The Office for Interventions: Alarming situation of immigrants in Slovenia

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Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 11:42:51 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: The Office for Interventions: Alarming situation of immigrants in Slovenia

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Karmen Furlan <[email protected]> 

The Office for Interventions: Alarming situation of
immigrants in Slovenia


Dear comrade,
 
Below please find a communique plus explanatory text issued by The
Office for Interventions, Ljubljana, concerning the alarming situation
of immigrants and action to be undertaken on 21st February to stop the
tide of intolerance that has engulfed Slovenia.
 
Please feel free to further circulate these documents via the
internet, or otherwise, to individuals or groups for whom you deem it
relevant.
 
Thank you.
 
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******************************************************************
As the latest initiative of the day tries to convince us:
"narrow-mindedness liberates". Indeed, the attitude towards immigrants
in Slovenia is gaining the characteristics of a general moral panic,
even psychosis.
 
Through readers' letters to the media, a sense of threat and fear
reveal themselves; neighbourly, local reactions are quite intolerant,
in them we can already recognise racism and fascism; police reactions
are violent and ignorant; on the whole, the media support negative
public passions in an irresponsible and disinterested manner - at the
most, they yearn for sensational news; those in power either further
fire the agitation or are silent with regards to the grave situation.
Are they even aware how serious it is?
 
It is, in short, impossible to live in such an environment. Local,
police, media and governmental incitements are harmful to our foreign
guests as well as to any free-thinking inhabitants who care for life,
socialising, work and play in a normal living environment.
 
Therefore, we request your participation in a manifestation for
solidarity with immigrants and against intolerance. This will begin on
Wednesday, 21st February 2001 at 14.00 in the "Zvezda" Park in
Ljubljana. From there we will continue with a peaceful yet colourful
march through the city.
 
FOR SOLIDARITY WITH FOREIGNERS OF ALL KINDS! THEIR FREEDOM IS ALSO OUR
FREEDOM - IS THE FREEDOM OF US ALL!
 
The Office for Interventions Ljubljana, February 2001
 
Press and Info Division - do not hesitate to contacting: Nada Hass,
at: [email protected]
 
SEE AS WELL:
 
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
CALL FOR SOLIDARITY AND ACTION! Manifestation will take place in
LJUBLJANA, ON FEBRUARY 21 in the ZVEZDA PARK, near KONGRESNI
TRG/CONGRESS SQUARE/KONGRESSPLATZ at 14.00 (workshops until 16.00).
After 16.00 we shall march through the city. In the evening there is a
big party at METELKOVA CITY (social centre of Ljubljana).
 
In Slovenia lately we are witnessing the new wave of intolerance and
xenophobia, their objects are those, who are trying to find decent
life in the world of the rich. People in local communities are already
organising so called village watches units to defend themselves
against "dangerous foreigners". The wave of xenophobia and intolerance
reached such a level, that we are facing the menace of temptation to
organize and manipulate those irrational fears - that means fascism.
 
For such a situation, it is not hard to find those responsible: The
State with its politics and the media's irresponsible coverage of the
problem. The state for last ten years practices its hard core
neo-liberal politics which sees the people like production factors
that have to be organized in the most efficient way. Through the optic
of the prime minister, who runs the society as the
accountant-executive, individuals are seen just as numbers or as a
cost, that is always to high. That's why the problem of migrations is
interpreted as the problem of costs and national security. The only
function that the state performs during these days is the police
repression and open hunt on immigrants at the border. Already the
first victim (Iranian citizen) was killed by Slovenian police. Those
who are caught at the border are deported into the overcrowded
concentration centres where the conditions are indeed inhuman. That
way the costs are lower.
 
Media are interested only in anomalies and sensations. They are
talking about the possible diseases, about criminal acts that could be
linked to immigrants, about heroic deeds of the policemen at the
borders.
 
On the other hand, European Union is pushing Slovene authorities to
close the borders completely and to practice the Schengen agreement,
so Slovenia will be easily accepted to European Union. That is why
Slovenia is pushed to stop all immigrants at the border with Croatia
and detain them, although the State is not ready and is completely
incapable to carry out this task.
 
All this contributes to the spread of irrational fears. The
consequences are not at all predictable and it is a high time to act.
Those are the reasons why we are organising a big manifestation in
Ljubljana:
 
AGAINST INTOLERANCE AND XENOPHOBIA, FOR OPEN BORDERS AND EQUAL RIGHT
FOR GLOBAL MOVEMENT.
 
FOR SOLIDARITY, AGAINST RACISM, AGAINST XENOPHOBIA, AGAINST FASCISM!
WE ARE THE RESISTANCE! CONTACT US ALSO AT [email protected].
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
===================================
KUD FRANCE PRESEREN
Karmen Furlan
Projekt Pregnanci
Karunova 14, 1000 Ljubljana
 
tel.: 01 2832 288, 2832 299, 031 321 551
projekt Pregnanci 031 321 511

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