INVITATION TO PROTEST INITIATIVE AGAINST THE RACIST POLICE CONTROL AND
BRUTALITY, INTIMIDATIONS AND THE PERSECUTIONS OF REFUGEES!

The VOICE Refugee Forum Jena, on behalf of the support groups of the Caravan
for the Rights of Refugees and the anti-racist camp in Germany met in Bremen
on the 1st and 2nd February to highlight the inhumane treatment of refugees
in Jena by the German police.

Activists in refugee groups and other organisations agreed to initiate a
campaign on anti-repression-of-refugees-network that works against racist
controls of police intimidation and violence with direct links to the racist
residenzpflicht control and the racist persecution of refugees by the state.

In the last years in Jena and in Thüringen the police officers have not only
conducted indiscriminately racist and rootless controls of refugees on the
bases of skin colours under the pretence of "drug search victimisation"
but also for the accusation of Residenzpflicht violation.

These daily intimidating and inhumane controls are based on the residence
obligation law "Residenzpflichtgesetz", article 56 of the
foreigners" law, that justifies the racist police controls  and persecutions
by law
for the "apartheid"-like restriction of refugees to their local districts
without a regular permission from the foreign office for whatever reason to
leave their districts.

The refugees are not only faced with racist assaults by the police officers
and the private security agencies for refugees without impunity; they
are often intimidated and brutalised by the police officers without
protection and protest, instead the complaints of the victims are minimized
by or with
the support of the state judiciary, the pro-state instititutions and NGOs.

For the discussions we propose the follwing topics:
- Racist controls, assaults and persecutions of refugees by the German
police
- Drug dealing and Residenzpflicht as motivation for racist intimidation and
violence by the police.
- Hand in Hand conspiracy between the police, state officials,the
neo-fascist and racists in Germany
- The perspectives of an antirepression network campaign against police
racist control

The aims of the network in our opinion cannot only depend on the  sending
out of protest declarations but also on establishing  a network of
presswork,
publicity, spread of information, including how to get competent and
political
lawyers with focus on human rights and how to deal with court cases and the
monitoring of police abuses and their structures by  networking with other
groups like Rote Hilfe but also  amnesty international, Pro Asyl and
antiracist
unions. We should also be able to offer support and information to refugees
on  their rights to question police control without fear of intimidatoion.

To project consistent campaigns, seminars and other public events that can
develope enough space for the protest of the victims against racist police
control and for the political and financial support for their protest and
court
process.

To improve the chances of connecting the campaigns to existing and future
antiracist initiatives in Germany.

Political refugee activists, victims of the police racist control, violence
and state racist persecution will participate in the protest rally and the
podium discussion on the 21st of  March 2003 in Jena against racism and
police
violence with focus on the police brutality of Cornelius Yufanyi, a human
rights activist and member of The VOICE  Forum that will be organised by
Thueringen antiracist network; DGB Thueringen, Thueringen Refugee Council,
JG, LAG,
ABAD, KOKONT The VOICE Refugee Forum Jena. and Ausländerbeirat.

On the 22nd to 23rd  March 2003 there will be a nationwide meeting with
conference and workshops on Racist control and police violence with support
of
the The Caravan for the rights of refugees and migrants, No Border
antiracist
camp and Flüchtlingsinitiative Brandenburg representatives.

Invitatation will be extended to the network of groups and organisations
from PRO Asyl- Refugee Councils, Kein Mensch ist illegal, Opfer perspectives
and
Antira/Antifa groups the for participation and support.

All people of good will are invited to take part in this challenging events
for the protection of refugees and organizations for the defence of human
rights.

We call on those interested to participate with in the regional and
nationwide events with us on the 21to 23 March 2003 to send email to:
[log in to unmask]

Solidarity and campaigns of refugees need financial and political support:

Donate to the The VOICE Refugee Forum; Account: Osaren Igbinoba, Postbank
Leipzig: Kto-Nr: 0231633905  BLZ: 860 100 90 Key word "refugeenet"

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