Lampedusa in Hamburg – Solidarity with the refugees of war and their demands!

Manifestation at the SPD Bundestags election event in Hamburg:

Friday, 31.05.2013 | 18.30 PM

In front of the Museum der Arbeit (Wiesendamm 3/ close to the subway Barmbek)

Meeting point for a collective journey to the manifestation:

17.30 PM at the protest-tent at the central station/ Steindamm

Seven weeks ago the administration of Hamburg forced Refugees into homelessness. After three weeks of protest organised by the group “Lampedusa in Hamburg” , an association of people who fled from the NATO-War in Libya, the city of Hamburg is under pressure in such an extent, that it is formally making an effort to organise accommodation. But this accommodation will only be temporary and is supposed to provide the basis for the preparation of the return to Italy.

Right from the beginning the refugees made very clear in their protest:

“We are here and we will not go back! We never had the intention to come here. We were on our continent in Libya and our existence there was destroyed by the NATO-states.”

Their demands include the complete recognition of their rights:

• accommodation
• free access to the labour market
• free access to education
• free access to medical care and social provision
• the right to freely choose the residence within the EU

The emergency aid of the city cannot be linked to any terms. The situation we are facing now has not fallen from the sky, it is a direct consequence of the european asylum- and foreign policies which were strongly shaped by the Federal Republic of Germany as one of the most powerful european states.

Germany as well as other european states has participated in the NATO-War in Libya, where it destroyed the existence of those who then had to flee to Europe against their own will. No war remains without consequences, but the german state as the causer of flight denies any responsibility. While the NATO globally leads wars in the name of “human rights and democracy” Refugees on the streets of Europe are being deprived of exactly these rights.

The existing Dublin-system denies the human right to freely choose the place of residence and is one of the causes for the catastrophic situation of refugees in the countries of Southern Europe. Germany is economic-politically responsible for forcing these very countries into the downward spiral of crisis and austerity. Infighting between the european states shall be carried out on the back of the refugees. In this context German politicians even dare to tell refugees that there is a perspective for them in Italy, even though there are numerous expertises and reports by human rights organisations that state the opposite.

Solidarity with the resistance of the refugees – support their demands!

THE DUBLIN SYSTEM MUST FALL!

NO PEACE WITH THE NATO!

Supporters of the group “Lampedusa in Hamburg”

The Refugees from Libya made clear since the beginning of their protest:

„we are here and we will not go back! Because we never had the intension to come here.We lived on our continent in Libya, until the lives we had there were destroyed by the NATO states.“

The demands made by the war refugees are clear and include the full acknowledgement of their rights.

• Housing
• Free access to the employment market
• free access to education
• free access to medical assistance and social service
• freedom of movement and free choice of residence inside the EU

In a meeting of the city parliament the social democrats claimed to organize medical assistance and humanitarian aid. Meanwhile their staff through some refugees out of a park where they had to sleep due to their disastrous situation. The aid which the city authorities claim to give does not reach those in need. There is reason to doubt that the talking about humanitarian help will be followed by actions.

The direct support of the refugees is organized by the base of the cities population. Especially young people are putting enormous effort in into alleviating the misery and giving practical help every day. While they are left with little time for schoolwork the senate is whining about the incredible hardship of finding a building to be used for accommodation.

A deportation back to Italy or even back to the countries they fled, which some politicians already dream of, is unacceptable. Humanitarian aid in an emergency must not be tied to conditions.

The refugees’ resistance on the streets of Hamburg continues!

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

The information tent of the group “Lampedusa in Hamburg” is now taking place the second day. A lot of affected people use the tent as a place to exchange experiences and ideas, discuss their situation and to plan further activities.
Because of the persistent cold and rainy weather, the sanitary situation is getting worse. Today, three people had to be brought to the doctor, for four others medical treatment has to be organized. The diseases were caused by the conditions they are forced to live in.
A few that had been living in cars on a junk yard, lost their housing because the cars were exported.
When a journalist from a Hamburg Newspaper interviewed a speaker of the lybian war refugees in a waiting room of the hamburger bus station and asked for their everyday conditions, the security personnel sent interviewer and interviewed outside in the rain.
While now almost everyone in Hamburg knows about the inhuman conditions the refugees have to live in, the responsible politicians, mayor and senators, refuse any dialogue with the group.
Meanwhile lawyers are even checking if they can sew the city of Hamburg because of nonassistance of a person in danger.
We call on all the people in the city and elsewhere to show solidarity and to help change the situation.

On Wednesday, 22.05.2013 about 60 refugees decided to emphasize their demand for serious talks with mayor Olaf Scholz by organizing a protest event at the town hall. On the previous day the police had prevented the construction of a protest camp.

On Wednesday morning a group of about 60 people peacefully entered the public part of the town hall unfolding a banner saying „We did not survive the NATO war in Libya to die on the streets of Hamburg!“ They repeated the demands found in their public declaration asking for talks with the mayor and appealing to all parties and institutions to make an effort to solve their catastrophic situation. The people present were given copies of the declaration and bystanders voiced their solidarity.

The staff in charge cleared all tourists and other uninvolved persons from the building and immediately threatened to have an eviction of the refugees done by the police. According his office manager the mayor was not in his office at that time. The office manager assured to ask for an appointment for talks with the mayor or other persons responsible and to contact the refugees in the evening.

In the following the refugees and the supporters who had arrived at the site left the town hall forming a spontaneous protest march to the central station, emphasizing their will to hold talks. The small protest was accompanied by massive police presence.

In the evening the mayors office manager did in fact call. But only to inform that neither talks with Olaf Scholz nor with the social senator Detlef Scheele were possible. It is getting more and more obvious that the city authorities are not willing solve the situation. The senate wants to sit out the humanitarian disaster happening in the streets of Hamburg, trying to make the refugees invisible to the public and leave them to their agony.

But in their declaration the refugees said:
„It will be understandable for everybody, that we can’t endure this in silence.“

This is just the start of the refugees resistance. Since 6 pm a legalized info tent is located next to the international pharmacy at the central station. / Steindamm.The tent gives the refugees a place to organize but it is far from being a permanent solution. Sleeping and the construction of additional tents is not permitted. Hot tea and coffee is appreciated, show your solidarity!

A camp is needed!

Seitens der Stadt oder sozialer Träger gibt es keinerlei Bewegung, die Situation der Geflüchteten verschlimmert sich von Tag zu Tag. Deshalb entschieden sich Refugees und Unterstützer_innen gemeinsam dafür am 21.05.2013 ein Protestcamp in Hamburg aufzubauen, um allen Betroffenen ein Dach über dem Kopf und einen Ort zur Organisierung zu schaffen.
Doch das Bezirksamt-Mitte verweigerte die Genehmigung für das als Dauermahnwache angemeldete Camp mit der Begründung, dass Grünflächen für solche Veranstaltungen grundsätzlich nicht geeignet wären. Der Amtsleiter bestand weiter darauf, dass selbst im Falle einer Genehmigung niemand auf einer Dauermahnwache übernachten dürfe.

Spontan mobilisierte Unterstützer_innen versuchten am Dienstag Nachmittag öffentlich angekündigt trotzdem den Campaufbau anzufangen. Trotz massiver Polizeipräsenz konnte vor den vielen Pressevertreter_innen mit dem Aufbau von Zelten begonnen werden. Die symbolische Aktion wurde von der Polizei unterbunden, ein aufgebautes Zelt wurde beschlagnahmt. Bei der daraufhin angemeldeten Spontandemo untersagte die Polizei außerdem noch das symbolische Tragen eines Zeltes. Die Spontandemo wurde von den betroffenen Geflüchteten angeführt und lief durchs Viertel zum Hauptbahnhof. Wegen der Unwetterwarnung für die Nacht wurden kurzfristig Schlafplätze in linken Projekten organisiert.

Lampedusa in Hamburg – Interview with Affo Tchassei by The VOICE Refugee Forum Network.