A collective of grassroots groups is mobilising for a rally outside Yarl’s Wood immigration detention centre on Saturday 24 March, in solidarity with the #HungerForFreedom strikers inside.
Hundreds of people will surround the notorious detention centre in Bedfordshire, calling for the place to be closed, the people to be released and for an end to immigration detention.
On February 21st, 120 people detained at Yarl’s Wood started a hunger strike. The strikers have announced an end to the hunger strike, but the development of ongoing protest against the detention system, with people taking actions including refusing food, refusing to work, and refusing to use services inside detention. The protest has become known as #HungerForFreedom. You can read a list of the strikers’ demands here.
There are coaches from London being organised by Sisters Uncut – book your place here. Tickets are priced on a sliding scale, but please fill in this form if you need additional financial assistance. Also see the Facebook event page here.
If you can’t make it, there are other actions you can take to support the #HungerForFreedom strikers. And if you want to get involved in the campaign to end detention in your area, get in touch
It is understood that Movement for Justice (MFJ) will also have a presence at the event. The organising collective has issued a statement that Movement for Justice is not an organisation that they support or condone, due to the #SpeakPlainTruth accounts of abuse that previous members of the group have exposed.
Logistics
Two coaches will leave from Central London, from the London Bridge area at 9.45am – further details will be announced closer to the date, and everyone who has signed up for a ticket will be receiving a follow up email with all necessary information, including a contact phone number for on the day logistics. If you have any questions, please contact the organisers on sistersuncut@gmail.com. One of the coaches will be open to people of all genders, the other for women and non-binary folk.
Accessibility: The actual detention centre is in the middle of a field. The coaches will be parking as close as possible to it, however, this is a 10-minute walk away from where the demonstration will be. The walk is through a field, and there are no steps, but it is often muddy and uneven. The coaches do not have toilets or ramps. If you are a wheelchair user, or have mobility needs, please contact Sisters Uncut on sistersuncut@gmail.com, and they will do our best to assist you.
There will be a team of wellbeing sisters on the day who will be easily identifiable, and are there to ensure the demonstration goes smoothly. More information on what they can provide will be given closer to the date, and at the briefing before the demo.
Things to bring:
– Warm, waterproof clothing
– Water and snacks
– Things to make noise with: pots, spoons, whistles
– Banners and placards
