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Copyleft - Information for direct action - Published weekly in Brighton since 1994

Home | Friday 2nd July 2010 | Issue 729

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CALAIS UPDATE

SchNEWS travels to Calais in the wake of the eviction of Africa House...

Following the eviction of Africa House two weeks ago (see SchNEWS 727), the remaining Calais migrants are now camped out in hidden ‘jungles’ and small scale squats scattered around the city.

The surly CRS cruise the streets in riot vans and constantly raid the camps and squats, sending the migrants sprinting to hiding places in the bushes or the nooks and crannies of abandoned buildings. As one Sudanese man commented, “Here we live the life of rats”. The success of the migrants in evading the CRS has led to an increase in arrests as they walk to the food distribution centre, something the CRS has agreed in writing not to do. No Borders activists are now trying to escort migrants on their way to eat.

The presence of No Borders activists is crucial in preventing police abuses. The establishment of a morning police watch with whistles and an air horn to warn migrants put a stop to the early morning raids that had plagued the new African squat. And although SchNEWS got called an “English dog” by a CRS officer with a ginger Poirot-esque moustache, the police can do little except glare and take passport details.

SchNEWS spoke to migrants who had fled wars, dictators and extreme poverty, people who had left their families behind and risked everything, including their lives, to try for a better life. They were bewildered at how the fabled democracies of Europe could treat them with such inhuman brutality and racism and could have such disregard for their own laws. A Sudanese man told SchNEWS, “In Africa, they say if you have a problem, go to Europe. But we are here and life is very bad. We have no answers.” But they spoke with respect for the No Borders activists and the work they carry out, a number proudly proclaiming “I am No Borders”.

However, numbers are currently low and activists limited in what they can achieve. Those on the ground are urgently calling out for more people to take the short ferry hop over (free if you sweet talk you way into a car) and make a real difference to desperate people.

* See calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com



 
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A brief history of the Dragon Festival and Cigarrones travellers site, southern Spain.
The Cigarrones travellers’ site is one of several communities which have sprung up near Orgiva in Andalucía, Spain, in recent decades. Coming to the southern tip of Europe to escape the repression against travellers in Britain and elsewhere, they have carved out a life of avin’ it autonomous anarchy – despite increasing attention from tinpot local authorities who act like Franco is still in. Since 1997 the site has held the annual Dragon Festival - now arguably one of the most significant free festivals in Europe – but this is also under attack. Here is a brief history written by a resident of Cigarrones:
SchNEWS interviews Canadian journalist and military historian Gwynne Dyer about the dire warnings for a post-climate change world in his book 'The Climate Wars'
Report from US-Mexico border about the narco wars whose connections go right up to the president
One year after the military coup in Honduras which ousted the leader and installed a neo-liberal cabal, grassroots groups across the country are aligning to create a popular movement.
SchNEWS interviews Richard Stallman – hacker, founder of the Free Software movement and activist for digital-software-information freedom...
From Kemp Town to Kabul, as SchNEWS interviews Al Jazeera journalist Medyan Dairieh about his take on the war...
An eyewitness account from Phnom Penh, as Cambodia faces its largest forced displacements since the time of the Khmer Rouge.
The future of Titnore Woods is threatened as Tesco and Worthing Council gang up to build upon the ancient woodland...
Who are the far-right English Defence League, and what are their strategies?
With the murder of Russian human rights activist Natalia Estemirova in Chechnya, we look at the Russian-backed despotic regime in Chechnya.
At the last minute the Big Green Gathering festival in Somerset was pulled due to legal pressure - SchNEWS looks at the events and factors that led to this.
The president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, is removed and sent into exile after a military coup d'etat.
This year marks the 24th anniversary of the infamous police attack on travellers on their way to Stonehenge in an incident now known as the Battle Of The Beanfield.
SchNEWS looks how deep the financial problems are for the banks and the British Govt, and how they won't learn from their errors.
Given a more optimistic environment after Obama's announcement that he's going to close the Guantanamo prison camp, SchNEWS interviews ex-detainee, Omar Deghayes, to gauge his reaction.
Eyewitness accounts from British activists on the ground during the wanton attack on Gaza by Israel in January 2009.
Somali pirates roaming the Gulf Of Aden, hijacking - amongst other ships - a Saudi oil supertanker. How is it possible? What geo-political context is giving rise to these latter-day pirates?

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