Report from No Borders gathering in Newcastle
Tuesday, November 11, 2008


Last weekend, a gathering of No Borders activists was held in Newcastle with groups and individuals from Brighton, Bristol, South Wales, London, Oxford, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow taking part. Altogether, about 50-60 people attended.

Saturday began with report backs from local groups, giving us an impression of the activity of the No Borders network. Opposition against ID cards and the IOM, and actions against deportation airlines and immigration snatch squads, are as much part of the No Borders agenda as is solidarity with detainees, deportees and migrant workers.

The international dimension of the network was stressed when people told of large-scale blockades of a detention centre in Belgium, of Hamburg airport to stop deportations, and of the attempt to dismantle a detention centre in Denmark. No Borders activists have also made connections to campaigners in Northern France to highlight the situation of hundreds of refugees trapped in Calais.

On Sunday, the need to develop No Borders politics was stressed in a discussion on 'who are our allies'. While tactically, and on a local level, coalitions with reformist and traditional left groups could be useful, the network was described as firmly anti-capitalist and anti-authoritarian. A working group was formed to make these ideas available in an easily accessible guide to No Borders politics.

The next gathering is proposed for February/March 2009 in Bristol. www.noborders.org.uk.

Posted byManchester No Borders at 6:45 AM  

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