On Friday, March the 25th, the #overthefortress march will set sail from Ancona’s port: an initiative of solidarity starting from italy directed to the greek-macedonian border.
The march, promoted by the Melting Pot Project, has the aim to support migrants who are blocked in Greece and to denounce the actuation of the anti-migrant plan by the UE and the regime buondaries that is making Greece an “open sky prison”.
Adhesions to the march are lots: from north-eastern social centers’ activists to activists from Marche, to the “Welcome Taranto” campaign, to “Baobab friends” from Rome and all the way to “Turin’s migrant caravan” and to all the associations and people engaged to welcoming, to anti-racism sport practice, to italian-teaching schools(complete list at the bottom of the document).
Joining us are two delegations from Munich and Prague, part of the “Federation of Young European Greens” and activists from “Interventionistische-Linke” in Nùrnberg.
More than 300 people decided to depart in a moment that marks another negative turn in european immigration and asylum policies.
10 days after the lockdown of the macedonian border, which is forcing thousands of men, women and children to live in inhuman conditions at the Idomeni camp, the shameful treaty between the UE and turkey has been signed: it clearly states that will not be possible for migrants entering Europe through the Aegean sea to request shelter.
The agreement also provides for the mass expulsions in Turkey (which are prohibited by the Human Rights Convention) and it represents the deep and irreversible crisis of an European governance that has died in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, sunk in Idomeni’s mud, trapped in Ròszke’s barbed wire, drowned in front of Lesvos’ shores, demolished by bulldozers in Calais, hurt while jumping over fences in Ceuta and Melilla.
In front of this Europe that periodically discusses matters in aseptic rooms in Bruxelles, shaking bloody dictators’ hands and making indecent choices there is however the power and strenght of who practices a new idea of Europe.
The #overthefortress solidarity campaign wants to be a piece of the solidarity mosaic assembled by thousands of independent volunteers which constitute the “band aid” of Europe: by saving human lives, supporting and accompanying them through their journey, volunteers and activists on every border have not only gave dignity back to those exerting their rights to escape and to live, but have saved Europe itself from collapsing.
These bodies starting a journey individually, collectively or spontaneously have met in these months the many migrant bodies determined to exert materially their right to freedom.
Migrants got their rights back everytime they marched barefoot on highways or on dirt tracks, assaulting borders on Ròszke’s and Idomeni’s passages, challenging everyone and everything on overcrowded wrecked boats, waiting for hours for a meal or a medical evaluation in long lines of exhaustion.
After months of solidarity tour through the balcanic route, the collective journey in Greece will be the moment on which we will build something bigger, able to intensify the solidarity work and to respond publicly to the european policies’ cynicism and violence.
300 people from italian and european have answered the call, and many more wished they could come. Great appreciacion is shown also to the extraordinary solidarity of all the people who could not come but decided to help the campaign through useful material donation or crowdfunding.
The main starting place will be Ancona’s port, but other delegations will depart from Bari’s port and from Trieste(a van will travel through the balcanian route). The march will bring basic necessities and will set up a distribution point at the Idomeni camp, coordinating itself with the self-organized groups already present in order to support migrant in the most efficient way.
All together to say once more that this is not the Europe we want and that the right to escape is to be granted to everyone. Humanitarian channels must be opened and a dignified welcome must be granted.
Open the borders!
The #overthefortress solidarity campaign, returning from Greece join the initiative planned for sunday 03 april at Brenner ( Italian Austrian border).
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– Join and participate:
Agire nella crisi; Amici del Baobab (Roma); Art Lab Occupato (Parma); Ass. ADL ZAVIDOVICI (Brescia); Ass.LGBTI Antéros (Padova); Campagna Welcome Taranto; Carovana Migranti (Torino); Centri sociali delle Marche; Ambasciata dei Diritti Marche (Ancona, Jesi, Macerata); Ya Basta! Marche; Centri sociali del Nord Est; Cobas scuola (Catania); Confederazione Cobas; Coll. Starfish (Schio VI); Collettivi universitari: Lisc (Venezia), Refresh (Trento), Spam (Padova); Coordinamento Studenti Medi Nord Est; Forum Antirazzista di Palermo; Lab. autogestito ParaTod@s (Verona); Lab. Insurgencia (Napoli); Polisportiva Clandestina (Trento); Polisportiva S. Precario (Padova); Scuola d’italiano Fuoriclasse / Lab. dei Beni Comuni (Treviso); Scuola d’italiano Liberalaparola (Marghera); Scuola d’italiano Liberalaparola / Ass. Razzismo Stop (Padova); Ass.ne Ya Basta! Êdî Bese!; ADL Cobas di Treviso; Polisportiva Ackapawa Jesi; Polisportiva Antirazzista Assata Shakur Ancona; Onlus Vita-virtus (Verona)
Federation of Young European Greens – FYEG; Interventionistische-Linke, Norimberga;Associazione GRUPPO UMANA SOLIDARIETA’ ONLUS
– Join:
Comitato No Mous / No Sigonella; Rete antirazzista catanese; ASD RFC Lions Ska Caserta Antirazzista;
– Support the march:
Centinaia di sostenitori e sostenitrici del crowdfunding; Azienda Easy Promo (Cittadella PD); Cooperativa Caracol (Marghera VE); Cooperativa Città Invisibile (Padova – Vicenza); Cooperativa El Tamiso (Padova); Ufficio Stampa Propapromoz (Milano); Sherwood Festival (Padova); Gus – Gruppo Umana Solidarietà
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– Support the crowdfunding #overthefortress [ eng ]
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Program:
– Friday, March 25
h. Press Conference 11.30 am at Pier Santa Maria Port of Ancona
h. 13:30 Departure ferry
– Saturday, March 26 arrival in Greece
Idomeni border Greece – Republic of Macedonia
Staging point #overthefortress and distribution collected materials
– Sunday, March 27
Meetings with collectives and Greek associations supporting migrants (being defined program)
– Monday, March 28
h. 15:00 Transfer to the port of Igoumenitsa
– Tuesday, March 29
h. 16:30 Landing in Ancona
Campagna solidale #Overthefortress // Solidarity Campaign #Overthefortress from Progetto Melting Pot Europa on Vimeo.
