The migrants at Calais are getting a lot of publicity from our babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media, but never is that publicity the human face of ordinary people. We are exposed to pictures of primitive conditions in "the jungle", shadowy figures scurrying about in the dark, trying to get a free ride on a truck, or breaking through fences. No attempt is made to show them as ordinary people like you and I, they "swarm", according to Bullingdon boy Cameron, they are an inconvenience to our businesses, they cause delays to our travel. Never are they people fleeing deprivation, war and brutality, trying get a decent life for themselves and their families. Never are they ordinary people fleeing the cauldron of chaos and savagery spawned by the foreign policy of Western imperialism in their home region. Heaven forbid that they should ever be seen as desperate human beings in need of help.
One more death last night (28/29 July) at the border. Another killed, a Sudanese man, run over by a truck. Now 11 lives taken since 1st June.
The English press complains about these “accidents” causing traffic jams in Kent. Words fail. Below we repost two new articles from Calais Migrant Solidarity on the current situation at the border.
But first, because even amidst so much death there is also life, here are links to some videos made in the last weeks of people playing music. One is from the Syrian camp in the town centre on 18 July, the other two of Sudanese musicians singing with the “SOAS Arabic Music Band” at a concert held in Le Channel, the main Calais music venue, on 30 May. That was a couple of days before the riot police evicted the Fort Galloo squat then mainly occupied by Sudanese people. Thanks to the Syrian and Sudanese musicians, and the Calais-visiting musical and artistic people from SOAS.
