This winter, Glasgow has seen an extraordinary upsurge in protest and direct action in response to the Government's inhumane treatment of asylum seekers living in the city. The campaign has brought the issue of dawn raids on asylum seekers' homes to wide attention and caused embarassment to politicians and officials by exposing their callousness to public scrutiny. More importantly, though, there're growing signs that it is starting to bring back hope, dignity and confidence to those people who the system has isolated and dehumanised. The campaign's start might be dated to the Magical Mystery Tour during the G8, which visited links in the chain of deportation and played a part in bringing the Home Office at Festival Court in Brand Street, home of the Immigration Service's “Glasgow Enforcement Unit” to people's attention (What Happens inside Brand St). The sudden deportation of the Vucaj family: Drumchapel High School one week, Albania the next, was the spark that ignited public anger (Parliament Protest and Glasgow Demo). School pupils campaigned for the return of their friend, were nominated for a “Campaign of the Year” Award and used their winning speech to lambast the Scottish Executive's treatment of families. Ministers hadn't been that embarassed at the Politician of the Year beanfeast since – well, Mike Watson's wee bit arson around last year. Soon another family was deported.

After this on the 2nd November came the first Action at Brand Street, a day-long occupation by a group including Tommy Sheridan MSP. A regular picket / vigil on Saturday mornings was begun by one man and has grown substantially. However, the raids continued and so campaigners decided to confront the problem at its source and began a series of their own Dawn Raids on Brand Street. (First on the 21st: Nov: report) These are aimed at making deportations impossible, if only for that one day, by placing the tools of repression in “administrative detention” and shaming those involved in the traffiking of humans back to the repressive regimes they fled from. The protesters have come from a wide range of backgrounds: church ministers, advice workers, a Conservative MSP, members of the Muslim community, socialists, anarchists, liberals and more. After the first blockade came two more in December (report: 1 and 2), mysterious multiplying of chains on the Festival Court gates and a Mass Protest calling for “Arms Across Brand Street” that attracted 200-500 people.

At the same time as this, groups within the asylum seeking community have been organising events as well. The Scottish African Refugee Community Association (SARCO) held a March For the Right to Work on 12th December. A quickly organised protest in reaction to a threat of deportation may have prevented removal from taking place.

This protest activity has been described by a Home Office source as “unprecedented in the UK” and has been discussed within the PCS union (statement). No deportations have been reported since the blockades began but the No Borders Glasgow group has called for an automatic response to any further deportations. They are calling on people to gather at Brand Street the morning after any and every deportation occurs. 2006 looks set to be a lively year in Ibrox.

Related

http://www.openborders.org.uk