Germany: Greens summon police to remove refugees
01 May 1999
On 4 June, refugees from Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, together with supporters from Europe and America, occupied the Green party office in Cologne in a protest against racism and deportation practices in Europe. The occupation deliberately coincided with the EU/G8 summits. At 9am on 15 June, after 11 days of peaceful protest, a police task force stormed the building at the request of the Green party and cleared the premises. One hunger striker was beaten when he verbally protested. During five hours in custody, the police refused the hunger strikers water, yet cynically offered them food. The Greens stated that the police operation had occurred peacefully. Several of the strikers, all of whom are members of the Caravan for the Rights of Refugees and Migrants, which has been touring Germany for several months, are in danger of being deported. An earlier occupation of a Green party office by Kurds protesting against deportations to Turkey last year was welcomed by party members.
The hunger strikers issued a statement, condemning the death of Aamir Mohamed Ageeb, a Sudanese refugee who was killed during his forced deportation from Germany on 28 May. They wrote:
"Death during deportation is the sharp expression of the systematic violation of the basic human rights of refugees in Germany and Europe.. We are not only exposing the racist reality we face in Germany but also the reasons for our flight, the reality of the dictatorships and fascist regimes that exist in the countries where we come from and how Germany and other G7 countries prop up these regimes to maximise their profits."
Since this statement, Azex Alayo Chavez, a political refugee from Peru and participant in the strike has been arrested and faces deportation. Further information from: International Human Rights Association Bremen, Kornstr. 51, 28201 Bremen, Tel: 0049 421 5577093, mail@humanrights.des