Hello dear friends,
dear brothers and sisters,
In the name of refugees of the whole world we are demonstrating today against the politics of the G8 countries and the capitalist system.
As the people concerned we would like to inform you about our situation in this world. We live under the laws of discrimination, criminalization and racism. Refugees suffer everywhere in this world, from the borders of Europe to the border between Mexico and the USA. We are not welcome.
Friends, brothers and sisters,
The mediterranean sea has become a cemetary. Everywhere the dead bodies of refugees. Whoever manages to get inside Europe ends up in a world of deportation terror, racist police brutality, camps, no work permits and extreme exploitation.
I would like to give you an example from Europe: I would like to inform you that most of us here are not legally allowed to participate in the demonstration due to the law of residential restriction. That means we are prisoners in our respective districts. We are only allowed to travel with the permission of the local administration.
I would like to speak about camps. I spent five years of my life in a so-called “jungle-home”. Such are places where you are stripped of any possibility to be in touch with society. A place 10 km away from even the next village. I had the feeling I turned into an animal. I became an alcoholic, others became mentally ill. Whoever was not willing to accept the situation and wanted to go to a big city depended on finding work off the books without proper papers or was doomed to become criminal.
I became a thief. I went to prison three times for theft.
I would like to give an example about police brutality in Germany. Oury Jalloh, my dear friends, was a refugee from Sierra Leone. Two years ago he was arrested in by the Dessau police. He was handcuffed in the cell on both hands and feet. He burnt in that cell. Oury Jalloh is dead.
They claim that it was a suicide but the question is how you can possibly set yourself on fire while you are handcuffed and why did the police ignore the fire alarm twice?
Currently a trial is taking place that attempts to clarify those questions.
We say: that was murder.
Today we know that the reason for our situation lies in the politics of those in power. They claim that they want to help the so-called “Third world”. But we ask them today: how can you help while you destroy these countries? How can you help while you cause war in this world with support for the weapon industry? How can you help while you support dictatorship in these countries? How can you help while only focussing on your capital and economic growth?
How can you help while you terrorize refugees from these countries?
Because of all that, dear friends, we as refugees in this world don’t expect results from the G8-summit.
Capitalism means racism – and what we need is solidarity!
Capitlism means war – and what we need is peace!
Capitalism means exploitation – and we need justice.
In the name of all refugees in the world we say today that we were born free and we will remain free. Nobody has the right to limit our freedom!
Thank you.
---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: [extra-l] speech june 2
Date: Mon, June 11, 2007 1:49 pm
To: extra-l@idash.org
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