21.9.2012 14. day of bustour of protestmarch
pressrelease
Yesterday the 20th of september the bus arrived in Bielefeld. People from the bus attended a crowded meeting of refugeeactivists and other activists.
Today on the 21th of september there was an spontanious action in the morning at the ZAB (Zentrale Ausländerbehörde) and the Bundesamt für
Migration und Flüchtlinge. A group of 18 people, both refugees and non-refugees, some persons from organised groups and others individually, went into the open public building of the ZAB with banners, distributed leaflets and talked to the refugees waiting for their interviews. But after a short time people, who were working there, came and asked the visitors to leave the building. The activists left the building, but the staff had already called the police. However the group got stopped by the police 300m far from the building. There were around 12 policepersons, one with a dog, controlling the group. Some activists, who got controlled broke the Residenzpflicht while beeing in Bielefeld. Even people from the outside, who didnt join the action got controlled by police. Some of the group refused showing their passports in solidarity with protestmarch. Two
of them were put directly in handcuffs, even if they gave the information they had to give. One of these got arrested, driven to policestation and let free after a short time.
Despite the peacful protest and the cooperative behavior of all protesters, the ZAB forced charges against these. All participating individuals and supportgroups refuse the massive overreaction of Police forces and the ZAB as unaccaptable attacks. Contact has been held with responsibles in the offices of ZAB in order to make them drop all charges immediatly. Decisions on that are not expected before Monday.
Mutual solidarity is declared by:
AK Asyl
The VOICE refugee forum
Refugee Initiative Baden-Württemberg
and other individual supporters from Bielefeld
The second action on that day was a rally joined by about 120 people at the Kronenplatz and a spontanious demonstration to the IBZ (Internationales Begegnungszentrum).
Furthermore we are declaring our solidarity with those refugees in Denhaag who begann their protest in tents on the street today.
On the 22. of september the busprotest is going to arrive in Münster and will visit a rally at 1pm at Stadthaus 1, Klemensstrasse.