Berlin 9th of January, 2015
Rebel, Refuse, Resist!
In solidarity with our comrade and friend of Arash D.
Arash D. has been imprisoned for over a month – for moving freely and “inciting” others to do the same.
Arash has been central to the refugee protests across Germany which began in 2012. Since the march from Würzburg to Berlin and the hunger strike at the Brandenburg Gate in 2012, we’ve seen him as a committed No Border activist. Now he was in jail because of the hunger strike at Rindermarkt in Munich (2013), where he fought for the right to stay and freedom of movement.
Still, resistance is punished harshly – as in the case of our comrade Arash! The court ordered him to pay a fine, he refused and was imprisoned. Legitimate protest for civil rights must not be criminalized and oppressed!
“Therefore, I am not guilty and have no respect at all for this court decision!” (Arash D., early January 2015)
Through their resistance in refugee lagers and in the streets of Germany Arash and other refugee activists have contributed immensely to denouncing the maltreatments of refugees and to the public awareness in the European and German society of today towards this denial of civil rights to refugees.
The dignity, the honor and the struggle of comrade Arash D in unity with all those in civil disobedience against the EU - German culture of the isolation and exclusion which we are made to suffer in our daily struggle cannot be compromised by the German police racist brutality and imprisonment. Imprisonment cannot weaken the refugee’s self-determination to liberate ourselves from the old Europe colonial apartheid segregation of non-citizens. There is no doubt that Arash will remain a vibrant reference to refugee struggle in Europe.
We call on the refugee community and all those on the side of justice to stand together in honor of those in civil disobedience - to celebrate the struggle of our resistance and to unmask the ignorance and hypocrisy of the society and the so called democracy in Bayern, Germany and beyond.
We show solidarity with our comrades!
We are not intimidated in our struggles against the capitalist border regime!
No nation, no border! Fight law and order!
Activists from Berlin and The VOICE Refugee Forum (Network)