There was a visit to the lager - Refugee Camp at about 11:40 before noon. Before the bus arrived at the lager the police were already there with two police bus which were parked at a distance a bit behind the lager and two police cars in front of the lager - Refugee Camp. The police were so curious as they questioned us, what do we planned to do, how long do we stay, where else are we going and etc?
Though the presence of the police scared away a lot of refugees and prevented them from talking to us as they locked there doors, still we were able to talk with some refugees who pledged their solidarities with keen interest.
We shared experiences and ideals together and spent time together going around the lager. It is a six story building housing up to or more than 110 refugees, 3 to 8 refugees per room including families. The general situation in the lager is completely shocking. Refugees are living in isolation and fears, they are not allowed to go to school even the children, they are giving packet foods which was just considered today to be changed to money after a long pressure by some refugees activists and supporters, they had to go landratsamt (district administrative office) which is very far from the lager to get there posts or to collect there money or any thing refugees might require, they have only one social worker who does nothing and one housemaster who is an oppressor. Refugees complained bitterly about the living condition in the lager. We learnt from the refugees in the lager about the death of a refugee from Sri Lanka few weeks Ago due to negligence of the Landersarmt, and everyone is afraid to ask what happened. There were also people from the local press.
From the lager we went to meeting of the Kriestag (Discret council hearing) where the issues affecting refugees were discussed as point no 6 of the meeting. Many refugees from the lager were there with some supporters. We were prohibited from taking photos or video of the event. In the point 6 of the meeting a lot demands were put forward not just for cash instead
of food but that refugees should be seen as every other person(s) by law. No attention was giving to the demands except to change the packet foods into cash (money) which the politicians said they will first give it as a trial to see if refugees are old enough to handle the cash otherwise they have the right to return it back to food packet, they said because some refugees might use the cash to play casino and would not feed there families. The politicians were protecting there policies in the past, said the food packet was good, that things are changing now and that the money is also good but why they did not give money was that it would make so many refugees come in and take the money and become lazy, they said the money would be pay paid twice a month. It is really funny to hear such comments from politicians who stolled the rights of refugees and put refugees in isolation to lavish in idleness.
In the evening refugees met again with some suporters (as a little workshop) for a way forward in the liberation tour going on and liberation demo in Stuttgart and for the preparation to the tribunal in Berlin in June 2013
Refugees Liberation Bus Tour Video reports by Crosspoint
Refugee Demonstration and liberation Bus Tour 2013