Archives: United Against Prejudice1
Asylum Hostel Scandal
Unity against prejudice
Asylum demo in Leicester
On Saturday 3rd February, around 400 people marched through the city of Leicester. The march was organised in memory of Ramin Khaleghi an Iranian who committed suicide a week after his claim for asylum was rejected by the Home Office. Ramin had been a political prisoner and had been tortured by the regime in Iran. (See article below).
The march went silent as a mark of respect as it passed the hostel Ramin was staying in. But people were angry. They were there to protest against the Home Office and government treatment of asylum seekers: The deportations; the voucher system; the forced dispersal of asylum seekers around the country.
Hundreds of asylum seekers from Leicester were joined by a coach-load from Hull and other areas. Speakers from asylum seekers' organisations and the Leicester Civil Rights Movement attacked the asylum system and spoke of the repressive governments in their countries to which many people were being deported.
Suicide Of Iranian Refugee Sparks Protests
On January 18, 2001, the body of Ramin Khaleghi, a 27-year-old Iranian, was discovered in the 'International Hotel', a hostel housing asylum seekers in Leicester. The following evening a packed meeting of hotel residents and representatives of the local community expressed anger at the Home Office policy and hotel mismanagement that had led to Ramin's death. Hotel management refused to allow local journalists into the meeting prompting a brief demonstration in the lobby of the hotel.
Ramin had been a political prisoner in Iran for a number of years, before managing to flee to Britain. Yet the Home Office rejected his claim for asylum, despite medical evidence of torture at the hands of the Iranian police. One week after learning of his rejection, Ramin took his own life. Ramin's death comes at a time when claims for asylum from Iranian refugees are getting less and less of a hearing from the UK authorities, despite widespread acceptance of the oppressive nature of the regime. Speakers at the meeting argued that Home Office had effectively pronounced a death sentence on Ramin. The Home Office sent a representative who refused to address the meeting once he ascertained the strength of feeling amongst residents. With many asylum seekers having recently received refusals of their asylum applications the repeated question was "after Ramin, who is next?"
"Sometimes you get so frustrated when your life is in other peoples' hands. You fear for your life back home in Iran but when you get here you live in fear too. When you get an answer from the Home Office it is likely to be a refusal. Hopelessness can easily trigger suicide. All of us can identify with Ramin, all in the same situation." Iranian refugee, Leicester
Residents read a statement demanding an end to refusals and deportations. They spoke of the need to be treated as human beings and not as numbers and for their needs as human beings to be recognised. Many of the asylum seekers have been in the International Hotel for many months and the mental and physical strains are starting to show. The meeting went on to demand psychological support for residents to help them cope with the strain of Ramin's death and the general conditions at the hotel.
There was a clear consensus that the current accommodation and support system for asylum seekers was inadequate. The meeting called for individual and family housing rather than a continuation of the crowded and unsatisfactory conditions at the International Hotel. They also spoke of how the voucher system led to them being stigmatised and vulnerable to racism.
The meeting ended with a discussion of ways to take this protest further. Since Ramin's death some asylum seekers have been camped out in the hostel's lobby area in protest at the death of their friend and it is expected that this protest will continue. Further suggestions were made for local and national demonstrations. Plans emerged to set up a residents committee to work with the Leicester Civil Rights Movement and Ramin's family to challenge the system that led to Ramin's death.
Tristram Hooley
For further information please contact Arun Kundnani on 07957 240755, or Priya Thamotheram on 0116 253 1053
Asylum Hostel Scandal. Dec 2000
Lobby of Jim Marshall MP by Asylum Seekers
An outbreak of the skin condition Scabies at a hostel for asylum seekers in Leicester has resulted from insufficient cleaning of sheets. This scandalous fact came out at a lobby of Jim Marshall MP for Leicester South by asylum seekers, and the Leicester Civil Rights Movement and Socialist Party members.
Residents talked about the conditions at the "International Hotel", run by Accommodata, a private company who have the Home Office franchise. These conditions include:
*Food - inappropriate food, in too short supply. Inadequate self-catering facilities - one toaster for 450 residents!
*Cleaning: Rooms are now only being cleaned once every two to three weeks. Cutlery is dirty. Only one washing machine is available for 350 residents.
*Overcrowding: The double rooms are being used to accommodate four to five residents, and the single rooms are shared between three. This must be a fire hazard.
*Family life: Families are being split up and finding it impossible to maintain privacy.
We demanded that Jim Marshall investigate these inhumane conditions. He agreed to visit the hotel and contact the Home Office to get these problems solved.
We also called on him to campaign for the abolition of the iniquitous voucher system. Asylum seekers have insufficient resources to be able to meet all of their needs, for example clothing (especially in winter), specialised dietary requirements, and hygiene needs. In fact those resident in a hostel get only £10 a week.
We also called on him to oppose the government's policy of forced dispersal. Asylum seekers should be free to live in the location of their choosing, in an environment they feel safe in. It should also be one in which the necessary support arrangements have been made readily available.
The campaign continues with local campaigners working together with the asylum seekers themselves to fight for better conditions. For more on the LCRM contact Priya on 0116 2531053
top
Unity against Prejudice Success of March, Rally and Party
Unity In Action
Despite several hiccups and many obstacles, Leicester's Pride event last Saturday (29th July) was a huge success.
The event, organised as a response to the cancellation of the gay Mardi Gras because of fascist threats, showed the affect that alliances and unity in action can bring about. Banners of the Socialist Party, UNISON and the Green Party were carried amongst those of gay groups and organisations like Outrage and LGB action, all behind the leading banner of 'Unity Against Prejudice'.
Despite attempts by the Nazi National Front (NF) and British National Party (BNP) to disrupt the march, over 400 gay and straight people marched - and danced - through the centre of Leicester with whistles, placards and a Samba band, shouting slogans like "we demand equality for absolutely everybody". Afterwards, a party and rally in the city's Abbey Park was held, where speakers included Naomi Byron of Youth Against Racism in Europe as well as representatives from the Indian Workers Association, the NUS LGB campaign and Unity Against Prejudice (UAP) - the group who organised the event.
The Socialist Party made a huge intervention with over 25 members present, handing out leaflets and holding a stall.
The day, which took over four months to organise by a handful of Leicester's gay community and several left activists including members of the Socialist Party, faced many obstacles. The NF threatened a national mobilisation and financial problems occurred throughout. The organisers also came up against the SWP - in the guise of the Anti Nazi League (ANL). In the week up to the event, the ANL decided to hold - and heavily publicise - a separate event despite pleas by UAP to join the Pride event behind their own banner.
70 organised fascists and bigots attempted to intimidate and stop the march but were outnumbered and unsuccessful. A homeless Big Issue seller was attacked by 5 Nazi thugs who punched him and threw his magazines over a fence.
Overall however, the day was a great success and has made way for an 'official' Mardi Gras next year. The task then will be to ensure this 'commercial' event has an element of politics in it.
Darren , UAP and Socialist Party (Leicester)
More at Unity Against Prejudice
Billy Bragg supports Unity Against Prejudice
Singer/songwriter Billy Bragg played at Leicester's De Montfort Hall last Tuesday (25th July) and invited Unity against Prejudice (UAP) along to publicise the Pride event.
UAP held a stall and handed out leaflets. About 6 songs into his set, Billy announced the Unity campaign to his audience and said that this was one of the reasons why he came to Leicester. He went on to emphasise the word pride and said "it's not just about 'gayness', but about being proud of Leicester as a multicultural city". Billy then dedicated the song 'All you fascists are bound to lose' to the organisers of the Pride event.
Afterwards he approached the 5 present UAP members and praised them for organising against far-right opposition, and wished them luck on Saturday.
Darren, of UAP
The campaign has its own e-mail address: unity against prejudice. and webpage Unity Against Prejudice
top
April 2000: Resistance to fascist threats organised in Leicester
70 people turned up to the founding meeting of "Unity against Prejudice" in Leicester this week. It was called in response to the cancellation of the Leicester Mardi Gras Gay festival planned for the summer, reportedly due to fascist threats of violence. This genuinely broad based campaign was initiated by Socialist Party members at a meeting of Leicester University Socialist Students and has been backed by Leicester College Students Union, Leicester University LGB society and a number of other organisations and individuals so far.
There has been a lot of anger in the gay community and elsewhere about the fact that a handful of fascists can apparently succeed in getting this event called off. The meeting was extremely enthusiastic about the idea of holding a mass event on the date the Mardi Gras was meant to happen, July 29th. We agreed to organise a march and rally and aim to follow it with a "mini festival".
The mood of the majority of the meeting was that this would not be just a replacement Mardi Gras, but a statement of opposition to all forms of prejudice. We want to link up the gay community, the black and asian community, trades unionists, everyone who is under threat from the far right. We want to answer the lies and build unity. A steering committee is planned for next Tuesday to start the detailed work. We have already had publicity, on the front page of the pink paper and in the local press and media. We think this could be big!
top
For more info on what weve been
up to in the past read our archive page
|
