No One is Illegal! Two demonstrations in the Southside
Southside community leaders organise two demonstrations against the UK Government's proposed 'Nationality and Borders Bill'
Poster for the event
By Jack Howse
On January 5th, the ‘Nationality and Borders Bill’ was passed through the House of Commons. The bill, which will now going through the House of Lords, has been widely condemned as a brutal intensification of the already hostile measures against asylum seekers in this country.
Two demonstrations against the bill will take place in the Southside on Saturday 22nd and Saturday 29th January, close to Kenmure Street when community stood up against Home Office deportations last year.
The bill will allow the government to be able to strip people of their citizenship and not need to tell them. It would mean that only those who enter the country via “legal” routes would have the right to claim asylum; yet less than one percent of refugees arrive through these routes as detailed here.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has said that bill will: “undermine, not promote, the government’s stated goal of improving protection for those at risk of persecution”.
In wake of the bill, a new group called Glasgow Southside Against the Racist Nationality was set up. They have organised a ‘Gathering of Resistance’ event for Saturday 22nd at 2pm at Maxwell Square Park and have stated:
“The mass community response on Kenmure Street, Pollokshields, in May 2021 stopped a Home Office dawn raid removing two of our neighbours and showed what can be achieved when communities come togehter to resist racist policies. Join us now in calling for the Borders bill to be scrapped and the rapid expansion of safe legal routes to claim asylum. We all belong.
Fatima Uygun, one of the organisers and also Trust manager at Govanhill Baths, told Greater Govanhill “There will be stalls at the 22 Jan event from anti-racist and pro-migrant groups, The Bowling Green will be providing food and local schools will help with gazebos”.
A second event on the 29th January will see a march from The Bowling Green on Kenmure Street to George Square
For more information on the event on the 22nd, click here and for the march on the 29th, click here.