A report from a demonstration to free the Harmondsworth 4 - four men who are standing trial in London, England for allegedly taking part in a riot in a migrant detention center.
Produced for Indie Global Reports on Resonance FM in London (104.4FM), and CKUT Radio in Montreal (90.3FM) by Aaron Lakoff
contact - aaron (at) resist.ca
In November, 2006, a riot broke out at the Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Center (IRC) near Heathrow airport, just outside of London, England. People on the inside allegedly started fires and smashed security cameras in Harmondsworth, which is owned by a private company, Kalyx. Reports indicate that the riot started after guards prevented the detainees from watching a damning TV news report about conditions inside the center, which is notorious for having aggressive and racist personnel.
Now, just over a year later, 4 men are standing trial at the Southwark Crown Court in London for charges of criminal damage and conspiracy to commit criminal damage in relation to the events at Harmondsworth in 2006. The trial got underway on January 14, and a coalition of groups known as the "Free the Harmondsworth 4" campaign has been formed to raise support for the defendants.
I attended one of the court hearings, and the demonstration outside, and spoke with numerous people involved in the case. Many are saying that the riot at Harmondsworth is shedding light on the brutal conditions of the IRC system in the UK.
For more information, see: noborders.org.uk indymedia.org.uk aaron.resist.ca
![<?php echo $config['site_title']; ?>](/static/images/rp-navimg.gif)
![Support the <?php echo $config['site_title']; ?>](/static/images/support.png)
