Arrests at attempt to block deportations in Dublin

ireland / britain | migration / racism | news report Thursday October 20, 2005 22:31 by Joe - WSM (personal cap)

Two people were arrested in Dublin on Tuesday as Residents against Racism activists attempted to block the deportation of 39 people (including fourteen children, 5 of whom were born in Ireland) to Lagos. Nigeria. This account is from Emma a WSM member and RAR activist who was arrested.

Front of the GNIB (from indymedia.ie by 'Freak')

I was also at gnib ( Garda National Immigration Bureau) from two o clock yesterday and it has to be one of the worse deportations I have witnessed so far if that is at all possible.

I managed to get inside the gnib where people have to report for deportation and from early people were called to hatch 13 and then taken upstairs not knowing what was going to happen to them, a few garda immigration cops saw over what was happening inside and were pretty rude to people wanting to know if they were going to be deported today- in response to questions asylum seekers were told they were just going up stairs for a chat and that would be it and not to worry, while I was in there I saw an elderly lady being taken upstairs and later saw a heavly pregnant woman looking distressed and I approached her to see what was wrong, she was looking for her mother who had been taking upstairs and when we were talking to the guard he told us she would be down in a few minutes about half an hour later she was being drove to Dublin airport and her daughter was frantic looking for a lawyer to try get an injunction since then I ave been talking to her daughter and her mother was on that flight to Nigeria. . I stayed inside until from what I could see no Nigerians were left and then went around the back of the gnib to were others were waiting to block the vans as they were going out to Dublin airport.

A scuffle broke out and people were pushed and Rosanna knocked to her feet, the cops seemed to take great pleasure in hurting people, a few protestors from what I can make out were hurt yesterday.

A while later I was arrested and charged at Pearse street garda station and I am due in court next week and dont want to say with what right now as I have been advised not to, while I was waiting to be booked in another person was arrested and charged also.

after three hours both of us were released and headed back around to the gnib were people were still outside, I was told Abolode was in the gnib and managed to get back in and I asked if she was there and if I could see her, the civil servant seemed quite pleasant enough and took Abolode details off me and went to see if she was there when she came back which was a few minutes later she said there was no record of Abolode there which was impossible I had been talking to her a few minutes earlier, so I went around the back and it turned out she had been taking out while the civil servant was checking to see if she was still there.

This has to stop, we have to organise a way of trying to stop these deportations, in my opinion there are not enough anti racism activists and very few are actually active, yesterdays turnout of people was promising though unlike last July's deportation were not many people were there at all and nobody could block the back or show a presence, hopefully people will realise the realities of what is happening to people.

p.s. d hope your back is ok
(first published on indymedia.ie)

http://www.residentsagainstracism.org

Refugees & Asylum seekers in Ireland

Gardai line (from indymedia.ie by 'Freak')