Stuttgart: Weeks after the Refugee Liberation Bus Tour, Baden Württemberg sit of Power is witnessing another round of Refugees' Resistance against the German state's institutionalized repression to claim their rights to dignity as imbibed in the International Declaration of Human Rights, other international conventions as well as the German constitution.
Refugees from Main Tauber Kreis Isolation lagers (Bad Mergentheim and Külsheim) were provoked to occupy their space in front of the integration ministry in Stuttgart (Thouretstr 2) to question the German kind of democracy with a demand for immediate abolition of all forms of institiutionalised discrimination instrumented through different racist laws in Main-Tauber -District of Baden-Württemberg.
Since Wednesday 18th July 2013, about 35 Asylum seekers vacated their isolation lagers for Stuttgart to begin an indefinite and peaceful protest and expose all forms of unjust deprivation and abuse they are confronted with in their district.
The protesters lamented over the district authority's excuses and denial of responsibilities for the past eight months and expressed their decision to march down to Stuttgart being the center of authority in Baden-Württemberg to make their sufferings and their demands public.
Quoting the protesting refugees
“We shall continue to stay here until our demands are practically addressed. We cannot trust any form of negotiation after all disappointments we have experienced since the past eight months.
We came here to get security of life and not to be imprisoned as the case is right now!
We want to work and take responsibility of ourselves as well as to contribute to this society!
We want every possibility to learn the language!
We need our right to choice of what to do and what to eat!
The integration minister Bilkay Öney personally appeared at the scene on the second day to address the refugees and appeal for their patience as she is trying her best to interfere with the district authorities and the state cabinet in this regard.
The departmental boss on refugee matters in the ministry - Mr Pampel - had taken contact with the Main-Tauber-District authority with a meeting planned for Thursday 25th July at a yet to be confirmed venue. Based on this step, he appealed to the refugees to go back to their lager with promises of making possible changes.
The refugee’s unanimously rejected the appeal with reasons that they have exhausted all attempts to trust any form of negotiation and promises that falls short of practical solution to their demands. It is quite obvious that the one week gap for the meeting is associated with the usual strategy to quickly effect long overdue renovations in covering up some deeds of the district authority but the state cannot as well deny being part of such collaboration as well.
The refugees also refuse to be bought by any compromise like the proposal of introducing a „Geldkarte“ (that would also restrict free choice and autonomy of the holder) instead of meeting up the refugees' demand for cash. According to Bilkay Öney this compromise is expected to be presented at a cabinet meeting coincidentally planned for Tuesday.
The protesters are calling upon fellow refugees to join them in the protest as the problems not do only exist with Bad Mergentheim refugees alone but also with other Refugees all over Baden-Württemberg and Germany as a whole.
The uncompromisable demands are:
A life of dignity without food packages or coupons, limited health care and isolation !
Deportation stop and residence right for all!
Closure of all refugee isolation lagers!
Unlimited freedom of movement: abolition of „Residenzpflicht"!
Closure of all deportation prisons!
We hereby call on every member of the society to wake up to this day to day reality of racism in this society and to join in solidarity with the movement of the oppressed!
We acknowledge the very impressive solidarity and empowerments from the different activist in the past days of this protest and encourage your continuous support in the struggle to liberate the world from all forms of colonial injustices.
Stay strong!
The VOICE Refugee Forum (Stuttgart)
Tel.: 017627873832
Email: thevoice_bdw@yahoo.de
Internet: http//www.thevoiceforum.org
We stand together to reclaim the power of our dignity and solidarity against the state repression of refugees in Germany
Video reports from the Liberation Bus Tour on refugee strikes in Stuttgart and Lager Watch Eisenhüttenstadt - “Deportation Chain” Video on Police Brutality at Nigerian Embassy in Berlin The VOICE Refugee Forum Network Channel