Monthly Archives: januari 2014

Wij Zijn Hier in Den Haag

woensdag 22 januari demonstreerde WIJ ZIJN HIER in den haag tijdens een internationale aktiedag voor afrikaanse vluchtelingen in israel. eerste stop was de israelische ambassade waar aan de overkant op het binnenhof joke kaviaar een toespraak hield en enkele teksten voorgelezen werden over de situatie van de vluchtelingen in israel. daarop trok de demonstratie luid scanderend het centrum van den haag in richting het ministerie van justitie waar WIJ ZIJN HIER hun mensenrechten opeisten bij teeven en de nederlandse staat

fotos van manette

Solidariteitsactie in Den Haag voor vluchtelingen in Israel

Woensdag 22 januari is er een internationale solidariteitsdag met Afrikaanse asielzoekers in Israel. De groep uitgeprocedeerde vluchtelingen in Amsterdam die zich heeft verzameld onder de naam ‘Wij Zijn Hier’ ondersteunt deze actiedag met een demonstratie bij de Israelische ambassade in Den Haag waar wij zullen protesteren tegen het discriminerende en inhumane vluchtelingenbeleid van Israel

Begin deze maand demonstreerden tienduizenden Afrikaanse vluchtelingen in Tel Aviv voor hun rechten als asielzoeker nadat de regering van premier Netanyahu een wetswijziging doorvoerde, die voorziet in het voor onbepaalde tijd opsluiten van vluchtelingen in afgelegen detentiekampen in de woestijn. Dankzij de nieuwe wetgeving lopen meer dan 50.000 vluchtelingen risico zonder vorm van proces opgepakt en afgevoerd te worden. Vluchtelingen die via Egypte in Israel aankomen worden direct vastgezet en kunnen geen asiel aanvragen.

De eerste razzia staat al gepland waarbij de overheid meer dan duizend vluchtelingen zal afvoeren naar de Negev. Sinds de nieuwe wetgeving er door is gekomen eind vorig jaar zijn tal van vluchtelingen gearresteerd en onder druk gezet in te stemmen met een ‘vrijwillige’ terugkeer naar het land van herkomst. Door deze willekeurige arrestaties zijn families ontwricht en uit elkaar gerukt. De voornamelijk uit Eritrea en Soedan afkomstige asielzoekers laten zich echter niet gewillig opjagen; gegroepeerd voeren ze acties tegen de discriminerende maatregelen van de overheid.

Ze krijgen 22 januari tijdens de internationale solidariteitsdag steun van aktivisten en mensrechtenorganisaties uit onder meer Canada, Verenigde Staten, Italië, Zweden, Frankrijk en Duitsland. Ook Wij Zijn Hier uit Amsterdam is solidair met de Afrikaanse vluchtelingen in Israel. We zullen bij de Israelische ambassade in Den Haag eisen dat Israel de mensenrechten naleeft! Iedereen is van harte welkom zich aan te sluiten.

Na afloop demonstreren we bij het Ministerie van Veiligheid en Justitie om dezelfde mensenrechten voor ons op te eisen. We voeren al bijna anderhalf jaar actie tegen het inhumane vluchtelingenbeleid in Nederland, maar de overheid schendt consequent onze basale rechten waardoor we opgepakt, vastgezet en uitgesloten worden van de samenleving.

Vrijheid voor alle vluchtelingen! Geen mens is illegaal!

Woensdag 22 januari 2014 van 14.00 tot 16.00
demonstratie bij de Israelische ambassade, Buitenhof 47 in Den Haag
Verzamelen 13.30 op het Buitenhof

* assaf.org.il
Freedom 4 Refugees in Israel

We are cold!

Life in the Vluchtgarage

Kralenbeek 100,1104 KH Amsterdam ZO

It is cold in the Vluchtgarage.

Currently there are about 71 refugees. from Rwanda, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Guinea Conakry, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Iraq, Albania and Yemen.

The place is too cold. No hot water, no heater, no shower and the electric is not as such enough to produce more power. Besides that there is shortage of food, no access to internet, no medical treatment, etc.

Therefore, we kindly request your immediate help in solving the above mentioned problems as early as possible.

With best regards

Gadaa Hunde

MAKE US WARM!

WE ARE HERE collects money to stay warm in the winter. Voor 3 Euro you can keep one refugee warm for one night in the Vluchtgarage. WE need 6400 to install central heating in half the building (2600) and three months for the gas (3750). We have to make a quick campaign to show how the refugees are in the cold, how you can help to change that and how many people support our slogan: No refugee on the street or in jail.

Do you want to help to make this a big campaign, then please let us know what you can and want to do:

  • publish this on facebook and everywhere
  • collect money at public meetings, theatres, churches, etc.
  • help with installation together with refugees in the Vlarage
  • make a poster or flyer

And you can already make a donation on the bank account of Stichting X min Y Solidariteitsfonds IBAN:NL39INGB0000609060 in Amsterdam, Ref. We Are WARM

Contact: wijzijnhierNL@gmail.com

 

Our moves so far.

A chronolocical look at the impressive action of the refugees of We Are Here, the many moves, the difficult and beautiful moments. Of course this overview is not complete – and different people will have different memories and priorities. But it gives a structure to start remembering more!

WE ARE HERE AT A GLANCE


World Garden of Diakonie (Center), 4 sep-25 sep 2012 (3 weeks):

We Are Here started on September 4, 2012 with some tents in the garden of the Diakonie in Amsterdam. A handful of people came together to seek for shelter. There the idea started to make themselves visible and to start a demonstration. They got their inspiration from the demonstrations and Tent camp in Ter Apel and also by the Arab Spring.

 

Tentcamp Notweg (New-West-Osdorp), 25 sep-30 nov 2012 (2 months):
The group got national attention by starting a tentcamp in Osdorp, where it grew to around 90 people and attracted a lot of media and supporters. It was a very cold winter and the people lived in leaking tents only warmed up by the hot coffee and tea that was brought by some neighbours constantly. We saw a new phenomena: demonstrations organised by refugees. On November 10 a big demonstration walked through the city of Amsterdam from Dam to Stopera. It inspired many. The eviction of camp Osdorp at November 30 resulted in the arrest of all refugees. Most of them were ‘released’ or actually put back on the very cold street again on the same evening. Some of them were put in prison.

Vluchtkerk (West-Bos en Lommer), 2 dec 2012-31 may 2013 (6 months):


The next ‘home’ of we Are Here was the Vluchtkerk (refugee church) a squatted empty church that was turned into a cold but at least dry shelter with approval of the owner. This location attracted new media and new supporters. Churches, mosks, organisations and volunteers came to offer support and also supportive lawyers became involved. There were performances by well known Dutch artists like Anouk and Ty Phoon and the We Are Here band performed in the church and also in other venues like Paradiso. Letters were written to the group members in prison. The biggest demonstration took place in this period. Under the name of Refugee Action 2013, 2500 people from the whole country, including refugees from AZC’s and supporters, gathered at the Vluchtkerk and marched to Museumplein.

Vluchtflat (New-West-Slotervaart), 31 may-31 sep 2013 (4 months):


Vluchtpark (New-West-Slotervaart), 15 jul-24 sep 2013

Squatted by We Are Here

When the group had to leave the church, to everyone’s big surprise the buses from Theaterstraat showed up and took the people to a newly squatted place. This was the Vluchtflat (Refugee Flat) where people finally got their own private or shared rooms. This period included summer and Ramadan and also a well deserved break from continuous actions. Still some people realized that action should continue, because life in the Vluchtflat was still far from normal life. A group of people initiated an action at Dam square and Stopera (City Hall) where they slept outside in the rain. Several were arrested but others went to another squat, the Vluchtpark (Refugee Park). Also in this period the No Border Camp in Rotterdam took place, where people of We Are Here told their stories, created networks with people from other countries and showed solidarity with the refugees in prison.

Vluchtkantoor/Vluchtschans (Center), 3 okt-2 dec 2013 (2 months):

Vluchtkantoor, squatted by We Are HereWhen the group had to leave the Vluchtflat again, they received night-by-night shelter from churches and squat movement. After a few days a new home was squatted for them – this time in the middle of the center of Amsterdam, opposite of the Rijksmuseum. This became the Vluchtkantoor (Refugee-office) or Vluchtschans at the Weteringschans. It was nice to be so close to the center, so that related activities in the Balie and Paradiso could easily be attended. The owner, however, immediately started a court case and the refugees decided not to go to court and to leave the building. At the end of October a ruling from European Commission ECSR stated that authorities should give shelter and food to refugees. It is still unclear how the Dutch government will put this advice into practice. Lawyers and human rights organisations are working on this issue.

Vluchthaven (Zuid), 2 dec 2013

Vluchtgarage (Zuidoost), 13 dec 2013

After the eviction of the Vluchtkantoor, the group got divided for the first time. Part of the group was allowed to take shelter in a former prison for six months (Vluchthaven at the Havenstraat). After a lot of discussion in the group (mainly because of the trauma’s many refugees have with prisons and also because of the risk of splitting up), people decided to sign out of fear for being put in real prison. Most people that signed, were however not allowed to go in, because they were not in a certain list. For some people (women and sick people) temporary shelter was found. The others were literally back on the street again. Day by day volunteers tried to find shelter for the group for one or two nights. Finally a new place was squatted: the Vluchtgarage in Amsterdam Zuidoost.