Hussein Charara on hungerstrike on the streets of Hannover

Death of a refugee in Germany

Kallo Al-Hassan died in a refugee camp in Germany, because he was not granted proper medical treatment in time.

Oury Jalloh- This was murder! Busride from Hamburg to the Demonstration on 7th of January 2014

On the 7th of January 2014, nine years after his assassination, we want to remember our brother Oury Jalloh and go to Dessau together for the annual death-day demonstration.
Oury Jalloh burned to death in the Dessau police cell N ° 5, lying on a fireproof mattress, tied on his arms and legs. From the beginning on the police claimed that he would have set himself on fire. But the facts speak a clear language. For example the independent fire report recently presented by the "Initiative in Remembrance of Oury Jalloh" shows that a large amount of accelerant must have been used to burn Oury Jalloh alive and beyond recognition.
We can´t accept this social order, this world order based on ongoing suffering of our people, based on the fact that our brothers and sisters are being tortured and killed in this war. The european, western war against Africans begins when African countries are being exploited or bombed. It goes on: The dying in the Mediterranean Sea is mass murder, it belongs to the same war!
In Hamburg, in Dessau, in Germany, in Europe, in the capital of imperialism there is still no peace :
Racist police controls, police violence and murders are part of (neo)colonial oppression, just like the NATO-wars.

Peace & Justice for Oury Jalloh and all other victims of colonial violence!
Victory & Freedom for Lampedusa in Hamburg and all other opressed people in resistance!

Take a day off on Tuesday, the 7th of January and let us go together to Dessau!
Bus tickets are 20€ and available at: Schanzenblitz (Bartelsstraße 21), the International Centre B5 (Brigittenstraße 5), at the info tent of Lampedusa in Hamburg (Steindamm 2) or directly at the bus.
And if you really don't have time yourself that day, buy a solidarity ticket and enable someone else to go who doesn't have the money.

More information and videos on the case of Oury Jalloh:
On Thursday, 12.12.13 from 19 clock in the International Centre B5 (Caravan-Café)
On Tuesday, 17.12.13 from 19 clock in the International Centre B5 (R.S.H.-Café)
and on www.initiativeouryjalloh.wordpress.com

Meeting for the bus: Tuesday (07.01.14) 7 o'clock (on time) in front of station „Sternschanze“

9th anniversery of the killing of Oury Jalloh

 7th of Januay 2014, 9th anniversery of the killing of Oury Jalloh by the German police. Join the Demonstration in Dessau (East Germany)!

More than 10.000 demonstrate for "Lampedusa in Hamburg"

Demonstration for recognition of the group "Lampedusa in Hamburg" now!
http://www.lampedusa-in-hamburg.org/ 

Bremen in solidarity with "Lampedusa in Hamburg"

Before the big demonstration for recognition of the group "Lampedusa in Hamburg" now!more than 200 people demonstraten in the city center of Bremen before entering the train to Hamburg together
Demonstration for recognition of the group "Lampedusa in Hamburg" now!
http://www.lampedusa-in-hamburg.org/ 

6th Wednesday-demo “Lampedusa in Hamburg – We’re staying here!

Every Wednesday 4:30pm at the Protest Tent Steindam 2 at Hamburg Central Station

Faxcampaign for Salomon Wantchoucou: 12 years of opression is enough

write this letter to the German immigration autorities and demand political asylum o be granted

Lampedusa in Hamburg update!!!

http://lampedusa-in-hamburg.org/

Hamburg, news, 3rd of Octobre 2013 - Day of Germany's reunification

The Mayor of Hamburg/Germany and his Senators of social democrats (spd) demonstrate inhumantiy and misapply again their power against the church of northern germany.
While any political solution for the 350 libyan war refugees "Lampedusa in Hamburg" is still blocked by the Hamburg government now the Mayor Olaf Scholz /Spd announced to stop the church setting up containers for the group to overcome the wintertime.  From the 80 persons who are spleeping on the bare floor in St.Pauli Church 15 got already sick. In the other sleeping places it is not much better expecially where is no warm water, no shower and also bare floors.  Hunderts supporters together with the group "Lampedusa in Hamburg" marched today through the city on their weekly wednesday demonstration. Many bystanders expressed their sympathy as well their anger about the cruel ignorance of the Hamburg government which  damages the image of a city presents itself as international and open gate to the world. By the firm protest of the libyan war refugees now more people see the wickedness and the lies about the respecting the human rights. Ten thousands of citizens and far beyond have expressed in one way or the other their solidarity with the African victims of NATO war in Libya. 
Solidarity will win.
We are calling for another big demonstration on 2nd november (Central Station Hamburg  2 pm) to give our determination a strong voice.

and on 6th of november (5.30 pm) we are calling all to gather in front of the town hall during the goverment meeting. Our physical presence alone will make the difference.

come one - come all

What is morally wrong cannot be politically correct.

Together against inhumanity, injustice and racism

 "We hope for your solidarity" – This call, by the group "Lampedusa in Hamburg" was addressed towards the public in May 2013. People listened, understood and engaged. For almost half a year "Lampedusa in Hamburg" is on the road and thousands of people support their demand for the right of residence. The voices for justice and humanity stand against ignorance and contempt for humanity of the Hamburg Senate.

For months, the 350 people of the group "Lampedusa in Hamburg" are living in a situation that truly is a non-ending nightmare since the outbreak of the war in Libya and the NATO air strikes - the horror of war, the fatal journey across the Mediterranean and their lawlessness, organized by the EU.

To "protect the civilian population" NATO bombed Libya in nearly 10,000 attacks. Italy examined the cases of people who escaped the war, issued individual refugee protection to all of those concerned, declared itself unable to implement this protection and drove the war refugees out of the country towards Northern Europe.

The need for war survivors to rebuild their lives after all their losses is blocked by the governments of the countries that preach democracy and human rights all over the world.

"It's like when someone tells you that you need to go into the fire again right after you fled from the fire. Without the war in Libya and without the catastrophic human rights situation for refugees in Italy, we would not be here. We are exhausted and worn out from a long involuntary and gruesome journey. We are looking for an end to the denial of our right to live. We are here to stay. "(Lampedusa in Hamburg)

Repression angainst initiative in Memory of Oury Jalloh

Oury Jalloh - It was Murder

In memory of Cemal Kemal ALTUN

Cemal Kemal ALTUN escaped the fascist militry coup in Turkey and aplied political asylum in Germany. 30th of August 1983 his asylum claim was rejectet by the administrative court in Berlin. On order to not being tortured and killed by the Turkish police Cemal Kemal ALTUN took his life in his own hands and he jumped of the 6th floor of the court building.

Rally in Bitterfeld (East Germany) by the refugees on hunger strike

On Wednesday 21st of August the refugees on hunger strike in Bitterfeld will hold a rally at the Marktplatz (market square) at 12 O Clock.

Press release of the hunger-striking asylum-seekers in Stuttgart

Press release of the hunger-striking asylum-seekers in Stuttgart, 29/07/2013 We, refugees from Main-Tauber-Kreis, are staying in the street in front of the Ministry of Integration in Stuttgart for the last 12 days. We are refusing to receive the food packages in objection to deprivation of our right to choose our food freely as well as many other inhuman conditions confronting us as refugees. Today makes it 12 days since we left our lagers to be on the street in resistance of the isolating conditions within society. In order to receive answers to our demands (mentioned in the 1st statement), we are going to do the next step: We, striking asylum seekers in Stuttgart correlated to other asylum seekers’ struggles in Germany, started our wet hunger strike today on Monday 29/07/2013 and announcing hereby this new step of our struggle. This decision is based on our disappointment: The district authorities offered the opportunity for discussion together with representatives of the Ministry and the refugees on 25th of July. The expected discussion turned out to be a press conference used by both authorities to justify the current situation rather than giving a solution to our problems. We the protesting refugees feel highly disappointed and fooled hence we decided to go on the next step of hunger-strike in demanding for our basic and legal rights. We don’t want to be afraid of deportation nightmares during the night anymore; when we wake up in the morning, we don’t want to find ourselves within the walls of isolated camps. When we take our steps on these streets, just as any other person in this society, we refuse to face the oppression of ‘Residenzpflicht’. We, the refugees in hunger-strike demand our dignity: 1) Abolition of “Sachleistungsprinzip” 2) Work permission for everyone 3) Abolition of “Lagerpflicht” 4) Unlimited medical care 5) Possibility to learn the German language 6) Stop of all deportations 7) Asylum for all asylum-seekers, because every refugee is a political refugee 8) No more discrimination! 9) Abolition of “Residenzpflicht” Contact: refugee MAIL: maintauber@yahoo.com Tel.: 015212252097 (Mian), 015216256902 (Imran) facebook.com/RefugeeProtestStuttgart

Justice for Trayvon Martin! People say George Zimmerman is guilty!

In response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin, the ANSWER Coalition immediately took to the streets around the country. In San Francisco, we picketed at 24th and Mission St. before marching to 16th and Mission St., up to Valencia St. and back to 24th and Mission. The march grew and grew, with eventually over 450 people taking the entire street from sidewalk to sidewalk, as the community came out of their homes and stores to stand for justice for Trayvon Martin.
On Saturday, July 13, George Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges in a second-degree murder trial. Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin, a young Black man, in cold blood on the streets of Sanford, Florida, on February 26, 2012. After killing Martin, Zimmerman roamed free for 44 days before the angry response of millions of people forced the state to take action.
The sequestered jury of six women, all white except for one, came back with a not guilty verdict after only two days of deliberations. The verdict is a travesty, a continuation of the complicity of the racist, so-called criminal justice system that refused to treat the murder as a crime and has now left a vigilante free to roam the streets. The system of racist brutality carried out against poor people and people of color in communities from Florida to New York to California to Texas and elsewhere is on the offensive.
The acquittal of George Zimmerman means there will be more George Zimmermans. They have encouraged the growth of racist vigilante attacks on Black people. This is a pattern of racist violence that  allows the cops to get away with murders like those of Oscar Grant, Alan Blueford and Manuel Diaz and countless others.
 Demonstrations across the country:
San Francisco
Sunday, 4pm
Powell and Market
Oakland
Sunday, 4pm
Oscar Grant Plaza
Washington, DC
Sunday, 6pm
Malcolm X Park
New York City
Sunday, 6pm
Union Square
New York City
Sunday, 5pm
Borough Hall, Brooklyn
New York City
Monday, 7pm
Hunts Point Plaza, South Bronx
Boston
Sunday, 6pm
Dudley Square Station (Washington St. at Dudley St.), Roxbury, Mass.
San Diego
Sunday, 5:30pm
Highland Park in City Heights near Fairmont Ave and Wightman Street next to the library and across from the police station.
Sacramento
Sunday, 12 noon
Federal Building (5th and I Street)
Syracuse
Sunday, 2pm
Onondaga County Courthouse (401 Montgomery St.) 
Albuquerque
Sunday, 4pm
Civic Plaza
Washington, D.C.
Sunday, 6pm
Malcolm X Park

Selective empathy and dangerous nationalism: “Kurdish terrorists, Turkish revolutionaries”?

By Dilar Dirik

In no way am I questioning the legitimacy of the Gezi Park protests. The overwhelming demonstrations in Istanbul, which have now spread across the country, illustrate the increasing dissent among the people in Turkey against the government’s horrid human rights violations and authoritarian rule. These protests need solidarity – they are necessary and positive developments. And it was about time!

However, without attacking the movement, I have to ask the global media: Where were you during thousands of Kurdish protests and uprisings that preceded #OccupyGezi? Kurds have been killed, beaten up, tear-gassed, arrested, and tortured on their protests (with popular support) for decades in Turkey, much worse than the images we see today.  Millions of Kurds occupied the streets in Turkey this year and this sort of terrifying police violence is not at all new to them. The difference is that nobody cared. Why?

I have heard of stories of protestors who say things such as “The police attacks us like we are terrorists”. This weird arrogance is very problematic. Would these protests take place in the South East of Turkey (i.e. the Kurdish cities), instead of Istanbul, the protestors would be called "terrorists", "separatists" and "traitors", the police would be praised as heroes! I don’t wish for any more pain, but perhaps these protests will create empathy and open some Turkish people’s eyes to what Kurds face every day in Turkey. If Turks get to walk in the shoes of those that the state politics and its media alienated them from, those that they have perceived as "terrorists" for decades, but in whose position they now find themselves in, perhaps this will constitute a change in their consciousness. As Kurdish MP Selahattin Demirtas explained: "It's the time to understand the Kurds". 

Newroz 2013 in Amed (Diyarbakir)

To be clear, I am definitely not against these protests. In fact, I passionately follow the events and hope for genuine changes. But where was the world and the anger of the Turkish population after the murderous massacres in Roboski (Uludere) or Reyhanli? Who looked after the Kurdish mothers that were collectively beaten up on the streets, lungs filled with pepper spray, just because they wanted to celebrate Newroz, the new year of Mesopotamia? Where is the anger over lynchings of Kurds and Alevis in Istanbul? Where was Turkey, when the military burnt every tree in the Kurdish East? Were the Kurdish demonstrations that were attended by millions of people over decades, never worth being fashionably termed as a “spring”? Why is police violence against Kurds not frowned upon? How many news outlets reported about 19-year-old Sahin Öner, who was killed by a tank in Amed (Diyarbakir) a few months ago? Don’t Kurds deserve the same solidarity and media attention? Why is there such a selective empathy when it comes to who is rising up in Turkey?

Another troubling factor is the increasingly nationalist color of the protests. Though it would be ignorant to generalize this multi-facetted movement, especially in the light of the complex political culture of Turkey, it is important to pay attention to the dangers that a rise of anti-AKP Turkish secular nationalism could bring about, if certain parties take advantage of the unrest. Turkish flags, national anthems –Just to oppose the AKP, some resort to the “We are Atatürk’s soldiers” mentality which is, however, responsible for prevalent racism and numerous human rights violations in Turkey.  Certain groups seem to fear a loss of “Turkishness” under the current AKP government, mostly because Erdogan is perceived as an authoritarian Ottoman sultan with his increasing Islamization of Turkey and who defies Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s republican principle of secularism. But Erdogan never degraded “Turkishness” in his eyes; he actually continued to oppress non-Turkish groups and to reinforce punishments on those that insult Turkey or Turkishness, just as his secular precedors.

A reactionary response to the Islamic-conservative authoritarian AKP regime seems to be found in good old Kemalist secular nationalism yet again. Neither one is known as an advocate of human rights, though – Kurds know this too well. What started as a protest against the destruction of trees at Gezi Park is now seen as an opportunity for some to raise anti-AKP momentum for their own gains. It is wrong to think of these protests in terms of a simplistic black-or-white "political religion versus secularism" narrative. Of course secularism is desirable, but secularism for the sake of it is not sufficient to establish a true, coherent democracy. Especially in Turkey, secularism has violated human rights, because it was accompanied by harsh nationalist chauvinism that ethnically discriminated against all non-Turks. Were there no human rights violations, extra-judicial killings, village destructions, massacres under secular rule in Turkey prior to Erdogan? Replacing one sort of fascism by another would only turn the clock of Turkish history back a couple of years. The legitimate protests must not be exploited for such interests. 

Resistance is good, resistance is life. But democracy can only come through unity and equality of the peoples in Turkey, not through nationalism and “Turkism”. There are many fascists among the protestors that call themselves “devrimci” (revolutionary), just because they oppose the AKP government.  The real revolutionaries in Turkey who were executed by parties that now declare themselves to be revolutionary would roll over in their graves! A new, alternative thinking must develop in Turkish consciousness that is democratic and secular without crushing the heads of the many ethnic and religious groups that don’t fit into the myth of the glorious Turk.

My hope is that the protestors in Istanbul and all over Turkey let go off this Turkism paradigm. I am not accusing every protestor of racism obviously, but even a small rise of Turkish nationalism could be dangerous. After all, it has a mass-murderous history. Certain parties that oppose the peace talks between the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Turkish government may use this movement to disrupt the peace process. This must not happen. Instead, this movement must unite Kurds, Turks, Laz, Arabs, Alevi, Sunnis, Yezidi, Christians, Orthodox people of all genders and demand genuine democracy in Turkey.   While many revolutionary quotes and pictures that are normally associated with the Kurdish movement and the leftist spectrum of Turkish politics were widely shared, two Turkish Hashtags were trending worldwide on Twitter at the same time last night. “Good thing you are here, Atatürk” and “Good thing you are here, Tayyip”. Both of these streams massacred, imprisoned, censored and tortured Kurds and other groups and dissidents. In such an ethnically and religiously diverse region, the people shouldn’t have to pick between two evils...

Social media, international solidarity, creative forms of protests – these are all amazing tools of mobilization in this era. It is great to see such fresh, dynamic, creative global support for the demonstrations in Istanbul. But in spite of hundreds of overwhelming protests in Kurdistan and in the Kurdish diaspora, the Kurdish struggle has been marginalized. This selective empathy, interest and attention is disheartening, when we consider the legitimate demands of the Kurds, who have been politicized from young to old for decades, and who never got this much attention or solidarity, no matter how many tons of tear gas their bruised bodies inhaled. The global media that now wonders why there is no democracy in Turkey must first criticize itself for its own silence, when it came to the oppression of the Kurdish people. Democratization in Turkey must include the Kurds. If this Turkish uprising leaves the Kurds behind, just as the so-called Arab spring left women and ethnic minorities behind, we cannot speak of a revolution in any worthy sense. Tyranny would only change its face again.

Of course, one should express solidarity with the Turkish protestors, but when talking about a “Turkish spring”, please do not forget the hundreds of Kurdish springs that preceded it and which will continue beyond Gezi Park. If the amazing energy of #OccupyGezi gets taken advantage of by certain nationalist groups, the same protestors that have discovered their inner revolutionaries in the last couple of days will continue to watch their football games, when the Kurds get tear-gassed tomorrow. May this struggle form unity and uprising in a meaningful, democratic way that encompasses every group in Turkey. In this sense, resist, Gezi Park, but resist for all!

Twitter users apologizing to the Kurdish people for looking away for so long

Racist attack on Refugee Protest Camp in Berlin

In the evening of 17th of June 2013 a person suddenly attacked an inhabitant of the Refugee Protest Camp in Berlin with a knife causing serious injuries.

The police instead of arresting the intended racist murderer attacked the inhabitants of the Refugee Protest Camp resulting in several arests among them. The intended racist murderer managed to escape.

Foto: Nick Jaussi (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickjaussi/sets/72157634187966306/)

Refugee Tribunal against Germany

live stream of the tribunal from the 13th to the 16th from 10 am to 8 pm.

Refugees Liberation bus tour in Niedersachsen 16th -22nd of May 2013

Last week, we visited prison-like refugees camps in Bramsche, Braunschweig, Hildesheim, Peine,  Wolfsburg, Hamburg and Hannover to show solidarity with the people there and to mobilize to the tribunal against federal state of Germany, which will be held in Berlin next month. We, as people who had been forced to leave  our homes because of different reasons, now we fight against discrimination and marginalization here together with our German supporters.

In all these camps we have heard about harassment from the administration staff, or from the security guards . Everywhere we saw the isolation, poor hygienic conditions, insufficient habitat without privacy. Everywhere in these isolation-camps people lack their basic human rights. Because they are not German  they are looking for asylum and protection and to get benefits from the German social system. We have been in the camps to discuss and document these cases of daily harassment and discrimination  We have been there to show our solidarity. And we have been there to talk about resistance. About  refugees, who overcome their fear, and start to organize themselves in order to fight against this isolation, marginalization, oppression, and racism,  and to publish it All over Germany.

Mainstream media does not report, or show it. Everywhere there are people who fight against these shameful conditions. People Who fight daily  racism in the official authorities, like ausländerbehörde, bundesamt or sozialamt. People who fight against daily racism in streets or public transportation. People who fight  in microcosm, by showing disobedience to hausmeister, or lagerleitung, or by breaking the law of residenzpflicht.

We had mobilized for today demonstration and we encouraged people to go to Berlin and participate in the tribunal against federal republic of Germany. To publish, and demonstrate against these shameful conditions, as a condemnation to German authority for these crimes. To bring to mind that the life in the lager is unacceptable and comes along with daily violation of the basic human rights, this leads people to isolation and depression. To bring in mind that Germany  as one of the richest and powerful countries is responsible for  global political and security instability. Through its foreign assignment and its weapons exports, which are producing harm. Germany also supporting repressive regimes in different parts of the world, producing situations force people to flee homes. Paradoxically Germany invests millions of euros in protecting european boarders to stop  migrants and refugees flow.

Here, in this country, people are being controlled, harassed and imprisoned by police because of the colour of their skin. People here in this country are being burned by fully consciousness at police stations. People are being frightened by fascist and racist groups and can not find help by any governmental body. People are being forced by physical and psychological violence to leave this country. People are sitting in deportation prisons just for resisting their deportation. People have to wait for their asylum case to be answered for years while they are living in an inhuman situation. People are being pushed into criminality trough these policies.in this country, people without documents are people without human rights.

We have enough of these shit! Enough of this inhuman policy! Enough of racism!

We call for immediate abolishing of these laws against refugees basic human rights.

We in need for Innovative anti racist intervention.

We are in need for anti racist practical and realistic support!

We are in need for anti racist solidarity with self organized refugees in Germany and everywhere!

Lampedusa in Hamburg

Yesterdays atempt by the refugees to set up tents

Lampedusa in Hamburg II

Public Declaration and Call for serious conversations

To the assembly and the major of Hamburg

Hamburg, 14^th of May 2013

In the view of our disastrous situation and of the ignorance towards our plight and our agony, we direct our demand for a face to face dialogue to the deputies of the city of Hamburg in order to find solutions.

First of all some background information which is known but nevertheless ignored.

We are victims of the war in Libya and victims of the European refugee policies. When the NATO started to bomb Libya in 2011 our lives were over. We lost everything we had. We were brought to the Mediterranean coast, put in a boat and sent to sea. We lived in refugee camps in Italia, until Italian government closed all camps early this year and told us to leave the country heading north. We were granted permission to stay according to humanitarian protection. At the same time we are refused our resulting right. Italy failed to implement the documented protection and the other nations of the European Union are not willing to.

Today, we are living on the street in those countries that are fighting wars in the name of human rights. It was not our intention to come to Europe. We were forced to do it. All of us have been working in Libya, on the African continent and have been taking care of our families and communities with our income. The NATO- war destroyed everything. Many people were dying in Libya and the Mediterranean Sea. We survivors in Europe have no more choice. We are here and we will stay. No European country can evade the responsibility. We will not to be played with anymore by the European policy. We demand the facts to be recognized and thus we demand the full recognition of our rights as refugees.

Until now we experienced that there is no will for a solution. On the contrary, it is tried to make us invisible, to singularize us and to put us in impoverishment.

It will be for everybody understandable, that we can’t endure this in silence.

In Hamburg our situation is that for now exactly four weeks we are living on the streets, without access to medical care, without access to the job market, without access to the education system and without any material basics. Our physical and psychological integrity is getting worse day by day. When the city of Hamburg closed  the accommodation for homeless people „Pik As“ exactly one month ago, on 15^th of April 2013 and when they took us with busses to the city, when they put us on the street, weren`t the persons responsible knowing that they would cause problems? We were told that the only thing we would get is a ticket back to Italy. We think that the social and economical situation in Italy and other southern European countries is well known and that there is no possibility for livelihood for us. If it would be possible, we wouldn´t be here.

So we put the question again in the room, what should be achieved, if we get a document of humanitarian protection but at the same time every possibility to survive is denied? What could somebody do, whose basics are all taken away? Should we go begging or should we become criminals? It is a very dangerous situation, we were pushed into. The forced living on the streets causes large damage on us and even the whole city, because it inevitably generates problems and conflicts in the neighborhoods and districts. Hamburg is a very rich city and the wealth is not at last taken from our continent. We are not coming as beggars we come in full knowledge of the relationships that brought us here against our will. No one can escape of the responsibility and just ignore us. The problems need a solution and our rights need to be recognized.  The first step and our first demand to the political representatives of the city is a roof over our heads. The access to the job market links to this, so that we can provide ourselves. Access to health care and education should also be self-evident.

We haven´t survived the war against Libya to be now dying on the street. We seriously call all parties and institutions to immediately get in direct contact with us, to find solutions. Our homelessness allows no delay.

Representing the group of refugees from Libya:

Affo Tchassei: 0176-717 402 36

Anane Kofi Mark: 0152-170 045 94

Asuquo Udo: 0152 146 725 37

Supported by The Caravan for the rights of refugees and migrants- Hamburg

Ralf Lourenco: 0176-303 66 55 9