Six Iranians have been on hunger strike in London and Croydon since 05/04/2011 after being refused political asylum in Britain, having escaped imprisonment, torture, and threat of death in Iran. Though their lives will be in danger should they return to Iran, they have been ignored, dismissed and let down by UK authorities since they sought refuge in this country last year.
Facing deportation, they decided to take drastic action: four of them have sewn their mouths together in protest; by Friday all will have gone 32 days without food. They have been camping outside the UK Border Agency (UKBA) headquarters in Croydon, and Amnesty International in Clerkenwell.
Their case highlights the rotten state of the UK asylum system. Rather than support refugees, the UK Border Agency operates a systematic policy of disbelief: ignore, confuse, use every legal loophole to refuse asylum claims and keep the numbers down.
Demo in solidarity with the hunger strikers! The hunger strikers will be attending in wheelchairs. Bring banners, drums, music, and passion.
This demo is called by the hunger strikers and by supporters including members of:
No Border Network
Stop Deportations Network
SOAS Detainee Support
Cambridge Migrant Solidarity Group
The march begins 2pm at Parliament Square, followed by protest outside the Home Office (2 Marsham Street SW1, London) 3-5pm
If you can’t make the demo:
– Publicise the online petition
– Contact the Home Secretary (see petition for full names and details of their cases)
Rt. Hon Theresa May, MP
Secretary of State for the Home Office,
2 Marsham St
London SW1 4DF
Fax: 020 7035 4745
Emails:
mayt@parliament.uk
Emails: Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
– Contact the media
– Share it on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Support-the-Iranian-Hunger-Strikers/206206719410578
– Ask Amnesty to take on their case
More info:
http://iranianhungerstrikers.blogspot.com/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/21/iranian-hunger-stikers-sew-lips-uk-deportation
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/04/28/uk.iran.hunger.strike/
No Borders North East 
Leave a comment