EATON HOUSE, 581 Staines Road, Hounslow, Middx TW4 5DL
From 10.30am to 12.30pm
On 2nd August Southall Black Sisters took to the streets to protest against the UKBA’s immigration raid on a shopping centre in Southall. We wanted to send a clear message to the UKBA that many in our communities were no longer prepared to tolerate the racist backlash that is being created by the government and the media. Using immigration laws, the government is seeking to target the most vulnerable in our society and to legitimise racism in British politics. It would seem that they are using the anti-immigration and race card for electioneering purposes.
We were protesting against the ’go home vans’ and the racial profiling that underpins the latest immigration tactics. The recent spot checks by border enforcement officers at train stations in areas such as Southall, Slough, Brent and East London are just some examples of divisive and dangerous tactics. Many in black and minority communities have complained that they find the ‘go home’ vans and anti-immigration campaigns profoundly unsettling. Many black and minority people have been stopped whilst others are afraid to go out. The campaigns have also contributed to rising hostility and tensions between different groups of people.
When the ‘go home vans’ burst onto our streets, anger spread across Britain and a series of complaints were lodged with the Advertising Standards Authority. The Refugee & Migrant Forum East London (RAMFEL) launched a successful legal challenge to the Home Office on the basis that the government had failed to consult local communities about the possible negative impact of such measures on race relations.
In response, the UKBA has shifted the ’Go Home’ message to reporting centres in Glasgow, Croydon and Hounslow. The UKBA has used a picture of a destitute person lying on cardboard with the following statement ‘Is life hard here? Going home is simple’.
As a result, there have been calls for inquiries and investigations into the government’s tactics. There is also a growing appetite to build an anti-racist movement. If the government can revert to the racism of the National Front’s ‘go home’ slogans of the 70s then we too can invoke the spirit of solidarity that underpinned the anti-racist movements of the 70s and 80s.
Join us in demonstrating against the Government’s anti-immigration campaigns. We will not tolerate underhand tactics used to instil fear and divide us. Let us return to the streets and make our voices heard. We need to fight for our rights.
Help us spread the word:
Facebook: Share our event https://www.facebook.com/events/546572052078068/
Twitter: Retweet us https://twitter.com/SBSisters/status/385737051431124992
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How to get there:
Link to Google Maps: 581 Staines Road, Hounslow, Middx TW4 5DL
By bus: The nearest bus stop is just in front of the Reporting Centre (stop called ‘Islay Gardens). The following bus, train and tram services stop at the reporting centre: 116, 117, 235.
By underground: nearest London underground stations: Hounslow East for bus links, Hounslow West is a 15 minute walk. Nearest railway station: Feltham.
By car: No specific car parking but spaces available within short walking distance
