Catalan and Spanish people will go on a 48-hour hunger strike from Friday to Sunday at 9pm in three Barcelona churches and one in Cornella, to support immigrant people’s rights to stay and earn a living.  Churches in Valencia and elsewhere are expected to join in.  The action is organised by Eje de inmigración de la Campaña contra la Europa del capital y la guerra (Core group of the Campaign against a Europe of capital and war).

Last year over 700 immigrants in five cities across Spain held sit-ins and hunger strikes and won papers for many.  Participants come from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America.  Their spokesperson, a woman of colour from Ecuador, stressed in her speech at the Global Women’s Strike that much of the organising and support work is done by women, immigrant and native.

To support this weekend’s action, we are calling a lightning picket of the Spanish Embassies in London and Ireland.  Spain has the presidency of the European Union at the moment, and this is an opportunity to protest against how European governments are using immigrant people as scapegoats and implementing the Nazi policies of those like Le Pen whom they pretend to abhor.  While Blair considers using the military for mass deportations, and “aid” to coerce impoverished countries to take back their nationals, a new repressive Bill is now before Parliament.

Come along, invite your friends and networks, or send a message of support to Eje de inmigración de la Campaña contra la Europa del capital y la guerra (Core group of the Campaign against a Europe of capital and war) in Barcelona via email: yoayuno2002@yahoo.es, fax: 00 34 93441 0206 or phone: 00 34 93441 9009. 

You can also phone/email the Spanish Embassy:
Tel: 0207 235 5555; Fax 0207 235 9905; email: consejeria.uk@correo.mec.es