to be fought on many fronts, socially with the local white working class, politically with alliances with other progressive anti-racist parties, institutionally and in unison with all communities.

The cancellation of the Troxy event was a victory for secular forces and those who are opposed to fundamentalism. The majority of Bengalis are secular, (in the South Asian sense, not necessarily opposed to religion but against religious persecution). Like any other community, the Bengali community has many factions based on ideology, class, region, profession and party political lines. But a sense of community does exist when it comes to the greater welfare of the whole Bengali community.

Why have Islamist groups become influential in Tower Hamlets, and why do the left associate with them?

By the 1990s another key development was the increasing importance of religion, in the case of Bengalis, Islam. This was partly due to New Labour government association of faith in its agenda.

In addition, in the weeks after 11th September 2001, with the prospect of a US-led war in Afghanistan, the Stop the War Coalition was founded in London, bringing together a number of organisations, the largest of which was the Socialist Workers Party and more importantly MAB (Muslim Association of Britain) associated with the Muslim Brotherhood and MCB (Muslim Council of Britain) its leadership associated with the Jamaat-e-Islami. The inclusion of MAB & MCB enabled the mobilisation thousands of Muslims, including the young, to get involved in the anti-war movement. This ensured for the first time that large numbers of third generation Muslims took part in global political campaigns.

The MCB-linked Jamaat-e-Islami is the largest Islamist political party of the Indian sub-continent, that operates under various charities and religious organisations centred around the East London’s biggest mosque. Its activists have managed to infiltrate all the major political parties including the Respect Party that came out of SWP-MCB partnership.

The SWP under the banner of Stop the War Coalition and Respect Party has been working with Islamist groups. This wasn’t surprising as in 1994, Chris Harman, one of the SWP’s chief ideologists argued that the party should make common cause on the issue of “anti-imperialism” with Islamist movements, in part as a way of recruiting their members.

George Galloway’s victory in the 2005 General Election in the Bethnal Green and Bow area was seen as a protest against the Labour Party’s foreign policy. But it also demonstrated the strength of the Islamists within the community and the dramatic shift in British politics when it came to securing the support of Muslim voters. It reaffirmed that global issues were prioritised in the Islamist agenda and when it came to appeal to the Bengali voters, the ‘Muslim’ sentiment was the focus of the election campaign.

We must challenge those who advocate the racialisation of politics.

At The Multicultural Politic, we support campaigns against discrimination everywhere and anywhere in the world. Across Europe and especially in Hungary and Slovakia, the global recession has strengthened far-right parties and fascist groups. The Gypsy and Roma people have been at the front line of persecution and discrimination especially by these groups in Eastern Europe.

by Ulrike Schmidt & Justin Baidoo

Magyar Garda - The Fascist "Hungarian Guard"

The rise of right extremist and fascist parties and organisations in some European countries, particularly in Hungary have brought a sharp increase in violent attacks on Roma people. Often these attacks occur after a meeting or demonstration of fascist organisations like Magyar Garda or the “Hungarian Guard”.

The attacks often involve shootings of random Roma people and firebombing of houses. In this racist crime wave, very rarely are the attackers brought to justice, which might not be coincidental as one trade union of police officers has affiliated itself to the Jobbik Party and called in their newsletter for war against Gypsis and Jews. Ketrin Balogh and her mother Maria Balogh were attacked in their home at night and shot. Maria died, her 13 year old daughter Ketrin survived with severe injuries which might never heal. Amnesty International Hungary is running a solidarity campaign for Ketrin.

In Italy, the right-wing coalition government headed by Silvio Berlusconi has put forward a plan to fingerprint all Roma children, which has been criticised by the European Parliament and UNICEF. A few weeks after announcing these plans Italian citizens are photographed sun-bathing near the dead bodies of two drowned Roma girls. With Italy also legalising far-right militias, attacks on Roma and Gypsy people continue to take place, by forced evictions by authorities as well as vigilante violence. This problem goes as far as the United Kingdom as we shouldn’t forget the brutal attacks by Irish Neo Nazis on Roma people in Belfast a year ago.

This Friday 9th July, In London, Amnesty Hackney & Islington and Amnesty Waltham Forest Presents:

“Romani Dreams” - An evening devoted to Romani culture, also highlighting the recent rise of violence against Roma people in Europe.

A night of Refreshments, poetry, music, debate and film

Venue: Amnesty International UK , Human Rights Action Centre, 17‐25 New Inn’s Yard, London EC2A 3EA

Speakers :

Kate Allen – Director of Amnesty International
Ognyan Stanchev – Roma Rights Advocate
Alex Jagger – AI/UK co‐ordinator for Central Europe
Barbora Cernusakova – Researcher for Amnesty International IS
Weyman Bennett – Joint Secretary, Unite Against Fascism

A news report about the rise of the Hungarian Guard:

This is painful but important to watch, Diane Abbott struggles to answer very tough questions from Andrew Neil on the “This Week” sofa last night.

It was indeed very harsh and caught Diane unaware which has led some to claim foul play. I can’t say it is unfair for legitimate political questions to be asked on a topical political programme.

Watch:

Will she survive this to win the Leadership election?

Some political commentators are already predicting she’ll need to be getting another taxi.

Hat/Tip: Paul Waugh

News breaks in Britain this morning that the Great Bustard is once again beginning to thrive in the UK. Meanwhile mainland Europe demonstrates once again how remarkable it is for Britain not to have a strong far-right party in its parliament. In the recent Dutch 2010 general elections, The Eurosceptic Party for Freedom (PVV) led by the Islamophobic Geert Wilders, has more than doubled its seats in the national parliament to become the third largest party and possibly soon in government.

Geert Wilders - a discerning Dutch politician

Geert Wilders first gained notoriety for his film, Fitna which brought international attention and was partially responsible for his temporary ban to the United Kingdom. He was eventually allowed to enter Britain to show Fitna at the UK’s Houses of Parliament and was warmly greeted by Eurosceptic United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) and grassroots hooligan group – The English Defence League, He was prosecuted (unsuccessfully) by the Amsterdam Appeals Court for ” the incitement to hatred and discrimination”. Mr Wilders has continued to use his right to freely express himself to be a comforting voice of support regarding the Israel Defence Force’s attack on the Turkish nationals on the Freedom Flotilla.

The far right have received a third of the vote in the last national elections in Austria, whilst a nationalist and virulent anti-Roma party, Jobbik are the third biggest party in Hungary and also have received affiliation from a Hungarian Police trade union which has also supported anti-semitic statements.

But it isn’t all bad in Europe, the Icelandic newcomer, the “Best” Party which was set up by comedian Jon Gnarr, has received the largest share of the vote in the capital’s local elections which means Jon Gnarr will become Mayor of Reykjavik. Below is their rendition of a Tina Turner classic.

by Glyn Harries

At the May 2010 Barking and Dagenham council elections, the British National Party lost all their 12 Councillors, all previously elected in 2006. And their national party leader Nick Griffin, who it was suggested would take the Parliamentary seat, only came 3rd, and petulantly walked away declaring Barking and London ‘finished’.

But away from the headlines the actual results in Barking and Dagenham show the BNP nearly doubled their vote from 2006 to 2010, though where they had stood previously their vote did decline slightly. I have used their highest votes in each ward. While it is good news to see the Councillor parasites of the BNP wiped out, the Hope not Hate (HnH) victory claims are as ever deeply flawed.

HnH (and to a lesser extent Unite Against Fascism) carried out a massive campaign in Barking and Dagenham. They argued there was a serious threat of a BNP breakthrough in Barking and for people to vote, but not vote BNP. In 2010 HnH put out nearly 250,000 leaflets into Barking and Dagenham: 130,000 in the last ten days, 90,000 put out by 540 people on the ‘Day of Action’ on 17th April, and another 25,000 in January and March. And this was out of a massive 1.8 million leaflets delivered nationally. In 2009 HnH also put out 50,000 leaflets in B&D out of the nearly 3.5 million leaflets they delivered nationally for the Euro elections.

Firstly, the idea that Griffin would win the seat was never likely. In 2005 Hodge got 13,800 on a 50% turnout, while the BNP got 4,900. And in the most relevant election since, the London Assembly of 2008, in those wards that make up the Barking constituency, the BNP only got around 6000. And while the BNP vote increased from 4,900 to 6,600, a massive increase, Hodge nearly doubled her vote to 24,600! The bookies knew best, it’s their livelihoods to do so, and while Paddy Power had Hodge at 1/6 back in November 2009, by early April Ladbrokes had Labour at 1/8 and BNP at 5-1, in political terms, insurmountable odds.

Second though, it was always more likely that the general election race would be used by the BNP to get more Councillors. And this the BNP also failed. While they increased their overall vote to a massive 15,000 and would have held many of their seats on a similar turnout to 2006, they were wiped out on a massive increase in the Labour vote, e.g. almost 100% in Valence ward between 2006 and 2010, mirroring the increase for Hodge.

So the HnH/UAF campaign essentially, and as always, relied on getting out the Labour vote, in this case for the ultra NuLabourite Margaret Hodge, the cause of most people voting BNP in the first case!

Secondly, most people vote BNP as a protest and tend not to vote BNP more than once or twice. They are not ardent racists or fascists and vote BNP as a protest over a number of issues.  We have seen this  everywhere the BNP have appeared. Britain does not yet have a majority in any area who would allow a BNP council or MP to be elected.

And thirdly the BNP are their own worst enemies; they have been infighting in Barking and Dagenham as elsewhere and have suffered embarrassing setbacks e.g. their own website was abandoned by its webmaster after he alleged corruption and violence only two days before the election, also their local Councillors do not have a good reputation and regularly fail to attend meetings. The dispute between Barnbrook and Griffin is probably the reason behind the wide disparity between the BNP vote locally and for Griffin; in 2010 Griffin got 6,600 votes but for the local council, the BNP votes added up to 10,000 in the wards that make up Barking. So 3,400 who voted BNP for the council decided NOT to vote for Griffin at the General Election!

What is deeply worrying, however, is that after every election in which HnH claim victory, the BNP vote nationally, and the English Defence League presence on the streets, continues to increase. At the 2010 general election the BNP have increased their vote by 150%, from 192,000 to 563,000, with dozens of saved deposits. Though this is only half of the near-million they got at the European elections, small parties rarely achieve large General Election votes due to the ‘first past the post’ system of voting. By comparison at the two 1974 General Elections, the NF got 73,000 and 113,000, and peaked at 192,000 in 1979.

Asterisks indicate wards that make up Barking parliamentary constituency

And crucially, what does this now mean in terms of those who, after all the leafleting, after all the door knocking, after all the arguments that the BNP are a fascist party, still voted for the BNP in Barking and Dagenham? Are we to now believe that these voters are all fascists? There is a very real risk that by not providing any alternative and by continually marginalising those who will not tolerate the likes of Hodge we actually push those who would vote BNP as a protest into actually identifying with the BNP and actually starting to think fascism is an answer.

Indeed Nick Lowles the leader of HnH/Searchlight is well aware of this and after the European elections in 2009 wrote

“..Addressing the widespread economic insecurities, solving the democratic deficit and forging new progressive identities requires public policy changes that are beyond the remit of the HOPE not hate campaign and anti-fascism generally. We can mobilise the anti-BNP vote and even sometimes suppress the pro-BNP vote but we cannot build houses and reduce waiting lists; we cannot prevent undercutting of wages and the abuse of migrant workers. Local anti-fascist movements cannot get resources into communities, often the poorest, dealing with extraordinary levels of migration. That is the job of politicians and political parties. It is their failure currently to do so that is resulting in the increasing tribalism of local politics along racial and religious lines… To fight the BNP effectively we must move away from city and town centre events to focusing on the very communities where the BNP is drawing its support. We need to return to localised leaflets and newsletters, tapping into the local identities of neighbourhoods and addressing local issues to undermine the BNP’s message of hate…” etc

But what Lowles writes is entirely contradictory and illustrates only too well why anti-fascism simply does not work. What is needed is a community based strategy, yes, but one that is class based, addresses all the concerns of local people and does not get drawn into the far-right’s and state’s racialising and divisive politics.

To conclude we have another situation where superficially it appears that fascism has been defeated, but it has not. And it is worth also noting that nationally they will have got squeezed by the swing to the Tories (as in 1979). These pyrrhic HnH victories based on massive time and money inputs, do not defeat fascism, frustration and anger but merely hide them. And in fact it may do worse. They may even, by tieing what are seen as the Left to New Labour, break yet more links with the working class and progressive ideas.

Originally published on The Commune

From Sam Tarry at Hope Not Hate

Yesterday, BNP candidate Bob Bailey – the party’s top official in London – viciously attacked a young man in the street.

A camera team caught the attack on video – you need to watch it and then share it with everyone you know.

Watching Bailey mercilessly kick a young man in the head isn’t for the faint of heart.

But I urge you to watch it – then take action to make sure the BNP’s jackboots don’t march into power today:

The man shouldn’t have spat on Bailey. But it’s clear this moment unleashed the streak of violence that underpins the BNP’s entire political agenda.

Just look at the pleasure Bailey took at attacking this lad – and continuing to pummel him as he lay on the ground, defenseless and bloodied.

Bailey and his thugs could be running Barking & Dagenham by this weekend.

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/s/baileybd

I have never been so determined to defeat these racist thugs than I am right now – with polls now open. Please, forward this email to everyone you know today.

Don’t let this happen:

On the 9th April, in Flinders Street, Melbourne, Australia. There were two rallies, one was pro-immigration rally and the other was the anti-immigration rally run by the British National Party’s Australian opposites. TMP contributor and Australian resident and political activist, Anita Ceravolo reports about who they are and how anti-fascists should respond.

Who are The Australian Protectionist Party?

The Australian Protectionist Party (APP) is far right party which opposes Australia taking in refugees and asylum seekers. They are very much an Australian version of the BNP.  For the APP, each major Australian political party is too soft on refugees. This is a worry considering Rudd’s latest policy on refugees is to put a freeze on  processing  asylum seeker application from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. This policy clearly contravenes UN convention on the right of the refugee.

The APP constitution states:

‘We believe that the our people have a right to survive, and that is why we oppose massive Third World immigration which is taking us down the road to a situation where the Australian People will end up as a miniscule minority in their own country‘

ON Australia day 2010 (January 26), The APP announced free membership so they can get over 500 members and register as a political party. The APP Facebook group has 460 members. They are small, but active..and unfortunately they have the tacit support of a growing number of Australians.

Here is the link to their website.

The APP are organising

The APP organises as the debate on refugees or ‘boat people’ becomes more polarised between those that fear we will become overrun with refugees. They are playing on the fear that these refugees will put a strain on our resources and suffocate our national identity.

Opposing this viewpoint are those that recognise the flow of refugees and asylum seekers from conflict zones is relatively small, and believe that these migrants are of benefit to our society and not a threat to it.

The APP have been letter boxing in Sydney and Melbourne… here is an example of one of their leaflets.

The APP have organised demonstrations against the Governments ‘too soft’ approach on refugees in Sydney and Melbourne.  An alliance of anti fascist groups have organised counter protests confronting the APP. Both in Melbourne and Sydney, The APP were clearly outnumbered by anti racist activists.

The need to counter organise

The APP in Sydney advertised their rally outside Villawood detention for April 10. About 15 APP supporters showed up. Opposing them were approx 150 activists from the progressive and radical left. The APP wore shirts with the party emblem. The police ushered the small band of fascists to another gate of the detention centre and then formed a protective barrier so we could not have access to the fascists… but we have photographic evidence that their numbers were small. On their Facebook page they report that they had 80 supporters at the rally, and they referred to the counter protestors  as ‘unemployed’ and  ‘dial a mob’.  

The social justice movement must confront fascists such as the APP at every opportunity. They are small but must be prevented from growing and becoming more politically legitimate. They use the same old dialogue of hate and fear to organise and recruit supporters. They choose to be ignorant of the facts when it comes to migration.

More pictures from the action are below:

From Expose the BNP

Barking and Dagenham’s disgraced BNP leader Bob Bailey may be suspended from his role as councillor for making racially offensive remarks.

His racist rant was made during a planning meeting in July last year, when the predominantly Nigerian Redeemed Christian Church of God, applied for permission to turn an office space at Rima House, Barking, into a place of worship.

Bailey’s outbursts included statements like “There are too many Nigerian churches in this place – you wait and see. Wait until next year’s election. You wait and see” and “We don’t want the amount of black children”.

He claimed to have visited a Nigerian church where he had seen “people eat off the ground.”Bailey then added: “There must be some hygiene regulations preventing this.”

The Alibon ward councillor faced the board of the authority’s standards committee last week after four borough councillors lodged a complaint about his disgraceful behaviour. The meeting heard that Bailey’s racist tirade was made in an “antagonistic and offensive” manner in front of a packed gallery of church members.

Bailey denied making most of those remarks in an interview with the monitoring officer. However, the officer’s report concluded that Bailey had breached the Members Code of Conduct because he had failed to treat applicants with respect, brought the council into disrepute and that he was in breach of equality laws.

He is now facing suspension from office.

The church’s pastor Thomas Aderounmu told the hearing: “What made it offensive was not just the reference to Nigerians but the attitude and the way in which it was delivered. There’s a way of saying Nigerian that’s very friendly. There’s another way of saying it that’s very offensive.”

Bailey’s legal advisor, former leading National Front member Patrick Harrington, cross-examined all four complaining councillors, Pastor Aderounmu and legal officer Winston Brown.

He asked witnesses a number of irrelevant questions which led to frequent interruption form the chair.

The decision had to be adjourned to a yet unknown date.

Harrington, who is general secretary of the BNP-affiliated trade union Solidarity, complained for 30 minutes about the extra travel cost incurred on him by a second hearing.

Bailey, who is also London organiser for the fascist BNP party, attended the hearing but did not speak.

Earlier this year, the councillor was thrown out of a civic reception in Barking for being drunk and last year was banned from driving for 18 months for failing to provide a specimen of breath. He later claimed he was set up because of his political beliefs.

The 8th March is International Women’s Day. To celebrate this TMP (The Multicultural Progressive) is putting a spotlight on Womens’ rights and liberation, throughout this week. As part of this, TMP has commissioned a special report into the state of women in the UK and internationally.

The London based Black Women’s Rape Action Project has produced this report exclusively for TMPOnline.

Since 5 February, women in Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre (Bedfordshire) have been on hunger strike. They are protesting indefinite detention, lack of medical care and legal representation, and inadequate time and help with their legal claim. On top of this, they have suffered racist abuse and other violence from private agency staff. Many are mothers suffering separation from children, and most are survivors of rape and other torture. Their detention is contrary both to international law and Home Office regulations.

SOAS students showing solidarity with Yarl's Wood detainees

On day four of the strike, guards with riot shields ‘kettled’ the women in an airless hallway without access to water or toilets. Others were locked outside in freezing conditions for a sustained period of time. Four women, isolated from the others, were transferred to prison.  None of the women have been charged with committing any crime.

Despite efforts from the authorities to divide them,  at the start 84 women from many countries came together to organise the hunger strike.  Most of the detained women are from China, Jamaica, Nigeria, and Vietnam.

Last week John McDonnell MP tabled a parliamentary motion for an immediate independent investigation and a “moratorium on all removals pending the results of that investigation”.

Embarrassed Home Office officials wrote to all MPs denying that women were refusing food – they were getting food from visitors, they said. Women furiously pointed out that visitors are banned from bringing in food.

Other slurs were answered by the All African Women’s Group and Black Women’s Rape Action Project, based in Kentish Town ’s Crossroads Women’s Centre. Teams of volunteers continue to provide round-the-clock support to hunger strikers, providing lawyers’ visits media and contacts (publicity is a protection against abuse).  Sometimes the groups take on cases and stop removals themselves.

Cristel A miss of Black Women’s Rape Action Project said

“We are in daily contact with hunger strikers. Claims that women are treated with ‘dignity and respect’ mean nothing in the face of overwhelming evidence of appalling conditions and abuse. The case for mothers, rape survivors and other vulnerable women to be released grows stronger every day. ”

Stella Mpaka from the All African Women’s Group commented:

“Either children suffer alongside their mothers in detention or they suffer the pain of separation.  Ending the detention of children has to mean ending the detention of families. We know from the many acts of kindness, understanding and compassion from the public that there is widespread though hidden support for us. ”

Mothers will be taking their own action in Yarl’s Wood during the Mothers March for Recognition and Support for the Vital Work of Mothering, Sat 13 March, 2pm.

Activists showing solidarity with Yarl's Wood Hunger Strikers

“1° Marzo, una giornata senza di noi” – “1 March, a day without us”

Protest at the Italian Embassy
Monday, 1st March ,1-2pm
14 Three Kings Yard, London W1K 4EH

Immigrant people in Italy, France and other European countries, led by African people, have called an Immigrant Strike on the 1st March 2010 to protest: racist murders and attacks; police harassment; immigration controls; severe exploitation and inhumane conditions in agriculture and other work. Whilst many of the agricultural workers are men, immigrant women, including sex workers, have also been targetted.

The day of action will include strikes from waged work places, from schools, universities, shopping strikes, and demonstrations in many cities. Second-generation immigrants and non-immigrant people are also part of the co-ordinating committees helping to organise this “day without us”. (For more info please go to: see this link: mainly in Italian but some info in English) http://www.primomarzo2010.it/2009/10/chi-siamo.html).

Please also see the statement “Tangerines and olives don’t fall from the sky” (below) from the Assembly of African workers of Rosarno in Rome, Italy, January 2010 who on 8 January, were shot at by racists and fought back.

As women seeking asylum in the UK, many of us African, survivors of rape and other torture, mothers, detained without trial, destitute and facing racism in the UK, as immigrant and non-immigrant people, we are jointly organising this protest to support the 1 March Strike.

All African Women’s Group Global Women’s Strike Payday men’s network

contact:aawg2002@googlemail.com; womenstrike8m@server101.com; payday@paydaynet.org Tel: (020) 7482 2496 www.allwomencount.net, www.globalwomenstrike.net

SEE BELOW STATEMENT FROM AFRICAN WORKERS OF ROSARNO..
——————————————————-

“Tangerines and olives don’t fall from the sky”
from the Assembly of African workers of Rosarno in Rome (Italy, January 2010)

On 31 January 2010 we met to form the Assembly of African workers of Rosarno in Rome. We are the workers who were forced to leave Rosarno after we demanded our rights. We were working in inhumane conditions. We lived in abandoned factories, without water or electricity. Our work was underpaid. We used to leave the places where we slept every morning at 6, only to go back at night at 8 for 25 euros [about £22], not all of them ending into our pockets. Sometimes we could not managed to get paid after a day of hard work. We were going back empty-handed and our body bending with tiredness. For many years we have been discriminated, exploited and threatened in all sort of ways. We were exploited during the day and chased around at night by the sons of our exploiters. They beat us up, threatened us, pursued like beasts, kidnapped, some of us disappeared for ever.

They shot us as a sport or in someone’s interest. We continued to work. In time we became easy targets. We couldn’t take it any more. Those of us who had not been wounded by bullets, were wounded in their human dignity, in their pride as human beings.

We could not wait any more for some help which would never arrive, because we are invisible, we don’t exist for this country’s authorities. We made ourselves visible, we went into the street to shout that we exist.

The people didn’t want to see us. How can anyone demonstrate if he doesn’t exist?

The authorities and the police arrived and they deported us from the town because we were not safe anymore. The people of Rosarno were hunting us, lynching us, organised now in real chasing squads.

We were put in detention centres for immigrants. Many of us are still there, others went back to Africa, others are scattered around in the towns of Southern Italy.

We are in Rome. Today we have no job, no place to sleep, no belongings and no wages, which have not been paid by our exploiters.

We say we are part of the economic life of this country, but the authorities don’t want to see or listen to us. Tangerines, olives, oranges don’t fall from the sky. They are in the hands of those who pick them.

We had managed to get a job which we lost simply because we demanded to be treated as human beings. We did not come to Italy as tourists. Our work and our sweat are useful to Italy as they are to our families, who have placed many hopes on us.

We demand from the authorities of this country to meet us and listen to our demands:

We demand that the residence permit which was given to the 11 African men wounded in Rosarno for humanitarian reasons, be given to all of us, victims of exploitation and of our irregolar situation which left us without a job, abandoned and left behind in the streets. We want the government of this country to face its responsibilities and guarantee us the possibility of working with dignity.

Assembly of African workers of Rosarno in Rome.