In this mad Brexit
Trump infested
Truth defying
Media lying
Migrant hating
Fear creating
Greed infecting
Poor rejecting
Hope depriving
Corporate thriving world
We get up each morning and
seek justice.
– Helen McGuire
https://groups.globaljustice.org.uk/glasgow/2019/01/22/1085/
Every time we join the solidarity gathering at Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre we hope that we won’t have to go too many more times. Sadly, some of our friends at the gathering have been going there for 17 years now, as the UK Government has been locking people up there for nearly two decades. It might take a while yet, but it’s important to be there and to make it clear that there is something drastically wrong with a migration system that puts people behind barbed wire without time limit. Good to be joined there by Bishop Nolan, President of Justice and Peace Scotland and by three MSPs, as well as our good friends from Global Justice Ayrshire amongst others. Oh, and not to mention everybody’s favourite furry migrant from Peru…
#Time4aTimeLimit
We didn’t have the blazing heatwave that we had for the Mela, but it was still dry enough for the Govanhill International Carnival and Parade. Great to join so many wonderful people on the Southside having fun and sending a clear message that everyone is welcome in Glasgow. As one placard said – ‘Diversity Makes Glasgow’!
Good to hear the First Minister echoing that message too – we can be a welcoming country and not a hostile environment for migrants and refugees.
Really great to see such large crowds out on the streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh on Friday and Saturday, making it absolutely clear that Trump and his racist, sexist policies are not welcome here. Some wonderfully inventive placards (a fair proportion of which contained words which are not repeatable here…) and one extremely scary baby blimp!
The Trump-monster himself is unlikely to be listening, because he’s clearly deaf to any criticism, but it’s vitally important to make a clear public statement on issues of migration, climate change and inequality, particularly with the rise of populist, far-right parties across Europe. And we need to stand in solidarity with activists in the US and around the world to support the principles of equality and justice.
The nightmare that is the current US President is on his way to the UK this week (if you hadn’t noticed) and he may be making a trip to Scotland at the weekend. So it’s time to let him know that his racist, sexist nonsense isn’t welcome here. There are two opportunities to make your voice heard:
Friday 13 July, 5-8pm, Glasgow – George Square
Saturday 14 July, 12pm, Edinburgh – gather at the Scottish Parliament for a march (past the US consulate) to the Meadows
We’re aiming to be at both demos, so come along and make your voice heard along with thousands of others.
We had a great day out in the marvellous Glasgow sunshine at the Mela, along with everybody’s favourite migrant from darkest Peru…
Though Paddington was none too impressed that his wee nephew had been detained by immigration officials on arrival in the UK…
And it seems that the good folk of Glasgow are equally unimpressed with the current UK migration policy – more than 200 signed our petition against Theresa May’s terrible Hostile Environment policy, which denies migrants access to the basics of a decent life – healthcare, education, housing and employment. If you weren’t able to make it along to sign our petition, you can still email the Home Secretary here.
