Friday, 25 September 2009

The Office Of The Chief Of Police In Calais Occupied

Twenty French and UK No Borders activists staged a sit-in at the the sous-prefecture (Chief of Police) in Calais, demanding an immediate end to the persecution of migrants and calling for freedom of movement for all. They unfurled a banner proclaiming 'Human Rights have No Borders', alongside others made by migrants in response to their eviction on Tuesday. One banner read, 'The jungle is our house, please don’t destroy it. If you do, so then where is the place to go?'

The clearances, which began on Tuesday, were due to end today. However, Besson has now admitted that the operation is likely to continue for weeks. Meanwhile, many of the migrants arrested on Tuesday have already been released, most just with the clothes on their back, and activists and humanitarian groups in Calais are trying to find shelter for them, under the constant threat of their, and the migrants, being arrested.

All the activists were eventually arrested and at the time of posting are still in police custody.

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