Dienstag, 15. März 2011

Statement of w2eu about the end of the hunger strike

Welcome To Europe expresses its joy over the vindication of the hunger strikers' demands on day 44. We have followed and supported the hunger strike closely, and often we feared for the hunger strikers' lives. Our relief given the successful conclusion cannot be expressed appropriately.

The results of the struggle are of extreme importance, especially as they have been achieved under ever harsher conditions. The fact that the possibility to obtain a residence permit will affect all migrants in Greece points to the general nature of the struggle. The political symbolism of the travel permits that will be given should not be underestimated: it allows for free movement across the walls of Europe, and contributes to making the dream of a common social and political space uniting the Mediterranean and providing freedom of movement within more concrete.

As the promises of the government have yet to be put into law and action, we declare that we will continue to follow the developments very closely. Should the need arise to take further action, we will be at the side of our brothers, sisters and friends.

The hunger strikers' struggle for political and social rights is a big step within a new cycle of struggles for the inclusion of migrants into the European societies. It is part of a process towards a great transformation, that will lead to a Europe without borders and fences.

**
network welcome to europe

http://w2eu.net/2011/03/14/our-statement-about-the-end-of-the-hunger-strike/
http://w2eu.net           blog
http://w2eu.info          independent information for migrants coming to europe

Sonntag, 13. März 2011

The struggle is complete. With the documents in hand and our heads up

The struggle is complete. With the documents in hand and our heads up high, we return to our homes and our work vindicated, after 44 days on hunger strike.
The struggle continues. The announcements for an 8-year limit and the increase of work credit as prerequisites for the issuing and renewal of residence permits must become law immediately.
The struggle is the only option. The struggle against the daily exploitation and racism’s walls, the struggles for the legalisation of all migrants with no prerequisites, for equal rights between local and foreign workers, for a life with values and dignity, these are our next steps. Together with the anti-racist and migrant movement we will walk along this difficult path, the path of struggle.
The struggle unites us. With the documents in hand and the head up high we salute and wish farewell to everyone who supports us. To the people in solidarity in Greece and all other countries in the world, the doctors and their colleagues, all who stood by our side in these days of the hunger strike, in all days when our lives and our deaths demanded vindication and freedom.
See you at the struggles!
-         Protest gathering, Monday 14/03, at the Ypatia building
-         Protest gathering, Monday 14/03, 7pm at the Piraeus port (Agios Dionisios)
The 300 migrant hunger strikers

Freitag, 11. März 2011

The hunger strike of the three-hundred migrant workers has ended. The struggle for a world of equality, solidarity and freedom continues – GREVA E URISË E 300 EMIGRANTËVE PUNËTORË PËRFUNDOJ. LUFTA PËR NJË JETË ME BARAZI, SOLIDARITET DHE LIRI VAZHDONالإضراب عن الطعام من ٣٠٠ العمال المهاجرين فرغ النضال لعالم حرا وسويا مستمر

Μαρτίου 10, 2011


On January 25th, 2011 three-hundred migrants in Athens and Thessaloniki commenced a fierce hunger strike, claiming the most basic things: equal rights with the local workers and the legalization of all migrants living, working and moving across the country.
44 days later and after more than 100 strikers were hospitalized with serious health issues, the state was forced to drop its intransigent attitude along with previous threats of deportation of the strikers and to negotiate officially with them, meeting a significant part of their demands:

Mittwoch, 9. März 2011

The Hungerstrike is finnished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! solidarity!

As it has just been announced, the hunger strike of the 300 migrant hunger strikers has just ended, following some key government concessions in meeting their demands. As it has been agreed:
- the time limit for application for permanent residence in the country is now dropped to eight years (down from twelve).
- work credit (ensima) are disconnected from the application for permanent residence.
- all three-hundred migrant hunger strikers will be allowed to apply for 6-month rolling permits until the reach the 8-year limit in order to gain permanent residence.
This is a huge victory on the side of the hunger strikers who now see the road paved for tens of thousands of people to be able to live in the country without the fear of being undocumented.

The vindication of the 300 migrants hunger strikers is a hope for the whole society

Μαρτίου 9, 2011
Today’s government’s decision to meet part of the demands of the 300 migrants on hunger strike proves that the only lost struggle is the one that is not led. It also showed to all the
working people that the government of the E.U., I.M.F. and European Bank Memorandum is not invincible. The rigid militant spirit and broad social solidarity can bring tangible results.
It is obvious that it will take a long and hard struggle for lifting the Apartheid against foreign workers living in Greece and Europe. However, there should be no doubt
that the dedication of the 300 opened a new path of hope.
We would like to thank all those (and there were many …) that have supported this difficult struggle from the first days in the Law School until the hospitals. Thus, above all, we would like to respectfully welcome the 300 fighters of who the entire working class can be proud.
Athens
09/03/1911
Solidarity Initiative to the 300
migrants on hunger strike

solidarity aktion in Berlin

Montag, 7. März 2011

URGENT: The government threatens the hunger strikers

URGENT: The government threatens the hunger strikers that they will be evicted if they don't all agree to be transferred to hospitals.

About an hour ago (shortly before 2pm on Monday, March 7), on the 42nd day of the hunger strike of the 300 migrant workers, the Ministry of Health sent a representative to the hunger strikers staying in the front yard and corridors of the Ypatia mansion in Athens.

In its message to the strikers, the Ministry of Health states that “their limits of patience and understanding have been exhausted” and that they ask “with no further delay, that all hunger strikers be transferred to NHS hospitals in Athens (…) so that danger to their health and to their life is avoided.” The text ends in a warning: “We ask the migrants who are staying at Ypatia to cooperate with the ambulance staff so that they are transferred without further delay. We ask the people who accompany them and support their struggle, to not only refrain for obstructing the procedure, but to make every possible effort to persuade all migrants to be transferred to public hospitals.”

In other words, under the pretext that they are interested in the hunger strikers’ health condition, the government is prepared to send the police to force the migrant hunger strikers out of the building. This is the first step towards forceful feeding by the hospital staff, i.e. towards breaking the hunger strike with an order by a public prosecutor.

The hunger strikers have already decided that they are not leaving the building without a residency permit.

The answer of the hungestrikers to the Greek Goverment




4.Video the meeting of the hungerstrikers with the Greek Ministers
http://hungerstrike300.espivblogs.net/2011/03/03/video-synantisi-apergon-me-ypourgous/

5. Preeskonferenz infront of the Parliament
http://hungerstrike300.espivblogs.net/2011/03/03/video-synenteuksi-typou-vouli/

Sonntag, 6. März 2011

Hungerstrikers talk about their situation and wishes



A video made on the 23 day of the hungerstrike (today is the 41 day) in Thessaloniki. The hungerstrikers talk about their situation and the reasons why they started the hungerstrike, they talk about the solidarity groups, call the greek workers to a common fight and question what the tv stations is telling.
The doctors from the solidarity groups say what will come in the next days and speak agoainst the goverments praktices.



Βίντεο από την 23η μέρα απεργίας πείνας από Θεσσαλονίκη: Οι ίδιοι οι μετανάστες εξηγούν την κατάστασή τους και τους λόγους που τους οδήγησαν στην απεργία πείνας, μιλάνε για τους αλληλέγγυους, καλούν τους έλληνες εργάτες σε κοινούς αγώνες, αμφισβητούν τα τηλεοπτικά κανάλια. Οι γιατροί της ομάδας υποστήριξης μιλούν για το τι θα ακολουθήσει και καταγγέλουν τις κυβερνητικές πρακτικές.

300: A brief chronicle of the hunger strike, through the texts of the hunger strikers and the solidarity initiatives in Athens and Thessaloniki

The 300 hunger strikers begin their hunger strike in Athens and Thessaloniki (25 JANUARY 2011) and formulate their demands: REGULARIZATION and EQUAL RIGHTS for ALL IMMIGRANTS LIVING AND WORKING HERE
People in solidarity respond with an analysis of the recent crisis and explain why it is essential to support the migrants' demands:
http://allilmap.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/solidarity-with-the-300-migrants-on-hunger-strike/

What the hunger strikers said when the government wanted to change the location of the strike (an empty University building) after the strike had already started (27 January):

http://allilmap.wordpress.com/2011/01/28/press-release-decision-of-the-assembly-of-migrants-on-hunger-strike/ 
THE GREEK STATE TORTURES HUNGER STRIKERS, explains the Solidarity Initiative (27 January) after a series
of meaningless negotiations with the government and false promises that they will be relocated somewhere better:

Despite the hardships, the hunger strikers declare that they are determined to continue (29 January):

Intellectuals (Noam Chomsky, Emmanuel Wallerstein, Eduardo Galeano, Slavoj Zizek, Alain Badiou, Naomi Klein), immigrants' and worker organizations from all over the world express their solidarity with the hunger strikers:
http://allilmap.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/solidarity-with-the-300-migrant-workers-on-hunger-strike-in-greece/
http://allilmap.wordpress.com/2011/02/19/a%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%B7%CE%BB%CE%B5%CE%B3%CE%B3%CF%8D%CE%B7-%CE%B1%CF%80%CF%8C-slavoj-zizek-%CE%BA%CF%8E%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B1-%CE%B4%CE%BF%CF%85%CE%B6%CE%AF%CE%BD%CE%B1/

The hunger strikers' specific demands (21 February)

http://allilmap.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/hunger-strikers%E2%80%99-assembly-decision-2102/

Meanwhile their health is deteriorating (22 February)

http://allilmap.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/medical-report-22nd-february-2011/  The government, through Minister Ragoussis, repeats its position that "there will be no regularisations" and the Solidarity Initiative with the strikers respond:
http://allilmap.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/an-answer-to-ragkousis-statements/
The hunger strikers' health is in danger:
http://allilmap.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/text-for-the-press-conference-with-the-doctors/
The hunger strike has been going on for 40 days now and the clock is ticking.  (PRESS RELEASE MARCH 5, 2011)
It is high time the hunger strikers' demands were met before it is too late.

Samstag, 5. März 2011

10th of March: Worldwide solidarity action day with the 300 hunger strikers immigrants-workers in Greece

Please publish, print and spread the following text

http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2011/03/114291.html

10th of March: Worldwide solidarity action day with the 300 hunger strikers immigrants-workers in Greece
Latest Greece travel advises:

You might have heard that Greece is a beautiful country to visit with delicious food and people with great hospitality. Be careful: this is not the whole truth. The reality for hundreds of thousands of visitors is completely different. There is a general threat of human rights’ violations. Expatriates and visitors, who cross the Greek borders, can be departed or transferred in detention centres for 2–4 months or longer. If and when these visitors are released, they are forced to work in agriculture, local industry, organized crime, or as street salesmen, without documents or any civil rights whatsoever. Visitors of Greece are warned about abuse, intolerance, hatred, slander and indiscriminate violence by the Greek State…

Greece is exploiting approximately 500,000 illegal immigrants and refugees to raise the nation’s miserable economics. Last year, nearly 140,000 immigrants crossed the Greek borders in a hope of better life. Most of them are going to be illegalized for years and treated as unwelcome contemporary slaves.

Since the 25th of January, 300 immigrants who work and live in Greece for many years started a nationwide hunger strike in Athens and Thessaloniki. They claim the legalization of all undocumented immigrants of Greece. Their struggle is a struggle of all immigrants, workers and citizens of the world.

The 10th of March will be the 45th day of their hunger strike, but the Greek State has not yet responded to their rightful claims!

We call people in Greece and throughout the world to carry out civil disobedience actions on the 10th of March in solidarity with the 300 hunger strikers. We ask everyone to target their actions against Greek soft spot-tourism: 15% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product is coming from tourism. In fact, tourism and migration are two sides of the legal right of freedom of movement.

We suggest an easily attainable target that people can find almost in every country: Greek National Tourism Organization. You can e.g. demonstrate, blockade, squat, spread leaflets or carry out other creative actions in front, inside or around GNTO offices.

The addresses of the GNTO offices aboard are here: http://internezia.net/addresses.html

If you don't have a GNTO office at your city, you can target your actions against the Greek embassies or enterprises, or simply demonstrate in crowded public places or on media.

300 MURDERS OR LEGALIZATION

[ More information about the hunger strike of 300: http://hungerstrike300.espivblogs.net ]

Hassan talks about the lies the newspaper NEA wrote about him




I want to say something about what the newspaper TA NEA wrote about me,showing a picture of me with a wrong name.
We the hungerstrikers take all decisions on our own in our plenum and nobody is telling us what to do.
A hungertsriker has no reasons to go for a walk, since he has to take care of himself and his health condition.

Hassan

Announcement of the hunger strikers to society (4/3)




Announcement of the hunger strikers to society (4/3)



Announcement-response to the government’s proposal, after the meeting (of the immigrants-workers hunger strikers) with the ministers:
1. We hunger strikers, from the places of our strike in Athens and Thessaloniki and from hospitals, unanimously reject the government’s proposal for a regime of tolerance, because it does not respond to our claim for legalization with freedom of movement, work-based renewal and all other rights that legal immigrants have in Greece and Europe.
2. We reject the request of the minister of Health to transfer all Athens’ hunger strikers to hospitals due to weather conditions’ worsening. As we have done for 39 days with cold and floods, we continue the hunger strike in Hypatia building (Patission Ave, and Ipirou Str.), and of course those who are in critical condition will be transfered to hospitals under our doctors’s orders.
3. We stress once again that the nationwide hunger strike is our struggle, that we take the decisions on all issues, and we demand the lies and slander to be stopped.

The 300 hunger strikers in Athens and Thessaloniki, 4 March 2011
hungerstrike300.espivblogs.net

Freitag, 4. März 2011

Athens: Ministers disagree in public.Hunger strikers continue the struggle.

March 4, 2011

 Athens: Ministers disagree in public. The government repeats the same “proposals”. Hunger strikers continue the struggle. Demonstration is taking place now.  

Thessaloniki: City Council, Labour Center, Aristotle University, Trade Unions etc. press the government. 

Paris: Greek Embassy occupied in solidarity.


March 3, 2011 – 98 hunger strikers in hospitals. Critical moments for the 300 hunger strikers.

Thessaloniki: 2.500-strong demonstration! > photos

Demonstrations in other greek cities: Chania, Mytilene, Xanthi
Public building occupied in Chios, Orestiada, Volos, Komotini



Donnerstag, 3. März 2011

Hamburg-Stop frontex in the Mediteranean and Solidarity greetings to the 300 hungerstrikers in Greece

Hamburg Altona in the afternoon of the 3.3.11 an aktion takes place together with an excibition TRACES from LESVOS , showing migrants enclosed summer 2009 in Pagani,Lesvos and now having arived in different countries in europe.

solidarity to the arabic world and stop frontex HERMES in the mediteranean seas

many where there who have own stories with ariving in greece and who now send their solidar greetings to the 300 wishing them strength and power to arive to their goal.

this kid will be able to say later : i was against the european policies from the begining  and we give it the photo proof
friends from serbia and france greeting in solidarity.

Stop HERMES so that evreryone can arive safely!
no war against refugees in the mediteranean seas!
 we call for no borders ! and freedom of movement for all!
migration is no criminal act but a reality!




today 98 hungerstrikers in hospitals!!!

Mittwoch, 2. März 2011

Song written by one of the hungertsrikers: WATER AND SALT



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx3cyo31zAs


 "... For your own people, at the time when you leave to emigrate you are
already as if dead, the evening table is laid and your place is empty. I
told them to weep for me for 40 days, and so it was. And we, if we die,
shall be forever sleeping peacefully. But those who do not give us papers
will never sleep peacefully. I want to say a few words to the Greek friends
I have made: You have entered my heart. We lived happily. And to all those
who brought us tribulations, and who robbed us of money: I forgive you as
though nothing happened. Farewell to you.

  - Hassan, one of the 300 immigrant hunger
strikers



                                       Forty days my father wept for me,
                                       they’ve destroyed our country, I will go
                                       to build a human life,
                                       I will disdain the fences and mines.

                                       I was born into poverty

                                       schooled by necessity.

                                       My dead-end days and my nights debris.



                                       Traffickers stood before me,
                                       they threw me into a black tub,
                                       the wretched of the earth for cargo,

                                       They set out upon the wild seas,
                                       our breath severed upon the raging wave,

                                       hope hanging from our eyes.




                                       To these soils here I arrived,
                                       vineyards, olive groves, in fields
                                       I enriched my boss’s livelihood,
                                       I had no voice, my job black labor,
                                       closed in construction sites,

                                       buried within cellars,
                                       for insatiable beasts to feed upon my flesh.





                                       Water and salt, 300 rocks

                                       and a few grains of sugar

                                       before they weighed me upon the scales,
.                                       as I fade, fighting.


                                       My sweat flowed within the cities

                                       through streets, factories, shipyards.
                                       My hands wounded by the Winters
                                       as I bled for foreign greatness,
                                       and supported the elders silent outcasts

                                       upon their empty pillows

                                      with a drop of care.

.
                                       
                                      Those who legally bled me
                                      calling my life contraband,
                                      with sweating, straining, I produce,
                                      but I find no justice in my cell.
                                      And I dread their minions

                                      who lie in ambush.

                                      I look for my brothers, the
                                      workers nearby.

                                      Water and salt, 300 rocks

                                      and a few grains of sugar

                                      before they weigh me upon the scales,

.                                      as I fade, fighting.


                                     Death no longer scares me;
                                     I die now beside my comrades.
                                     My homeland is my raised fist
                                     and the fight for my class rights.
                                     I struggled to build a life and they
fought me,
                                     those who hold all our toil as being
their own.


                                      Water and salt, 300 rocks

                                      and a few grains of sugar

                                      before they weigh me upon the scales,

.                                      as I fade, fighting.



                                       Farewell to you.




         Abdul, Nordin, Ahmed, immigrant worker

         Hamid Hassan, my brother.







SUPPORTERS

24/2/2011
.





Τραγούδι των Υπεραστικών για τους 300
Μαρτίου 1, 2011

«…Για τους δικούς σου, από την ώρα που φεύγεις μετανάστης είσαι ήδη σαν νεκρός, στρώνουν κάθε βράδυ τραπέζι κι εσύ λείπεις. Τους είπα να με κλάψουν 40 μέρες, κι αυτό ήταν. Κι εμείς αν πεθάνουμε, θα κοιμόμαστε για πάντα ήσυχοι. Όμως, αυτοί που δε μας δίνουν μια σφραγίδα δε θα κοιμούνται ήσυχοι ποτέ. Θέλω να πω και μια κουβέντα στους Έλληνες φίλους που έκανα: μπήκατε στην καρδιά μου. Ζήσαμε ευτυχισμένοι. Και σε όλους αυτούς που μας φέρθηκαν άσχημα, μας έφαγαν λεφτά: σας τα χαρίζω, σαν να μην έχει γίνει τίποτα. Αντίο σας».

Χασάν.
Ένας από τους 300 εργάτες μετανάστες απεργούς πείνας.

Νερό κι αλάτι

Σαράντα μέρες κλάψε με πατέρα,
ρημάξανε τον τόπο μας, θα φύγω.
Ανθρώπινη ζωή θα πάω να χτίσω,
τους φράχτες και τις νάρκες θ’ αψηφήσω.
Στη φτώχεια που γεννήθηκα η ανάγκη με παιδεύει.
Αδιέξοδες οι μέρες μου κι οι νύχτες μου συντρίμμια.

Δουλέμποροι σταθήκανε μπροστά μου,
σε μαύρα σαπιοκάραβα με ρίξαν.
Με φόρτωμα της γης τους κολασμένους
στα άγρια τα πελάγη ξανοιχτήκαν.
Στο κύμα που λυσσομανά η ανάσα μας κομμένη,
να κρέμεται απ’ το βλέμμα μας μια τόση δα ελπίδα.

Σε τούτα εδώ τα χώματα που ήρθα,
στ’ αμπέλια, στις ελιές, μέσα στους κάμπους
αβγάτιζα το βιος του αφεντικού μου,
φωνή δεν είχα, μαύρη η δουλειά μου.
Κλεισμένος σ’ εργοτάξια, θαμμένος σε υπόγεια,
να τρέφονται απ’ τη σάρκα μου αχόρταγα θηρία.

Νερό κι αλάτι, 300 βράχοι
και λίγοι κόκκοι ζάχαρης, πριν με μετρήσει η ζυγαριά να αργοσβήνω, πολεμώντας.

Ο ιδρώτας μου κυλούσε μες στις πόλεις,
σε δρόμους, εργοστάσια, ναυπηγεία.
Τα χέρια μου πληγιάζαν στους χειμώνες
που μάτωνα για ξένα μεγαλεία.
Και στήριγμα στους γέροντες που απόβλητοι σωπαίναν.
Στο άδειο προσκεφάλι τους μια στάλα από φροντίδα.

Αυτοί που νόμιμα μ’ απομυζούσαν
λαθραία ονομάσαν τη ζωή μου,
να ιδρώνω, να κοπιάζω, να παράγω,
μα δίκιο να μη βρίσκω στο κελί μου.
Και τρέμω τα τσιράκια τους που με παραφυλάνε.
Γυρεύω τα αδέρφια μου, τους ντόπιους τους εργάτες.

Νερό κι αλάτι, 300 βράχοι
και λίγοι κόκκοι ζάχαρης, πριν με μετρήσει η ζυγαριά να αργοσβήνω, πολεμώντας.

Ο θάνατος πια δε θα με τρομάξει,
πεθαίνω τώρα πλάι σε συντρόφους.
Πατρίδα μου είναι η σφιχτή γροθιά μου
κι ο αγώνας για της τάξης μου τα δίκια.
Ζωή να χτίσω πάλεψα κι αυτοί με πολεμάνε.
Αυτοί που όλο το μόχθο μας δικό τους τον κρατάνε.

Νερό κι αλάτι, 300 βράχοι
και λίγοι κόκκοι ζάχαρης, πριν με μετρήσει η ζυγαριά να αργοσβήνω, πολεμώντας.

Αντίο σας.

Αμπντούλ, Νορντίν, Αχμέντ, Χαμίντ, Χασάν.

Εργάτη μετανάστη, αδερφέ μου.

ΥΠΕΡΑΣΤΙΚΟΙ

24/2/2011

Dienstag, 1. März 2011

55 hungerstrikers now in hospital!

their health situation is in danger.
and every hour more are transported to hospitals.Also Elktif on the video of the posting before, started today not to drink water anymore.

solidarity from the jungle of igoumenitsa

here the call from the 5 th day of strike:

We 300 hunger striking immigrants, who are asking for the legalization of all immigrants living and working in Greece, state the following:

-We 300 have taken this means of struggle without the mediation of Parties, organizations or individuals.

-We consider the country in which we live as having democracy, and that it must respect human rights and international accords.

-We are committed to continuing the hunger strike despite the pressures and bad conditions of the site that we are obliged to accept. 

- We call upon all freethinking people both in Greece and the international community to stand in solidarity with our just struggle to live with dignity.

January 29, 2011
5th day of the hunger strike

36 Day Hungerstrike- Video of a hungerstriker who looks for his german friends


and  for solidarity!

Elktif one of the hungerstrikers talks about the situation being in hungerstrike,about his life home and the reasons why he left and about his german friends that he is missing and looking for.
And about what the first thing will be to do when he gets papers!
Then konzert was at the Museums Place near the Ipatia villa , and thousands of people showed their solidarity through their presence . A.Ionannidis-Xaroulis and F.Delivorias sang in solidarity to the 300 and many statements from groups and people like Kouneva, have been read.
Fivos Delivorias sings here a song talking about never forgetiing those who migratet:

Auch wenn du weg gehen wirst
um die ganze welt
du wirst immer meiner sein
wir werden immer zusammen sein.
und ich werde dich nicht vermissen
weil mein seele
das lied der wüste sein wird
das dich immer begleiten wird
die ruhige abende
der zug meines lebens
wird beleuchtet vorbei gehen
und du sitzt drin.
und du wirst mich nicht vermissen
weil meine seele
das wüsten lied sein wird
was dich begleitet

Ta Isixa vradia-Lefteris Papadopoulos

Todays news:
42 People are now in Hospitals in a dangerous situation.
At 12 today a Press Conferens will take place in front of the Parliament in Athens , organised from all solidarity groups.