Home | Friday 8th April 2011 | Issue 766
HOUSE DEMOLITION
FURTHER REPRESSION AS MIGRANTS SQUAT IN CALAIS IS DEMOLISHED
A police-escorted bulldozer razed the inside of migrant squat Africa House in Calais last Thursday (31st).
In the early afternoon, large numbers of police descended on the site, home to tens of African migrants since the first Africa House was demolished last June (see SchNEWS 727). They immediately set about evicting the premises to clear the way for the bulldozer. Activists attempted to block the path but were collared by police. Several were arrested before police decided to assume a position behind the barricade.
The bulldozer reduced the inside of the two main buildings to rubble while leaving the structures untouched. The demolition took the people who live in Africa House by surprise and left many without their belongings, including ID and papers.
The authorities stated that the demolition was carried out to stop people accessing the ‘dangerous’ roof. In the past year people have only been injured on the roof in police raids.
Migrants responded by building enormous barricades at the front and back of the site out of the debris and other material, which doubled up as a handy route onto the roof. This didn’t deter the PAF (border police) though, and they launched an early morning raid, arresting ten people.
Harassment by the PAF and the ever-evil CRS continues to be relentless at both the African and Palestinian squats. Activists maintain a watch to warn migrants of police raids with whistles, which has led them into confrontation with police. They are subjected to constant ID checks and have been threatened with arrest if they are found on ‘private property’. One activist who refused to show their ID was cuffed and hauled off to the cop shop.
