Free SOAS 9: 4 events/protests. 1st one tmrw

Date: Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:44:51 +0100
Subject: Free SOAS 9: 4 events/protests. 1st one tmrw
From: revolution@soas.ac.uk

Sorry for such a long email. Our google group is not working for some reason (please call me if you have any technical knowledge on this)
Please distribute this message widely.
Flyer attached above for you to print off and distribute
1) Call for action at Yarlswood tmrw, Saturday 27th
2) Lobby Home Office on Tuesday 30th
3) Bloomsbury Living Wage Campaign Wednesday 1st July
4) SOAS Occupiers host lunchtime filmshowing and food at Marxism, 4th July




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Let them stay..

Our cleaners are not criminals!

Staff and students at SOAS are calling for Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for the Home Office, to grant leave to remain with permission to work for Marina Silva and Rosa dePerez, two of the SOAS cleaners picked up in a brutal immigration raid on 12th June. Marina, who is 63 and has applied for asylum, following het brutal honour killing of her husband and threats to her own life, and Rosa, who has four children to support in Nicaragua, remain in detention following the raid. Their colleagues, including six months pregnant Luzia, were deported within 48 hours of the raid.

Cleaners at SOAS had demanded and organised for dignity at work with many joining a union. They had succeeded in winning union recognition from the privatised cleaning firm ISS and raising their pay to the London Living Wage—higher than other colleges in the area. It is of grave concern that the raid, organised by ISS, took place shortly after this campaign and on the
very day on which UNISON was due to protest in support of an activist who had played a leading role in organising the cleaners at SOAS.

Please support our campaign:

*Lobby the Home Office, Tuesday 30th June, 5.30-6.30pm*

2 marsham st, millbank, Sw1

*Sign the letter requesting leave to remain is granted to Marina and Rosa*

http://freesoascleaners.blogspot.com/2009/06/send-this-letter-to-home-office-now.html
For more information go to: http://freesoascleaners.blogspot.com/

*Stop the Deportation of SOAS University Cleaners!*

*Supported by SOAS UNISON and UCU*

--
In solidarity

http://freesoascleaners.blogspot.com
Email freesoasclean...@googlemail.com

Please distribute widely


let them stay.png
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Call to action in solidarity with detainees at Yarl's Wood detention centre:

* JUSTICE FOR THE SOAS 9

* VICTORY TO THE HUNGER STRIKERS!

Two weeks after nine cleaners at SOAS were taken into detention, take action for justice for the SOAS 9 and in solidarity with detainees in Yarls' Wood on hunger strike for demand including: freeing children who are detained, adequate access to health care, quality food and real privacy. Hundreds of people in Yarls Wood are being denied the medical care they need including a woman with epilepsy and a 5 months' pregnant woman in the families' section. Families have been on hunger strike for over a week now and we need to show them our support!

Forward this message widely>>>>>>


SAT 27 JUNE - DAY OF ACTION IN SUPPORT OF DETAINED
MIGRANTS

Morning – Action to let the Yarl’s Wood detainees know that we stand with them in opposing the
injustice of immigration controls, the imprisonment of innocent people and the denial of basic access to healthcare. Call 07952 254487 for more information.

1pm – March and speak out against cuts in ESOL
Teaching

Meet Bethnal Green Gardens (Next to Bethnal Green Tube) for march with UCU (University and College Union) and Tower Hamlets College students and staff, over cuts in Jobs primarily in ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). March to Altab Ali Park, Whitechapel, for
speakers and rally.

4.30 pm – Picket the Home Office's Communications House 210 Old Street, London, EC1V 9BR (1 minute from Old Street tube, 205 bus goes straight from Whitechapel)

Speak out and rally including speakers from migrant workers struggles and Yarl’s Wood.

The building looks anonymous but immigration reporting centres are places of fear for asylum seekers, who have to report to them monthly, weekly or even several times a week. They are places of detention and several SOAS Cleaners were held here on the day they were arrested.

TAKE ACTION NOW -

Send messages of solidarity for the hunger strikers to: londoncoalitionaginstpove...@gmail.com

* Contact SERCO (who run Yarl’s Wood) and demand that the strikers’ demands are met - 01344 386300 - homeaffa...@serco.com

* Contact Yarl’s Wood and demand that the strikers demands are met: The duty manager01234 821517; The switchboard is 01234 821000; Health'care' 01234 821147

* Forward news about the SOAS 9 and the hunger strike as well as this call-out to any email lists you are on or press contacts you have

* Take action to demand exceptional leave to remain for the SOAS 9: http://freesoascleaners.blogspot.com/2009/06/send-this-letter-to-home...

* If you can donate towards credit for detainees’ mobiles or travel costs for solidarity visits, email londoncoalitionagainstpove...@gmail.com



More information on SOAS 9: http://freesoascleaners.blogspot.com/

A detainee involved in the hunger strike's story:http://londonmigrantworkers.wordpress.com/

More information on the hunger strike: http://www.caic.org.uk/node/43


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Dear Bloomsbury living wage supporters,

The Bloomsbury Living Wage campaign will meet at 1pm Wednesday, the 1st of July, in the Institute of Education canteen.

All are welcome! Please bring a friend and come with practical ideas to discuss, possibly including:

* supporting the promising living wage campaign happening within the
Institute of Education, itself.

* building support for Rosa de Perez and Marina Silva, two of the "SOAS 9"
currently detained at Yarlswood removal centre in Bedford who were arrested
Friday the 12th of June as part of a strategy to undermine SOAS cleaners'
struggle for better pay and conditions.

Jesse Oldershaw
07917122929



Background:
The Bloomsbury Living Wage campaign is the network of living wage campaigns at UCL, SOAS, Birkbeck, Institute of Education, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Senate House. It seeks the better pay and conditions for low-paid contract workers across the Bloomsbury (WC1) area, in line with the GLA's London Living Wage. The London Living Wage (LLW) takes into account London's high cost of living. It was increased in May 2009 to 7.60/ hr - 25% higher than national minimum wage. The LLW package also includes fair sick pay and holiday pay and respect for trade union rights. There have so far been successful living wage campaigns at SOAS, Birkbeck and LSHTM.

Email livingw...@unions.bbk.ac.uk for more information and join the Facebook
group athttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=64798072148

--
In solidarity

http://freesoascleaners.blogspot.com
Email freesoasclean...@googlemail.com

Please distribute widely


===================================


Meet SOAS Occupiers at Marxism. Outdoor film showing and food.
Please reply to event if you want to come so we know how much food to prepare.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=96483986237


We filmed the whole thing. We want you to show you what we did and will answer questions and discuss where next for the campaign.

Start up your own campaign. If this can happen at SOAS of all places it can happen anywhere. This needs to be stopped. Our fellow workmates should not be living in a state of fear.

HANDS OFF OUR WORKMATES

Please join us for an outdoor filmshowing of a number of our videos and photos's.

Including food and discussion.

PLEASE RSVP so we know how much food to prepare.

If it is raining we will transfer to our common room.

This is a truly SOAS affair-we hope you join us.
--
In solidarity, Clare Solomon

Email: revolution@soas.ac.uk
Mob: 07958 034 181
Blog: http://www.solomonsmindfield.net
Twitter: http://twitter.com/solomonsmfield

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