Ongoing resistance at Harmondsworth and Colnbrook detention centres

Today noise demonstrations inside and outside the detention centres.

This morning, a small group of supporters of the ongoing resistance inside Harmondsworth and Colnbrook, went again to make noise outside the two centres.

People in both centres were heard shouting ‘freedom’ and ‘we want justice’ from the central courtyards. Some people held signs up to the windows saying ‘no more detention’, others were banging on the walls and windows. One group managed to open a window and were shouting to the supporters outside ‘we want freedom’.

Detainees inside said they were not eating again today and people were refusing to go to the kitchens. They said that the Home Office had given no response to their demands and so they would CONTINUE to RESIST. Some people involved in the resistance have reportedly been moved to the isolation unit. They have been threatened with removal to other centres and with removal directions out of the UK.

The security levels were high, 8 security from the centre came outside and 8 – 10 police arrived shortly after. One security officer was trying to intimidate the supporters group, making up false stories about protesters to the police, encouraging them to make arrests. The police with help from the security forcibly removed the people making noise outside, pushing and pulling them away. No arrests were possible.

People inside the detention prisons of Harmondsworth and Colnbrook ask for more support outside. They ask that people spread their messages far and continue to come to make noise outside.

Resistance continues inside and out.

Solidarity.

No Borders. No detention prisons. No Eurodac.

Some of the most recent statements from inside:

NO ONE CARES

‘’We eat or no eat, release or no release no one cares. It’s very bad here.’’

THE PROTEST IS STILL ON

‘’The protest is still on, we are outside. There are 150 people still out there and we have agreed not to eat until the demands are met. There is the possibility that they will stay outside in the courtyard tonight

We don’t have any access to social media but if you can post this it would be great.’’

I’M TALKING ABOUT THE 600 PEOPLE WHO ARE WITH ME IN THIS DETENTION

I’m talking about the six hundred people who are with me in this detention. This thing is not fair. If this place was in another country all you would see is BBC and every media…but because it’s a place in the UK they defend…so when I say to the Home Office “This place is prison”, they say to me “No- is not prison”.

THEY IMMIGRATION OFFICERS NOW HERE

‘’They immigration officers now here and they took the papers [with messages] from guys and trying to stop protest. They wrote the names of they guys who are protesting and had papers.’’

See https://detainedvoices.wordpress.com/ for more testimonies and information.

Other reports:

*Recent report on Harmondsworth by Corporate Watch: ‘Its gonna break: life in the UK’s biggest detention centre’

http://www.corporatewatch.org/news/2015/mar/04/harmondsworth-immigration-detention-centre-secret-filming-mitie