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Info-Event Guide for the
March For Freedom from Strasbourg to Brussels in May 2014
1st version 10.03.2014

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Dear refugee activists and supporters of the protest march!
This sheet is a guide to empower local political groups and refugee activists to organize themselves in their cities and regions to inform refugees in Lager/Asylheim or supporters and other political groups to join and support the march from Strasbourg to Brussels. It is just a document which can help you to inform but you should not be so strict in following all the parts presented in the following pages. 
It contents until now just preliminary information as we have still many open questions and decisions to be made together with the other groups on our NEXT international meeting 28/29 th of March 2014 in Brussels!! 

1.) The only "rule" to be followed is that you should try to organize info events for two separate target groups. The first one are refugees in Lager and/or refugee activists and the second one are supporters and or refugee activists. As refugee activists are mostly the link between political groups/supporters and refugees in Lager, we counted them as part of both target groups. We - the action and mobilization group of the protest march which consists of both refugee activists and supporters - thought that to have separate info events would allow a more transparent provision of information, discussion and deeper politization of both target groups. It would also prevent the domination by supporters. This does not mean that refugees should not be part of the info events for supporters and vice versa but be aware of domination besides supporters during the discussion and exchange of ideas and experiences!
In any kind of info event refugee activists should have the appropriate space to speak for themselves and present the key info about our action and the political reasons!! to create trust and transparency to let persons concerned speak for themselves was, is and always will be the strength of our mobilization for the rights of refugees!

2.) If you are having an info event either for refugees or for supporters you should be aware that there are enough of our different kinds of flyers, posters and all this in different languages (http://freedomnotfrontex.noblogs.org/). Also please organize translation for the events! You can use this guide as a frame for the event but feel free to present the demands and the reasons why to march to Brussels as you think is the best. It is also good to have technical equipment to show empowering pictures and movies, music to the audience. Please always have a big or digital version of the route of the protest march with you in order to present the way to Brussels better to the audience.

3.) The input at the info events about the actions and infrastructure of the march should be simple (!) and short (!). Although EU politics and law is very difficult and although there is a lot to be organized you should be careful of not talking too much about organizational and acadermic stuff regarding the EU. We are proposing four thematic blocks. The reason for that is to empower the audience to be part of the presentation and to feel free to give input by itself. So the event should not be marked by  the very same individuals talking and talking for hours until everyone is either gone or just wasted of too much input. So leave enough time for questions and ideas! Keep the audience vivid!   
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			Good luck and see you soon on the other side of the border!!

					
1. Introduction / Presentation

Who are we?
We are asylum seekers, refugees, undocumented migrants, migrants from many European countries, we are Europeans with a "migration background", we are all those who have no full priviledge of citizenship, but also citizens who share a common anger against the racist EU migration policy
We are part of a eurpeanwide network of refugee movmements and antiracist struggles that are organizing the protest march to Brussels together. We are as well connected to struggles outside of the EU - but we need more networking!
Why are we protesting? 
We decided to organize a European caravan which will go from the largest number of European countries towards Brussels (Belgium), where the European institutions are settled. Showing that we don't respect the borders they impose us, holding us prisonners of the states borders and in the lagers, we will exercise our basic right of freedom of movement and adress our demands directly where the decisions come from. 
The protestmarch will start at the 19th of May 2014 in Strasbourg and we will march 4 weeks to Brussels. We will arrive in Brussels on the 21st of june. 
On the 26th of june there will be a summit of the European Cuncil (head of the states and goverments from all member states) where they will discuss migration and asylum law! We will organize an action week against this summit from the 22nd of june leading to the summit.  
European Parliament Elections will be held between the 22nd and 25th of May, rise of right wing parties and racist attacks and it is expected that far right parties will take over most of the seats (France: National Front; NL: Party of Freedom, AUT: Liberal Party FPÖ). These parties will also influence the elections with antimigratory propaganda. They will also be represented in the summit end of june.
Germany will have 96 candidates/ seats in the EU-parliament, all in all 28 member states are represented
special info for supporters:
EU is propagating to be transparent and democratic. This propaganda denies the inhumane living realities of refugees all over Europe. We will have personal reports of those people who are affected by racist and colonialist laws. 
Our privileges : reproduction of exploitation, racist structures and status 
elections: only citizens can vote, propaganda for more citizens rights vs. Refugees whose basic and human rights do not exist here. 
Refugee activists should also include the EU politics in their countries (exploitation, dictatorships supported by EU, collaboration for deportations, effect of neocolonializm in their countries...)
extra info for the audience: you can use this point if there are questions regarding the conclusions from the summit on December 19. and 20th, 2013 after the catastrophe at Lampedusa (quote: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/140245.pdf):
IV. MIGRATION Flows
41. ...Primarily an enhanced dialogue with third countries should be done to prevent migrants on dangerous routes in the European Union try to enter. Information campaigns, regional protection programs ,
Mobility partnerships and an effective return policy are important components of
this comprehensive approach... The European Council calls for a strengthening of border surveillance operations of FRONTEX and measures to combat smuggling and trafficking as well as to ensure adequate solidarity towards all Member States with high migration pressure. 

42. The European Council invites the Council of the EU (it consists of all the governments and its presidency changes every 6 months so that every member state can guide) to watch the implementation of measures. The Eurpean Council will meet in 26/27 June 2014 for migration and asylum issues in a broader and more long
term based political perspective when strategic guidelines for further legislative and operational planning within the area of ??freedom , security and law will be established. The Commission is invited to the Council prior to this meeting on the implementation of the actions outlined in its Communication to report . 


What can we reach? Or have reached so far?
Demands:
Freedom of movement and of residence for all asylum seekers
Stop the Dublin trap and the obligatory residence in Lagers throughout Europe
Permanent documents without criteria (not depending on working contracts or individual state prosecution) 
Stop the imprisonment and deportation of migrants
Same working conditions for all
Same political, social and cultural rights for all : right to study and to work
Stop the European imperialist policies : no more free trade treaties and NATO 
Abolish Frontex, Eurosur and other anti-migration policies and measures

2. What are we fighting against?

Why people are becoming refugees or are forced to leave their countries?
CAPITALISM: Colonisation, exploitation of the resources of the South through free trade agreements between the EU and other countries/regions like Africa, Asia, Middle East or Latin America, NATO wars and weapon trade 

What is the situation of refugees in Europe?
Dublin II/ III, Residenzpflicht, fingerprints: both systems exist to control refugees and to finaly put them into detention centers to deport them back. Aim is to impede refugees to reach the EU and a safe life. FRONTEX, Eurosur, interpol: Frontex and Eurosur are an agency that cooperate with the local police or european police netork (Interpol), military and secret services to persecute refugees who want to enter Europe or who are moving within Europe. The aim is deportation or killing of refugees. 

European migration policies :
For example Lampedusa: Policy of EU is not about how to solve the problems of fleeing or killings on the way to Europe but rather to strengthen the control and shut down of the borders for people outside of the EU (Frontex, Eurosur, Walls at the borders in Greece and Bulgaria). The EU is as well creating different categories such as political/economic refugees, refugees without documents, refugees with a Duldung/"suspended deportation", refugees with a humanitrian visa etc..we are all against this division of different status that is covering the reasons why we all have to flee.   

The EU is strongly and violently criminalizing migrants. The EU law is aiming at further militarizing of the border control through the cooperation with Frontex. All the policing institutions of the member states are cooperatiing with eachothers (Frontex, Eurosur, national police, Inrepol) and the data is being exchanged between the member states and Frontex and Eurosur (Schengen Information System). 
The consequence for refugees is that their basic and human rights are denied when they manage to enter the EU. They are kept in detention centers to be deported back, they are victims of police violence, they are isolated from society due to the Lagersystem as in Germany and Netherlands. This all has physical and as well psychological consequences for the individuals


Therefore the problems of refugees are not only existing in Germany but are part of a Europeanwide racist strategy ! This is why we want to have a strong international network and solidarity! QUESTIONS WELCOME !

3. How do we want to fight?

Basic infrastructural info ; see flyer "call for support" for supporters and groups (http://freedomnotfrontex.noblogs.org/material-2/)

How people can join our departures? SEE MAP: 
	Local groups should collect money for travel costs for refugees to join the 	actions during the march and in Brussels or when the want to join the march 	itself. As well you should try to organize the return from Brussels to Germany.

Everyone is welcome to join our working groups!! Create your own local working groups and link them with ours. Until now we have the infrastructure/finance group, action/mobilization group, theater group, media group, legal support group


Where and When :

You can join us (but this all still has to be discussed in our next international meeting end of march in Brussels!!) :
in Berlin before the march to help the preparation : before the March, we meet every sunday at 3pm in the room next to Kaffee Kotti, on Kottbusser tor, in Kreuzberg, PHONE CONTACT (have to be published still!!)

The departure of the Berlin group should take place on the 17th of may at Alexanderplatz, 

on the 18th we will be in Freiburg and we will cross the first border together at Kehl on the 18th?

Then we join all the other European groups in Strasbourg on the 19th of may (?) or at the border of Belgium

We will have strategic point of the rout where we will organize action as some cities are relevant in terms of EU policies. For ex: Strasbourg, Luxemburg etc. It would be very important to have many people who join the action there to be stronger and more visible. As well it would also be necessary that at any border crossing we have a lot of people joining the border crossing with us. This will be our main symbolic act of civil disobedience and for the freedom of movement for everyone!

Anytime on the road you can join, but you should organize transport to the cities we cross. Route : http://freedomnotfrontex.noblogs.org/route/

Sleeping: we will sleep in simple tents, with isolation mattresses and sleeping backs. If you have this things, please bring them with you! We will have cars for transportation of your luggage.
Food: we bring our own kitchen team who will cook for us every day (without meat)

Kids: are very welcome at the march!! We will have an extra tent for playing and hang around. There will be people doing child care every day! Kids can use our transport to not walk long distances if they don't want to

Communication: we can hold meetings to communicate and get to know each other, we will have people able to translate from many different languages

Medical support: we will take basic medicine with us and we try to find people who are professional with this to join the march. If you have a serious health problem during the march, we will support you!

Costs: we are happy about donations but you can take part without any paying, if you don't have enough money!!
	"Protest March For Freedom", KNr: 106028977, BLZ: 17092404, 	Volksbank 	Fürstenwalde IBAN: DE23 1709 2404 0106 0289 77 , BIC: 	GENODEF1FW1

  4. How we can deal with problems /
  provide a minimum SECURITY? 


we are organizing a public political march with a lot of media on our side. This would offer us as well security. For other international protest marches of refugees this was enough to proof this action as political and claim free movement for to cross the border. This was working out for the
not only refugees are marching but also citizens will join which will provide as well security
we already organized protestmarches and faced repression (in ex.:http://www.afrique-europe-interact.net, http://marche-europeene-des-san-papiers.blogspot.de, http://asylstrikeberlin.wordpress.com, http://refugeestruggle.org/de,). We should at this point share the exsperience of repression regarding people having no safe residence status!
 We are going to inform responsible politicians of the regions and citites we pass as well of the European parliament
we have a list of lawyers that can also write letteres for authorities
legal support group: it will care for the repression casses while the march continues
How to cross borders?
What to do when people are arrested?
What when police tries to stop the march?
An awareness group on the march ( How to deal with problems within the group) 
The legal support group will as well publish a flyer together with lawyers regarding repression against refugees and the rights for political participation.
still it is a political action against eurpean authorities, so it must be clear that there are still risks existing even if we try to minimize them. It depends on the decisiveness of individuals if the want to join or not

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open questions
maybe: movies, empowering pictures