In the last two weeks the police have been showing off  their power in the University of  ASOEE. Everyday, all kinds of cops stand around the university in order to frighten us and to make us stop selling on the pavement in front of ASOEE. As the municipal elections are approaching, the candidates are trying to prove who will be the most effective in restoring the order in the centre of Athens, who will be stricter towards us, the immigrants, against the students who stand everyday next to us.

When we left our countries, we believed that we would at least continue to live free. But we lost our liberty, since we arrived in Greece, even if coming in Greece meant that we would risk losing our lives at sea, like those who were drown in Farmakonisi or, not long ago, in Mitilini. So when we arrived here, we found ourselves in a kind of prison, a prison without walls. By using racist and outdated laws they don’t let us work. The cops, the fascists and racists hunt us in the streets. And it’s not only around Asoee. It’s also Monastiraki, Thissio, Omonoia, in all our neighborhoods.  We live everyday under the threat of imprisonment either in a police station or in a detention centre. They say lies about us using racist campaigns of misinformation. According to the media, we are thieves, murderers, carriers of diseases.

And now, by using these constant police operations outside the university, they forbid us to sell on the street, which is the only way for us to survive. This is the only way to earn some money, to pay our rent, the bills for water and electricity and to pay our food. What we want is to be able to live with dignity by our own labour.

If without having official identities we can’t work, we can’t go outside our homes, we can’t be incorporated, we can’t have medical care, why don’t they just burn us alive?

We are not thieves, murderers, rapists. We hear everywhere that the “third world” countries are not civilized. However, in these countries, we don’t see this hatred against foreigners, not so many detention centers, not so many border fences, not so many drowned by naval police. Greece seems to be one of the last countries that doesn’t understand that we, the immigrants, are not a problem. We want a world without discrimination, injustice, racism, rich or poor. We, who live everyday by struggling against the police brutality, against the violence of our oppressors, who struggle to survive, are not the problem. But we can become their problem.

 Cops, stay away

Police everywhere – Justice nowhere

Communities of struggle of locals and immigrants in ASOEE and everywhere

Assembly of immigrants and solidarians of ASOEE

http://immigrants-asoee.espivblogs.net

every Thursday at 20:00