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300 migrants start hunger strike in Greece!
Greek Solidarity - 26.01.2011 00:31
Today 300 immigrants went on hunger strike in Greece asking the full legalization of all illegal immigrants in Greece. Approximately 250 of them are in Athens and 50 in Thessaloniki. In Athens, they are staying in an empty building of the Faculty of Law of the University of Athens.
See for pictures:  http://www.babylonia.gr/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1313:300-%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%B1%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%B7-%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%B3%CE%AF%CE%B1-%CF%80%CE%B5%CE%AF%CE%BD%CE%B1%CF%82-%CE%BC%25C
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Drie teksten door Greek Solidarity gepost in 5 min.
achter elkaar gezet door IMC moderator
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From the first moment, the action of the immigrants faced the fierce reaction of the government, the right, the media and the university administration. There is a full-scale attack launched against them. The board of the law school called for a lock out saying that immigrants are obstructing the exams of the students and that they are carrying contagious diseases. The University board supported the board of the law school and accused the police of allowing immigrants to enter the law school. The minister of education along with the right-wing parties called for an evacuation of the law school. The ultra-right party called for an immediate deportation of all illegal immigrants. The media have started an unprecedented attack against the immigrants accusing them of destroying the university. The communist party accused those that take advantage of a hunger strike that is condemned to fail (so practically it took the side of the government). This evening, the prime-minister called the university board to take its responsibility and practically to allow the police to evacuate the law school. It is highly possible that they will try to kick the immigrants out of the university in the coming days.
The immigrants are not without support. The radical left and anti authoritarian groups support them and have launched a large solidarity campaign. The student union of the law school, along with the graduate student union have published calls of support. Since the first moment hundreds of people visit the Law school to support them.
However, the immigration issue touches the most conservative feelings of the Greek society. There are lost of people that are hurt by the government policy but still are hostile against immigrants. My sense is that the government is playing one of its last cards to gain public support. It used the issue of the hunger strike to mobilize these conservative feelings of the population and to apply police repression that will be justified by the people. The limits and strengths of the Greek left are tested as well. It seems that the Greek left has to win the most difficult battle (in terms of public support) as well to fight off the government. Please note that as in the whole Greek issue, there is no easy way out in this struggle. Immigrants in Greece have no papers, no rights and their lives are threatened all the time by the police, the ultra-right groups or (for the refugees) by a deportation in their country of origin where they can face murder. So, as one of them said when they arrived in Athens: 'full legalization or death'. As you can imagine, full legalization is not only against the rules of the Greek junta but also against the fortress Europe of the EU. So, it's a really big battle.
Also see mainstream media: http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_19375_25/01/2011_375102
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tweede tekst:
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In this period economic crisis and neoliberal attack to labour and social rights in greece, we face also a generalized attack to migrants’ rights, a broad campaign of PASOK government and the mass media to use migrants as scapegoats of social insecurity, unemployment and “criminality”. Frontex Regional Office in Piraeus, Rabits operation in Evros and Poseidon in Aegean Sea, the “screening procedures”, mass deportations to Turkey and the wall against migration in the land borders with Turkey describe the racist policies of repression and criminalization of migration, the establishment of a new european Apartheid.
In this context, 300 migrants decided start a big hunger strike in both Athens and Thessaloniki, on January 25th. The claim of the hunger strike is a new regularization procedure, the “Legalization of all migrants”. It is the bigger hunger strike happened in greece and probably in europe and is taking place in a period of rising racism. Under these circumstances we need all the possible solidarity.
At first publicity: as the greek media will certainly try to underestimate the issue we need international positive publicity. Probably also a text with signatures from groups or individuals from all over europe would be important. Even more an action week in solidarity to the striking migrants will also be very useful.
At second, and probably after the 15th of February -20 days after the beggining of the strike- that things will be getting crucial, probably it will be good some of you or other people with "institutional" positions (from unions, ngos, organisations, parties, or whatever) from all over Europe to travel to greece to state their solidarity.
Waiting for your propsals and counting on your solidarity,
Solidarity Assembly to the migrants’ hunger strike
http://hungerstrike300.blogspot.com/ for regular updates
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derde tekst:
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Call of the 300 migrant’ workers on hunger strike from January 25th 2011
We are migrant men and women, refugees, from all over Greece. We came here to escape poverty, unemployment, wars and dictatorships. The multinational companies and their political servants left us no choice but to repeatedly risk our lives to journey towards Europe’s door. The West that is exploiting our countries while benefiting from much better living conditions is our only chance to live decent lives, to live as human beings. Whether by regular or irregular entry, we came to Greece and are working to support ourselves and our families. We live without dignity, in the dark shadow of illegalness. Employers and State agencies benefit from the harsh exploitation of our labour. We live by the sweat of our brow and with the dream that one day we will have the same rights as our Greek fellow workers.
Recently our lives have become even more unbearable. As salaries and pensions are cut and prices rise, migrants are blamed for the misery and harsh exploitation of Greek workers and small businesses. Far right discourse is reproduced through the media when they talk about us. On issues of migration, the propaganda of fascist and racist parties and groups has become the formal language of the State while their ‘proposals’ have already become government policy: the wall in Evros, floating detention centers and a European army in the Aegean, repression in the cities, massive deportations. They are trying to make Greek workers believe that we are suddenly a threat to them, that we are to blame for the unprecedented attack from their own governments.
The response to the lies and the cruelty must be provided now and it will come from us, from migrant men and women. We will put our own lives on the line to stop this injustice. We ask for the legalization of all migrant men and women, we ask for the same political and social rights and obligations as Greek workers. We ask our Greek fellow workers, everyone suffering exploitation, to stand with us. Support our struggle! Do not allow the lies, the injustice, the fascism and the despotism of political and economic elites to prevail. These are the same conditions that forced us to leave our homelands with our children in order to live with dignity.
We do not have any other way to make our voices heard, to raise awareness of our rights. Three hundred (300) of us will go on hunger strike in Athens and in Thessaloniki on the 25 January 2011. We risk our lives because, either way, there is no dignity in our living conditions. We would rather die here than allow our children to suffer what we have been through.
January 2011
Assembly of migrant hunger strikers
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