Yesterday, Wednesday 17.09.2014, a racist police control took place at the Lampedusa in Hamburg Protest Tent. At 6 PM three police officers approached the tent and asked for a responsible person. B. then showed his Italian documents to identify himself as one of the members of group in charge of the tent. He was then temporarily arrested and his Italian documents were confiscated. He was given the order to go the foreigners office to apply for asylum.
We consider this an racist control against a member of our protest. This is a direct attack against the political struggle of our group Lampedusa in Hamburg!
Statement of B. after his release:
This was not the first time I was controlled. The first time was during a night shift at our protest tent. Four Germans came to the tent and threatened us with a weapon. We had to call the police which was very slow and only came half an hour later and did nothing. In the morning they asked me to come to the police station to testify as a witness. But they took away my papers, put me into jail and after some time drove me to Alsterdorf. I refused to apply for asylum because it doesn’t make sense for me. In Alsterdorf they took my fingerprints and everything. This time the police again told me to apply for asylum. They told me to take a lawyer. So I’m not allowed to eat, stay or work but I’m allowed to pay a lawyer?