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World,Dead of Ceuta Impressions from Berlin (and Tanger)‏ Morocco

Hello,

with this e-mail we want to shortly look back at the action days in Berlin on the occasion of the first anniversary of the dead of Ceuta (6 - 8th of february 2015.) In principle the activities have been a big success, especially what the composition of the participants is concernd: 50 activists participated alone from Paris  - in addition there have been people from Marocco, Spain, Italy, Poland etc participating - apart from bigger groups from Gernany (among other places from Bielefeld, Hanau and Brandenburg.) This means concretely: The "International Coalition of Sans Papiers and Migrants'/CISPM (https://cispmberlin.wordpress.com/) which emerged from the march from Strassbourg to Bruxelles could stabilize itself by the action days; therefor further common respective coodinated actions have been planned - among others on the 21th of march and the 22 of may against Frontex. 
Here you can find a video and pictures from the commemorative march: 




On the other hand is has been deplorable that certain groups have not participated in the action days at all due to different conflicts in the forefront of the action days. In our eyes it is more than normal that there are conflicts in social movements. What we do not find normal is that  this leads to something such as a political boycott. This has been especially drastic at the impressive manifestation, in which more particpants from other cities have been participating than from the million metropolis Berlin. Another challenge is still the question of language: Although the meeting took place with french-english translation it was quite noticeable, that french was the language most spoken. This shows that we still have to pay a lot of attention to the question of translation in transnational organisatzion proceeses. 
Finally we want to hint at the fact that directly after the action days there has been massive repression in Marocco: Alone in the forests of Nador supposedly 1000 migrants have been arrested; many of them shall now be deported in their countries of origin. It is difficult to say to what extent our protests against Spain and Marocco (and against the EU as a whole) have played a role. But is shows that we should stay on the ball.... 
Two last information: a) On the occasion of the anniversary there has been also a commemorative action in Dakar, at which Alassane Dicko (Association of deportees of Mali) from Bamako reported via skype on the activities in Europe. b) Apart from Berlin further activities have taken place as well, amongst others in Düsseldorf and Morocco. A report about the activities in Tanger is already available. You find it at the end of this mail.

Thanks to all who have supported the action - be it by preparation or participation or by other means !!!

NoLager Bremen (activ in the context of Afrique-Europe-Interact)


P.S. Report from Tanger

Transnational Action Day: Stop the War Against Migrants! On the 6th of February 2015 in Tanger, Morocco, as well as in different european countries, people were gathering to give a sign against the murderous border politics of the EU. conmemoration events take place in London, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Madrid, Barcelona and Tanger to remember the 15 people that have been killed by the spanish border police (Guardia Civil) exactly one year ago on the fence. For this reason more than 80 people come together in Tanger to lament the deaths of their comrades, amongst them many migrants who survived the attack of the Guardia Civil. "This is just the beginning!" says Franck, the first speaker, resolutely into the microfone. "White and Black people here in Morocco as well as in Europe organize common actions and say No! to a politic that generates/produces war."
"Morocco is a country at the fences, which keep people from practicing their right of freedom of movement", says Christian, "the inhuman killing where people shoot on other people with teargas has to end." 5 people, who survived these teargas- and rubberbullet-attacks speak out about the inhuman reality. A young man from Cameroun testifies what he experienced: "The evening before the atmosphere in the forest of Casiago was good, we were dancing and singing. A young man called his mother on the telephone. The next time he would call her from Spain, he said. Another man was talking to his wife on phone and spoke with his child. He told him that his father would arrive in Spain tomorrow, that he would sit in a comedor eating chicken."

"At three a clock in the morning we prayed together. At around Four a clock we were on the way to the border. We were many people, 300 persons in my group. The morrocan police was behind us. We arrived at the beach. Swimming we tried to reach the spanish enclave Ceuta.The Guardia Civil 
surrounded, blocked and shot on us. The first bullet, the second, third, it did not stop. Nobody could defend themself in this moment. Next to me there was a man with his face in the water and I asked myself at first how he could swimm like this. Like this. Then I realized that he was dead. More than one hundred deaths - they are hiding the truth. I want Europe to be concious of what is happening here", demands another witness.

The atmosphere is full of sadness but also full of determenation: "It feels good to know we are not alone!" says the young man from Cameroun and starts singing a selfcomposed song to commemorate the victims of this massacre. It is an emotional/moving moment. The optimism predominates: "We are here to organize ourselves!". There is a vivid exchange of ideas. During the common lunch there are plenty of conversations and many contacts are shared. Pictures of the border and the fences are exposed in the meeting room. In the evening a ceremony in commemoration of all the deaths at the borders takes place in the catholic church. The migrants choir calms the tention of these events. At the end of the day, friends prepare delicious senegalese food. Finally everybody says good-bye to eachother: Tired but full of hope.