The Wednesday Vigil has returned!
Due to a major policy change by the Home Office, and an apparent "deal" done in Zimbabwe, between the British Embassy and the Zanu PF ruling party - a serious demonstration was required. The Home Office has detained around 150 Zimbabweans since 5th July - this is a massive worry and undue stress on those trapped in the complexities and uncertainty of the UK Asylum process. See the quote from the Status Now group [please use the live web links below]
""Government attempts to justify their actions as a way of removing ‘criminals’, is both a fallacy and racist: we are reminded of the profound problems with policing, so thoroughly exposed through the Black Lives Matter Movement during 2020-21, the socioeconomic and cultural inequalities that become instrumental in people ending up before, and convicted by, the courts, lack of robust legal aid to enable people to defend themselves and, for those who have completed their prison sentences that have been delivered through that other arm of the Home Office, the criminal justice system, deportation is a double punishment."" [from the Status Now Blog dated 8th August 2021]
Following on from our activites of the 19th July 2021 which 'kicked-off' this campaign, the same group came together for a still bigger demonstration. We recorded 72 people attended, including some from Status Now - who came with their own banner. These groups were as follows, and acting under the umbrella of 'ZIMBABWE COMMUNITY APPEAL', MDCA [Movement for Democratic Change Alliance], ZAPU [Zimbabwe African People's Union], plus the Human Rights groups ROHR [Restoration Of Human Rights - Zimbabwe] and ZHRO [Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation], plus several Church Groups were encouraged to attend.