Sign and share urgently the campaigning statement here, launched by Maryhill Integration Network
Hundreds joined an emergency protest in Glasgow’s George Square on Saturday 1 May to oppose dawn raids and say #refugeeswelcome. The rally was led by Pinar Aksu, human rights campaigner from Maryhill Integration Network and Stand Up To Racism activist alongside ‘Glasgow Girls’ – Agnessa, Amal, Rosa, and their then teacher Mr Girvan – who were at the centre of a mass, and successful, campaign in the city in 2005 to stop dawn raids, which became widely known and celebrated with a BBC drama watched by millions.
They were joined by speakers from Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees which led the campaign that saw the community come together and organise to collectively and physically stop dawn raids happen.
Speaking at the rally, they brought inspiration to anti racists who are now getting organised to make sure any return of dawn raids is swiftly opposed and stopped, in the wake of a dawn raid earlier in April that rang alarm bells across the movement. The family subjected to such horror bravely joined the rally via a phone call to thank everyone for their solidarity and tell their story of what had happened when they were dawn raided, triggering health conditions that led to them being taken to hospital.
Several speakers at the demonstration noted that it is no coincidence that we are seeing dawn raids appear again at a time when the government is ratcheting up its racist ‘hostile environment’ against refugees and migrants with their new plans for immigration.
See some of the speeches from the demonstration below:
Please sign and share: Deep concerns about inhumane dawn raid action
I’m writing to bring to your attention a letter that Maryhill Integration Network will be sending to the Home Secretary.
The letter outlines our deep concerns about the inhumane dawn raid action which took place on Friday 23rd April to one of our friends and members.
We are asking for your organisation’s support so that we can raise these concerns with a united voice representative of Scottish civil society, faith based groups, campaigners, unions, human rights organisations and members of the community.
If your organisation would like to be a signatory to the letter, please sign up directly via this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c0TgujadlyKq87ysaCle-eMyu6RpBpDe8bEcqrghE_c/edit?usp=sharing
Please do add your organisation’s name by Friday 7th May. We will send the letter to the Home Secretary on Monday morning and publish it shortly afterwards. We will keep signatories to the letter updated on publication plans and any response from the Home Secretary.
