Protest at Home Office supports deported SOAS cleaners
A demonstration outside the Home Office in Marsham St called for an end to the hounding of migrant workers by the Borders Police and for the release of Marina Silva, the SOAS cleaner still held in Yarl's Wood, as well as the return of those already forcibly deported. The demonstration, called by trade unions and students from SOAS, made clear the opposition of all to the heavy-handed action of the Borders Police, and to the denial of justice to those seized in raids such as the one at the SOAS. The Borders Police were called in by cleaning contractors ISS to a staff meeting, but similar early morning raids, with refusal of trade union or legal representation, take place in homes around the country. The action of ISS was essentially directed not against individual cleaners but as a reprisal against all the staff they employ who have stood up for their rights through union organisation and in particular the London living wage campaign. The unions and students at SOAS have called for cleaning to be taken back in-house and for a policy of non-cooperation between university management and immigration police. The demonstration, attended by well over 50 people, including some of the remaining cleaners, was addressed by a number of representatives, and was able to talk to someone inside Yarl's Wood close to Marina on a mobile phone.
Size: 5040px × 3354px
Location: Marsham St, London, England, UK
Photo credit: © Peter Marshall / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: activity, agency, banner, borders, cleaners, deportation, detention, equality, forcible, home, immigrants, intimidation, london, migrant, office, organisation, pcs, racism, raids, soas, speaker, trade, union, unionisation, unions, unison, victimisation, woman, workers
