A group of refugee supporters have barricaded the entrance to Customs House, 1010 LaTrobe Street, Docklands, where the Australian Border Force is headquartered. The action is in support of refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island who have barricaded themselves into the immigration detention centre since its closure on October 31.
Image by Twitter account @akaWACA
Submitted to Enough is Enough.
Note: Enough is Enough is not organizing any of these events, we are publishing this text for people across the US and Europe to be able to see what is going on and for documentation only.
Read all the Enough is Enough reports about Manus; here.
Australia: Refugee Supporters Barricade Border Force HQ in Solidarity With the Men on Manus
A group of refugee supporters have barricaded the entrance to Customs House, 1010 LaTrobe Street, Docklands, where the Australian Border Force is headquartered. The action is in support of refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island who have barricaded themselves into the immigration detention centre since its closure on October 31.
Hey #BorderForce there ain't no border high enough to keep us from you #EvacuateManus #Manus #auspol ping @PeterDutton_MP @TurnbullMalcolm pic.twitter.com/RTOHG5bqbJ
— WACA (@akaWACA) November 10, 2017
The barricade in Melbourne, made up of furniture, ladders, bikes, building materials, crates and other miscellany, was constructed to block the main entrance to the Australian Border Force HQ, which oversees the detention of refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru. The protesters then created a human blockade, preventing the removal of the barricade, shutting down business at the building. They intend to occupy the site and prevent workers from entering for as long as possible.
5 hours in #BorderForce remains barricade with a late capitalism suburban nightmare of hard rubbish. #EvacuateManus #auspol #SOS pic.twitter.com/4PAm3CNmbA
— WACA (@akaWACA) November 10, 2017
“It has come to this,” said spokesperson Charlotte Lynch. “Our politicians will not listen to the voices of refugees who are fighting for their lives. They will not listen to their citizens who are begging them to stop the madness. We will not let more lives be destroyed for political games. We have to stand in the way of this cruelty.”
On Sunday, PM Turnbull again turned down the offer of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to take 150 men off Manus Island to be resettled in New Zealand.
Some workers allowed to exit through Border Force barricade. #EvacuateManus We warned you! #SOS #Manus #Justice4Refugees #auspol pic.twitter.com/QI4rGtFoFg
— WACA (@akaWACA) November 10, 2017
“This is a national crime. This is a humanitarian emergency. We demand that Australian politicians urgently deal with the crisis they have created on Manus Island and Nauru.” says Lynch.
On October 31 the Australian Government, with the assistance of Border Force, Wilson Security and local Papua New Guinea authorities, cut off all food, water, electricity and medical care to the men on Manus Island detention centre. Over 600 men have now barricaded themselves inside the detention centre as it is the “least unsafe” place for them to be. They are are calling for their freedom. PNG military are preventing food and medical supplies from being taken into the centre. Many of the men on Manus Island have serious medical conditions and the withdrawal of basic services and medication constitutes a breach of international human rights laws. Doctors have warned more deaths are inevitable if the refugees are not resettled immediately.
The persecuted men have peacefully protested every day for 102 days to date. One of the men, Behrouz Boochani, states “We are not doing anything wrong, we are only resisting peacefully. We are asking again for freedom in a third country.”
On Thursday the PNG immigration authorities announced that the men must relocate from the centre within two days, or “force may be used.” Alternative facilities on Manus are not adequate, and there is no suitable resettlement plan being offered.
The protesters demand the immediate evacuation of both island prisons on Manus Island and Nauru, and for the refugees and asylum seekers to be resettled safely.
Where:
Australian Border Force, 1010 Latrobe Street, Docklands
The blockade lasted for about 8 hours.
After 8 hours of barricading #BorderForce HQ we have left but our barricades remain. Expect more disruptions @TurnbullMalcolm #EvacuateManus pic.twitter.com/WibX2DhKim
— WACA (@akaWACA) November 10, 2017
Image gallery by Twitter account @akaWACA
Some of the Enough is Enough team will join Cars of Hope to support refugees on Lesvos and in Athens in December and January. They will arrive on Lesvos at December 17. The work of Cars of Hope is based on mutual aid and one of the groups they will cooperate with on the Greek island is the No Border Kitchen Lesvos crew. Cars of Hope needs your support for their work on Lesvos and in Athens. You can support them with donations at their Paypal account carsofhopewtal@gmail.com or by joining the Cars of Hope crowdfunding campaign (donations possible by bank transfer or credit card) at: https://www.leetchi.com/c/soziales-von-cars-of-hope. You can also donate on the Cars of Hope Paypal account: carsofhopewtal@gmail.com
Here is a video that we produced in September 2017 on Lesvos:
