On Sunday 21st May, at 3pm, over 20 groups will unite for a mass protest in Falmouth against the Bibby Stockholm. The Bibby is currently in Falmouth harbour being refitted before it leaves for its final destination in Portland, Dorset. Once there, it will detain up to 500 refugees and asylum seekers in rooms smaller than a car parking space as part of the government’s hostile environment policy.
“Many asylum-seekers and people on the move have experienced sea-related trauma on one or multiple occasions. To house them in a floating prison barge risks re-traumatising people who are already vulnerable and deserve our solidarity and support, not hate and hostility.”
Reclaim the Sea
The protest is taking place alongside a demonstration in London at the Home Office. There is also an open letter to Suella Braverman available to sign – produced by Reclaim the Sea and signed by over 50 organisations and nearly 400 individuals which can be found here.
“We are so proud of all the groups coming together to oppose the Bibby Stockholm being refitted in our town, and to say loudly and clearly that Cornwall welcomes refugees. This is what community action looks like and shows we will not be passive while our harbour is being used to facilitate the abuse of those seeking sanctuary on our shores.
Cornwall Resists
“The ship is a floating human rights violation, and we are collectively coming together to refuse to accept the British government’s racist border violence.”
The protest – Resist Border Violence – No Floating Prisons – United Against the Bibby Stockholm – is supported by local groups including Cornwall Resists, Divest Borders Falex, Falmouth and Penryn Welcomes Refugees, Radical Pride, Reclaim the Sea, All Under One Banner, the Bakers’ Union, and Falmouth and Penryn Acorn.
“While the primary responsibility of a Trade Union is to organise and defend their members from exploitation in the workplace, we also have a duty to stand up against injustice in all its forms. This ship is a microcosm of the government’s wider agenda: to stir up xenophobic hate and keep us divided in an attempt to distract us from issues they would rather we not think about.
Cornwall Branch of the Bakers’ Union
“We call on every Trade Union that represents members in Cornwall, and on every Cornish Trade Unionist, to stand with us on Sunday.”
