Solidarity March — we stand together!
We are not criminals.
We are volunteers who care. We provide food, water, wifi, power, firewood, and clothing to refugees; the basics for survival. Yet, we are threatened with prosecution by the authorities just for providing humanitarian aid to people on the edge of society. We stand with them. Solidarity is not a crime.
Today is the day that the Solidarity March begins.
This is a protest of the criminalisation of volunteers who give their time and energy in order to help those in need. This is a call to the authorities in our countries to allow refugees to claim asylum and to follow international laws of Human Rights. For people seeking refuge all over the world, we stand with you!
A group of volunteers and supporters are marching from Ventimiglia in Italy, all the way through the Franco-Italian border, the French riviera, the beautiful countryside, and eventually up to London. At the first stage of the march that started this morning, there are 107 people walking through the mountains near Ventimiglia, showing their support and pride in this important act. Along the way, the group will stop in 60 towns and cities including Marseilles, Lyon, and Paris. There, they will give talks explaining the reasons behind the march and the current refugee crisis in Calais and around the world, and local associations will be providing discussions, films, and concerts.
L’Auberge des Migrants has organised this long march alongside la Roya Citoyenne, and many other associations, both local to France and internationally, that assist in the providing of humanitarian aid to refugees. It is a united march and an opportunity for us to come together and bond over our shared passion for giving people the human rights that we as people with papers so often take for granted. Symbolic of the difficult journey the refugees themselves make, it will be a chance for many to meet French locals, to educate and expose the ineffective and inhumane treatment of refugees by the authorities in France.
The conditions in Calais and Dunkirk are grim. There is no permanent housing for refugees, and the authorities remove tents, sleeping bags, blankets, and personal belongings on a daily basis. Violence and tear gas attacks are regular occurrences. If you disagree with this blatant disregard of human rights, please come and support us on the march. You can come and walk for a day or two, for several weeks, or come to one of the cities hosting events. The final two legs will be from Grande-Synthe to Calais, and then onto London. Please come and show your support as we stand with refugees and volunteers to say: we are not criminals!
By registering and coming along for some or all of the walk, you will get food and accommodation provided, and get to meet some amazing people all with a common goal. Please click here to register https://www.laubergedesmigrants.fr/fr/la-marche-citoyenne/
L’Auberge des Migrants works alongside many other associations in Calais and Dunkirk to provide humanitarian aid. Click here to donate:
