Over 40 days • across
races & languages • mothers defend families • many released •
deportations halted
7-9pm, Tues 29 JUNE 2010,
Committee Room 8
Hosted by John McDonnell,
MP
House of Commons, London SW1
Westminster
On 5 February, over 70 women began a hunger strike in Yarl's
Wood IRC. Their demands included an end to:
- the detention of mothers separated from their children and
vulnerable people, including rape survivors;
- the Fast Track for asylum seekers which denies people time
to present their cases to the authorities;
- violent and humiliating treatment by guards
- denial of legal advice and medical treatment
The official response was to 'kettle' women, deny them access to
water and toilets, target, assault and imprison particular women
and deny there was a hunger strike. The women continued
undeterred for six weeks.
Women central to the hunger strike
will speak of the huge impact it had and how women: organised the
strike across divides of race and language • fought legal cases to
prevent deportations and get out on bail • countered lies, threats
and attempts to undermine their struggle • won crucial publicity,
support and recognition that they are not "bogus" asylum seekers
but survivors of rape and other torture and mothers distraught at
being separated from their children.
