Protesters in King’s Cross attempted to stop asylum seekers being moved

PROTESTERS surrounded an immigration van to try to stop asylum seekers in King’s Cross being moved to the Bibby Stockholm ship.

Migrants were due to be taken from a hostel to the infamous floating Home Office accommodation in Dorset, which campaigners have dubbed a “prison ship”.

Protesters were concerned the move would cut people off from their connections and support networks that they had built up in the community. Last year deadly Legionella bacteria was found on the Bibby Stockholm and in December a 27-year-old Albanian man killed himself while onboard.

The migrants in Camden were staying in a backpacker hostel. It was not clear why they were being taken to the Bibby Stockholm. Some campaigners feared it could lead to deportation to Rwanda.

On Thursday morning, a van showed up to take people to the ship. Protestors linked arms and wrapped themselves around the vehicle.

Two asylum seekers agreed to go “voluntarily” and the van left empty. A further two people left with enforcement on Friday.

While not all the moves were stopped, it was a smaller number of people than originally planned, according to the protesters.

Anna, from the civil rights organisation Movement for Justice by Any Means Necessary, attended the “removals” in Camden and Elephant and Castle last week.

She said: “This is a racist policy. This barge should have been shut down and we’re still in the fight to shut it down. We want to end all the removals and deportations, and this really racist and inhuman plan to deport people to Rwanda.

“It’s heartbreaking when we see the full force of this police state, people being taken and the way the police are prepared to really violently push people here as we are chanting ‘refugees are welcome here’.
She said there was no doubt the residents were grateful and in Elephant and Castle they stood around protesters and some of them filmed. “In a sense they wanted to make sure we were fine as we were putting ourselves on the line.”

In Camden, residents had bought some protesters snacks to say thank you.

Anna added: “They were at the windows making love heart signs… and with their thumbs up. So it’s that deep connection because we are all fighting for human rights. So yeah, it’s powerful.”

The protests followed a successful demo in Peckham where hundreds of people stopped a coach from taking people to the ship.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “We will continue to remove those with no right to be here.

“No amount of chanting, drum banging or tyre-slashing by a noisy few will prevent us doing what is necessary to deliver the firm but fair approach that the British people expect.”

In Elephant and Castle, 10 people blocking a van were arrested and five people were removed from the hostel for the Bibby Stockholm.

You can watch our video of the protest on our politics YouTube channel, Peeps. See it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9km_qsuITM