Activists Disrupt CRS Raid on Eritrean House
Last night (30/31st) at around 9.00pm the CRS made a raid on the Eritrean house. Four vans including a police 'snatch van' descended on the property. Activists on the scene were able to bear witness to them detaining three Eritreans, as well as emptying bottles of cooking oil over migrants' beds and clothing. Other activists were able to get inside the property and follow the police out. Enough of a scene was created with activists darting around the police heckling and obstructing that they left without making any further arrests. Later that evening activists witnessed the CRS arresting two Pashtu Afghanis near the Eritrean house. The two activists disrupted proceedings by engaging the refugees in conversation, shining torches on the police and calling them bullying fascists, to which they seemed to take offence. A snatch van arrived with a third young Pashtun already inside and the CRS bundled the other two in with him. The two vans then headed back to t he Eritrean house and attempted to arrest further migrants but they all produced satisfactory documents. Activists were on the scene and slowed down operations by strolling in front of the vans, heckling, shining torches in the faces of the police and warning the Eritreans gathered around the nearby house. One CRS officer lost his temper and began violently shoving activists until he was given a stern talking-to by his Commander, to the delight of the three Pashtuns watching the spectacle from inside the snatch van. Clearly struggling the CRS harassed an Albanian near the railway bridge but had to let him go when he produced his papers. Unknown to activists the CRS then attempted to raid the Ethiopian house across town. This time they were more successful in scaling the 8' wall designed to keep Ethiopians out, and searched for migrants with flashlights. However, no-one was found and no arrests (or beatings) took place. The cops then finished their shift and left without managing to fill their evening arrest quota. All in all a good night's work. Unfortunately they managed to ruin this tranquility by raiding the Sudanese jungle early in this morning (31st) and arrested five Sudanese. Hopefully we will see them come back safe and sound within 24 hours.
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