arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

No man is illegal, and seeking a new country is not a crime, so there is no need for prisons and processes. That is the general claim of the pink & greeners. Armed with one banner, a bunch of flowers, drums and a free mind, the lot of 200 leave the normal path for what it is and instead chose muddy routes towards the asylum center.

At the center, the plan became obvious. As protesters shouted and drummed to support the refugees, someone used a megaphone to talk directly to the refugees. She gave a telephone number which the refugees could use to call for legal assistance. In no time, the refugees started shouting back. 'We are no terrorists!', 'They locked me, my wife and 5 children in this jail – I have been here for 3 months!' 'Why???'.

I must admit that I have never been more touched by any manifestation, than the second the refugee started yelling on and on 'Why am I locked up?' with extreme desolation in his voice. We could nothing but watch and make promises we were not sure we could keep – and I just wept inside. Even more so when the participants built a huge human piramide to throw their bouquet of flowers over the fence…

Tensions went high very soon thereafter. Some people even started demolishing the outer fence, asking the guards what they thought about all this. No answer came but a telephone call to the police in riot gear who must have been hidden some hundred meters away. The manifestations ended soon thereafter. But one thing I guess we will all remember: at one point, is was not us, but the children in the center, who started shouting 'Freedom!'. And a heartfelt 'thank you'.

I would love to add mine to the one who organized this manifestation.

Maarten Van Hove

IF YOU WANT TO HELP:

At december 22, the Pink & Greeners are going to give some kind of christmas to the refugees held in Brugge. They want lots and lots of presents to give, like stamps, telephone cards,…
You can make your donation on 880-495555162. More information on http://www.student.rug.ac.be/vak

Tnahkx to everybody who was there, it is you who made the action work.

is was an action that was at the same time heartwarming, and heartbreaking:
heartwarming, because so many wnoderfull people followed our call and came to protest despite the waiting and the cold. the creative and enthousiast protest was very heartwarming, and so were the people who conversated with th erefugees, and who managed to pass on messages.

it was however also heartbreaking to see so many people in the centre crying out that they have nothing done to deserve their fate, I felled immensly helpless!!

nevertheless, to the people who organised it (
les collectieves, het vluchtelingen actie komitee)
a big thank you for the organisation.

about the christmass action:

The vak is planning to give christmass packages containing stationary, stamps, telphone cards , candy and fruit to alll refugees in the closed detention centre of the "refuge" in Brugge, we need more money and support so contact vak@student.rug.ac.be

the christmass action will be at 16.00 , and there's a bus from Ghent , more info, contact vak

manu

Ik was aanwezig op de betoging in Steenokkerzeel. Ik ben een onafhankelijke beroepsjournalist. Waarom wordt hier met geen woord gerept over de aanvallen van de betogers naar de ordediensten. Ik lees geen woord over stenen en modder gooien naar de politie, geen woord over het vernielen van eigendommen. Die agenten stonden daar ook niet voor hun plezier. Als ze niet uitvoeren wat hen door de minister wordt opgelegd, riskeren ze zelf gevangenisstraf. Shame on you, indymedia.