Kompass – AntiRa – Newsletter Nr. 63, October 2017

+++ We`ll Come United-Parade - that was our day +++ Whistle of Legalization - Speech from Osnabrück about the Struggle against Dublin +++ Starting at 1.10.: Info-Tour with Guests from Kongo and Mali +++ 3.10. in Freiburg: The Walls have to go +++ 6.-8.10. in Leipzig: Selfdetermined and in Solidarity - Conference on Migration, Development, Ecological Crisis +++ Alarm Phone Report: Deterrence no matter what… +++ Sea Watch 1 in the Aegean and Moonbird in further Rescue Operations in the Central Med +++ 4./5.11. in Berlin: How to continue with We`ll Come United +++ Manu Chau Song for the Best Hotel of Europe/City Plaza Athens +++ Reviews: Rome: Demonstration against Evictions; Tunis: Successful Alarm Phone Conference +++ Outlook: Traveling Exhibition „Yallah?! Across the Balkanroute“ +++

Dear Friends!

When the march started, the atmosphere was immediately thrilling. Moreover full sunshine: perfect weather for a parade! We`ll Come United! Thousands participated in this particular, perhaps even unique composition in Berlin in a loud and colourful demonstration for freedom of movement and equal rights.

16th of September, 1 p.m.: In front of the interior minister the long list of killed people by the border regime is rolled out. Speeches about the struggles against the death at sea and against deportations are given. Then the parade starts with 20 trucks: Selforganized refugees against Dublin-deportations, activists from sea rescue organizations, the „Bleibistan“ (Right to stay)-block against the deportations to Afghanistan, the network of Solidarity Cities, the pickup of the Oromos, the CommUnity Carneval, the former inhabitants of City Plaza Athens, the Welcome-initiatives from Berlin and many many more. Around the creatively decorated vans with their respective own programs the atmosphere is enthusiastic, the concept of the theme-trucks worked perfectly out. The „new civil rights movement“ presented itself with strong contents and concrete practices in its whole multiplicity.

Yes, we have not been the 10.000, which we hoped for. Instead about 6000 to 7500 people participated. It remains characteristical, that not a small part of the (old) left still is not appreciating the continuous struggles of migration. At least not enough to move themselves to such a manifestation of daily struggles. And for a lot of (new) active people from welcome-groups our approach might have been too radical and the distance to the capital too far from their local initiatives. We have to evaluate these problems.

With a 5-digit mobilization the political visibility and the attention in medias would have been better. But the dominant spirit of this time is anyway different. Almost 13% for the exposed racists of AfD (the party „Alternative for Germany“ in the general elections) is a bitter result. A socalled Jamaika-coalition (from the conservative, liberal and green party) might be the next government? In which we can expect an even more repressive policy on migration and the marginalization of the vestigial part of refugee-solidarity inside the green party?

The polarization inside the society foreseeable will get worse. Thus for our pole, for the internal structure of the antiracist movement, the successful parade in Berlin was even more important. „In our feeling we have been the 10.000“, several activists described in such a way the phantastic atmosphere. For the most of the involved refugees and migrants it was the biggest demonstration, which they have experienced in Germany. It was empowerment in its best. And an appropriate manifestation to keep vivid - on its 2nd anniversary - the historical break-through on the Balkanroute in our collective memory.

Finally everybody agreed: it was one of our best demonstrations within last years, it was worth the efforts and it encouraged all of us for the further daily resistance, locally and transnationally. Insofar the „Get-Together-alliance“ (as the organizing network of We`ll Come United) hopefully will continue with next mobilizations, when it will meet again for an evaluation in November.

In solidarity,

the Kompass-Crew

P.S.: The PDF-version includes some impressive photos from the parade, and we also recommend the photo documentation from Umbruch:

http://www.umbruch-bildarchiv.de/bildarchiv/foto3/160917welcome_united/index.htm

And in the next chapter you find - exemplary for the parade - a short description about the Dublin-truck including the respective speech. More reports will follow for sure soon on http://www.welcome-united.org