Photo by Umbruch Bildarchiv
Report on the Protest Rally and Demonstration from the Action days which took place on the 9th to 11th of May against the Nigerian Embassy Collaboration in Berlin, Germany that was coordinated by The VOICE Refugee Forum in Stuttgart.
On the 10th of May 2012 in Berlin more than 120 Refugees and non Refugee Activists stormed the premises of the Nigerian Embassy in Berlin as they protest the corrupt collaboratory role which they identified as Colonial. The Transparent that took the order of the day stated “Deportation is Colonial Persecution“ The Oppressed are bent on taking back Power.
Refugees delegates who participated ranged from Refugee Communities from Bayern, Baden Wrttemberg,Berlin Brandenburg, Sachsen Anhalt, Niedersachsen, Thringen, Bremen, Hamburg; Kiel and Nordrhein Westpfalia who are mostly from Nigeria, Benin Republic, Sudan, Uganda, Camerun, india, Tunisia, Ghana, Togo, Pakistan, Afganistan, Iran, Syria, and as well as different Antiracist Activists from Frankfurt, Bremen, Brasil, Berlin, South Africa, Vienna-Austria and Italy etc.
The action started with speeches from different activists alongside with protest music of Fela Anikulakpo Kuti labelled “Zombie“ and dancing at the Front of the Nigerian Embassy with strong Police Blocade/ Presence and by the demonstration.
During the protest action, the call on the Nigerian Ambassador in Berlin, Abdu Usman Abubakar to come out with the courage from his office to address the Protesting Activists was turned down and just immidiately, the Ambassadors car was driven out with speed through a strong presence of Police to avoid harrassment.
The Nigerians and African protesters further insisted on getting into the embassy as they Chanted This is our House and the German Police have no rights to stop us from entering. The Police informed the protesters that the Embassy Officials had informed them of their unwillingness to make any public statement and more also instructed that one of the protesting persons should be allowed into the embassy premises but after a tense confrontation from the aggrieved protesters, the police were compelled to present an Official to officially receive their demands at the least.
To buttress the role of the embasssy in this deportation collaboration, a refugee victim in the mist was having a letter that instructs him to appear at the Embassy to identify himself for deportation. He further expressed his solidarity with the action which caused the Police refusal to allow him into the Embassy as well as the embassy refusal to confirm his presence at the Embassy on that day.
A traditional performance to commit the dubious officials to the Ancesstors by an African traditional Priest, crowned the events in front of the Embassy as we proceeded to protest on the street to the German Foreign Affairs Ministry being a major structure of the Colonial manipualation through dorminating racist and exploitation policies. The protesting activists identified the Building of the Foreign Affairs as a symbol of Colonisation.
The Activists demanded:
An immediate Stop to mobile deportation hearing !
Stop to all forms of deportation collaboration !!
Stop to Frontex - Nigeria deportation aggreement !!!
An end to neocolonial exploitation !!!!
The protesters reaffirmed that deportation is not only racist but also a form of colonial heritage that has to be resisted with a view to the motto of The Caravan: “We are here because you distroyed our countries“
At the end of the protest-rally and demonstration against the Nigerian Embassy collaboration for deportation from Germany, more than 300 hundred activists with the public audience attended the premier of the Residenzpflicht documentary film, produecd by Denise Garcia Bergt in Berlin on the early struggles of refugees in Germany against isolation and restiction of movement against the refugees as part of the continuity of colonial injustice in Europe. Inputs on the film were also contributed from the podium by the protagonists of the film and the audience to acknowledge the offensive position of approach of refugee activist of The VOICE Refugee Forum on Civil Disobedience against the german state repression by the residenzpflicht laws. The Resisidenzpfliht Film screening is now presented in other places and cities. see http://residenzpflichtdoc.com
As a continuation of the action, the activists met on the 11.05.12 to evaluate the action against the Coutry embassy collaboration and structured a continuity through active networking amongst Activists expecially the refugees in their different regions.
There were also information exchange on the struggles against Residenzpflicht, Karawane International Trbunal and the Break Isolation refugee summer camp in Thueringen were highlighted:
Self-organization and Autonomy - how do we organize ourselves to strenghten our networks in Germany.
- Past engagements and lessons learned
- Exchange of experience with old and new activists within refugees
- Refugees should join networking before their individual problems arise
but this also holds for all activists and not only for new refugees.
- Make .conscious the fear of persecution from new activists and how to counter this fear and encourage their engagement
- The importance of refugee/migrant solidarity in our fight for unity
- Empower your self determination and Know your laws - Foreigner/refugee laws
- Encourege refugees and those absent that the Berlin action should be used as a major tool to strengthen and give hope to their struggle to fight against injustice, police brutality and this can also be put in a great documentary in order to keep a great deal of a record.
- Documentation and Independent Refugee Media workshop
The Action days have encouraged and inspired African refugee communities from Sudanese in Nidersachsen and Uganda in Bayern to organize a Refugee convention on the 23rd of June in Ausburg, including (non refugee) Nigeria community in kassel with the support of The VOICE Refugee Forum Germany.
As follow up to the grieviances of Nigerians against the corrupt role of the Nigerian Government, Politicians and Elites as well as the dubious role of Nigerian diplomats in Diaspora, Different Nigerian community Networks and individuals under the coordination of Concerned Nigerians in Kassel would be protesting in front of the Nigerian Embassy on 14.06.12. The Protest Rally is planned to start at 10am until 6pm. We are calling on the Entire Migrant communities and Anti-racist movement to support this action.
Rex Osa
The Voice Refugee Forum, Boblingerstr.105, 70199 Stuttgart
Tel.: 017627873832 -Email: thevoice_bdw@yahoo.de
https://thevoiceforum.org
Deportation is Colonial Persecution:
VIDEO: Protest the German Police Blockade of Nigerian Embassy and Against Deportation Collaoration in Berlin
We fight to stop the Nigerian Embassy deportation Collaboration with the German state - Refugee Embassy Germany.