Jo and Sakho have go to a conference in Paris to organize more support for more revolts against detaining mihgrants in Europe. And we need a ride in your car!  Call us at +31624148872

Freedom for all the accused of the Fire of Vincennes!

Since the end of 2007, the detainees of Vincennes (France), like many  others detainees of detention centers for migrants, have ceaselessly  struggled for their freedom. They have demonstrated and gone on hunger
strike, they have refused to be counted or to come back in their  rooms, they have burnt their mattresses.
The 9th of April a detainee of the center was already saying: “we have  to think about struggling differently. People and cops don’t give a  shit about the hunger strike. They don’t give a shit about sans-papiers. They don’t give a shit if we die. People eat razor blades  every day and nobody hears about them. The little things we do are not  worth it. We have to create a damned mess to put them under pressure.“

On June 21st 2008, a Tunisian called Salem Essouli died because of a  lack of medical care. The next day, a silent demonstration organized  by the detainees was harshly crushed. Then a revolt blew up, and the
center was destroyed by fire. That night, the detainees were  transferred to other centers all over the country:  Rouen-Oissel,  Lille-Lesquin, Nîmes-Courbessac, Palaiseau, Mesnil-Amelot et Paris-
dépôt-Cité. Salem Essouli’s family has registered a complaint in  January.

The center of Vincennes had 280 beds, its destruction means less  arrests and deportations. During the next months we could observe a  clear diminution of razzias and deportations in Paris. That’s why the  state hurrried to build a new center in the same place, which opened  in November 2008.

Wanting to set an example, the state has arrested several ex-detainees  of Vincennes: two were arrested the very day of the fire. One has been  freed but stays under control as a witness with arisk of being  charged, the other has been detained; six other arrests occurred  during the months of July, October, November and December.  One of  them as been assailteed in jail on November 4th and is still in an  hospital with serious medical consequences.

So, eight persons are accused of destruction by fire of public good  and violence against policemen. There may be other persons accused. At  the end of February and beginning March, three of them have been freed
but are still prosecuted. Four persons are still detained despite the  numerous requests of liberation made by their lawyer. We still don’t  know when the trial will take place.

The Vincennes detainees’ revolt isn’t isolated. Others happened  before, others happened during the summer at Mesnil-Amelot, Nantes,  Italy, Belgium, and still others will happen.

The Vincennes detainees destroyed their jail. Solidarity with the  prosecuted detainees means struggling against migration policies,  their ideology and their practices!

We will hold on!

Free the prosecuted Vincennes detainees and drop the charges against
them!
Close the detention centers for migrants! Freedom of circulation and
installation!

Mail to liberte-sans-retenue@riseup.net
Send money for the defense of Vincennes detainees at : CICP-Vincennes,
21 ter rue Voltaire, 75011 Paris
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