IndyMedia - Vrij Media Centrum Nederland

Waar: Nieuwmarkt, Nieuwmarkt, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Wanneer: 28/11/2021 - 15:00

We are meeting to protest against human rights violations on the Polish-Belarusian border. We want to express our disagreement with the actions of the authoritarian government of Belarus, which cynically uses refugees from countries such as Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan to put pressure on EU countries.

We also condemn Poland's government response: pushing people who need help back to the border, preventing access to the border to the media and aid organizations by introducing a state of emergency and a closed zone, and against the construction of a wall along the border, the cost of which is EUR 350 million.

In the last 3 months, the situation has reached the state of a humanitarian crisis. Refugees who have sought a safe haven in Europe spend weeks in the forest, when the temperature drops below 0oC, without access to food, water, warm clothes, and medical assistance. They die of hypothermia.
The events on the Polish-Belarusian border are another face of the migration crisis that we know from the tragedy in the Mediterranean Sea. We cannot forget about its roots, which go back to the Arab Spring, the destabilization of the Middle East countries by the broadly understood West - primarily the actions of the USA, but also France and Great Britain. There are droughts and plagues of locusts caused by the climate crisis, which the inhabitants of the Global South mainly face. The inhuman policy of the European Union turns Europe into an armed fortress.

We demand respect for the rights of refugees at all borders of the European Union. We believe that welcoming people in need is not only an expression of our solidarity and responsibility but also the best way to "disarm" Lukashenka's regime, which treats migrants as cannon fodder.
We want to express our solidarity with the Belarusian people, whose tragedy takes place in the background of the current crisis, and remind that Alexander Lukashenko, despite the defeat in the presidential elections, is still usurping power. Causing a crisis on the eastern wall of the EU was a response to the sanctions against Belarus and a way to divert attention from the events inside the country.

We disagree with the Polish government spending millions of euros on solutions to divide, not combine. The planned 5.5 m height wall, which is to run along the Polish-Belarusian border, poses a threat not only to people but also to animals. It will cross the animals paths and will negatively affect the nature of the Białowieża Primeval Forest - one of the oldest and largest fragments of primeval forest in Europe.

A safe border is the one, where no one dies!
Solidarity is our weapon!

SUPPORT
We encourage you to bring your own banners, flags made of space blankets and to support activists from Grupa Granica (@grupagranica) who are helping in the Polish-Belarusian border: https://zrzutka.pl/kk4yh2

SECURITY
If, for any reason, you do not feel safe or comfortable, report to the security service (people wearing reflective vests). We are here to ensure security and de-escalate conflicts. A designated Dutch-speaking person will be responsible for liaising with the police. The manifestation was submitted to Gemeente Amsterdam.
Remember to cover your mouth and keep a safe distance during the manifestation. Disinfect your hands. If you feel under the weather, stay home and accompany us on the live stream. Immunocompromised people are more susceptible to infection.
Let's be responsible. Let's take care of each other!

CONTACT
If you have any questions, you can contact us via Facebook @GreenFlameSolidarity or via email green_flame@riseup.net