📣 NOTICE! POSTPONED: MASS PROTEST & SOLIDARITY DEMONSTRATION MARCHING ON COLNBROOK DETENTION CENTRE ON SAT 29 JUNE
PROTEST ON 29 JUNE HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL AFTER THE GENERAL ELECTION – WATCH THIS SPACE FOR UPDATES
Flights will not take off to deport anyone to Rwanda before the general election takes place on 4 July. Now, Saturday 29 June will be the last Saturday before the election, when many will be out campaigning – including anti racist campaigning to stop Farage in Clacton, campaigning in localities calling on people to use their vote to stop Reform UK, and to stop Nazi candidates where they are standing. Stand Up To Racism groups across Britain will also be campaigning generally with an anti racist election pledge which includes the demand to release all those detained in Sunak’s shock raids, and with a demand for safe passage and legal and accessible routes to claim asylum to implemented immediately.
The planned mass protest by #StopRwanda coalition has therefore been postponed, and a new date will be announced in the week following the election to raise these adapted demands of immediate release of those detained, safe passage now, and the immediate repeal of the Rwanda Plan, the Nationality and Borders Act and the Illegal Migration Act. We will also be demanding that the future government scraps all and any plans for any offshore detention.
#StopRwanda campaign statement here
On Monday 22 April the Rwanda Bill was finally pushed through Parliament by Sunak and his government. Sunak then claimed the first flight will take off 10 – 12 weeks from then deporting refugees to offshore detention in Rwanda.
On Sunday 28 April the shocking announcement by Sunak that refugees will be snatched when attending immigration service centres for standard appointments has horrified anti racists everywhere, and rightly sparked calls for protests and action. Anti racists across Britain swiftly starting to gather outside immigration reporting centres, providing information for any refugees attending appoinents and resisting any attempts to detain people. Across Britain, SUTR groups alongside many others are continuing to keep a presence at the immigration reporting centres. For details of your nearest What’s App to join, contact info@standuptoracism.org.uk
On Monday 29 April Stand Up To Racism and Care4Calais, alongside the PCS civil service union (representing workers in the Home Office who are looking to industrial and legal action against the Rwanda plan), hosted a very representative and well attended emergency planning meeting with support from unions, organisations faith groups, MPs and lords, campaigners and activists and called action:
📣 NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION, TUE 30 APRIL: Protests took place in 15 towns and cities all across Britain to oppose Sunak’s shock detention raids operation. See list of protests as part of the national day of action here
Protests are continuing to be called outside immigration detention centres, with local SUTR broadcast What’s App groups and networks being developed, and leafleting daily outside centres to provide support for refugees and connect those who are detained with legal support. Please email us to find out more and get involved in activity in your local area: info@standuptoracism.org.uk
📣 PROTEST OUTSIDE DOWNING STREET, WED 8 MAY 6PM & #StopRwanda X/Twitterstorm
On Wednesday 8 May the #StopRwanda coalition brought hundreds out to protest outside Downing Street to tell Rishi Sunak – #RwandaNotInOurName #RefugeesWelcome
Speakers included Jeremy Corbyn, Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP, NEU General Secretary Daniel Kebede, Sydney Sopher from Care4Calais, Amnesty International Ulrike Schmidt, a refugee speaker and Stand Up To Racism.
📣 Big campaign meeting in parliament for campaign to #StopRwanda detention, deportations, raids and flights, as part of refugee week (17 – 23 June)
📣 Campaigning statement and model motion will be launched here later today – watch this space
📣 BIG LONDON/ NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION, SAT 29 JUNE to #StopRwanda detention, deportations, raids and flights
The government’s Rwanda offshore detention policy is the epitome of its cruel and heinous racist agenda, in breach of internationally recognised human rights legislation and must be met with further mass opposition.
The first planned flights in 2022 were stopped by broad based campaigning and mass protests, with legal challenges, days of action and protests outside the Royal Court of Justice and all over Britain.
Now we need to build a mass, broad campaign and every anti racist has a role to play in organising opposition to stop Rwanda offshore detention and stop Sunak’s government from managing to get deportation flights to Rwanda off the ground.
We must mobilise immediately and broadly, in every area and pull together a mass campaign to #StopRwanda flights, to stop the Tories snatching refugees weeks before flights are due to take off in this attempt to circumvent the widespread solidarity that exists for refugees and mass opposition to the #RwandaBill #RwandaPlan.
Get involved and find your nearest protest and local group: info@standuptoracism.org.uk
Care4Calais had provided advice for protests and providing support and solidarity to refugees attending their appointments since Sunak’s terrifying announcement…
👉🏿 At reporting centres: make sure anyone reporting knows the C4C number (08000096268) or has it written on paper or on their body. When detained they should call it asap.
👉🏿 If people are able to take the name (as spelled on their HO docs), date of birth and port ref number, this would be great. Then monitor if they do not return. If they don’t return then please contact Care4Calais/ info@standuptoracism.org.uk
👉🏿 The detention number goes directly to Care4Calais caseworkers who will take details and then connect the caller with a lawyer
👉🏿 When photographing/filming the protest make sure the faces of people claiming asylum are not included.
