we walk out of calais and we think weve *finally* got away from things. the constant police harassment. were taking them to court. but weve barely started hitching before a police van pulls up. theyre just sitting there. a lorry stops and offers us a ride to spain! but then takes one look at the cops and changes his mind.
‘can we help you at all?’ they all start laughing. its those guys from coquelles again. their chief looks a bit embarassed. soon enough they fuck off. probably off afghan hunting again. but what can we do?
ive really had enough of calais police. part of the reason were off to barcelona. yesterday morning we went to discuss a hunger strike with the iranians and were arrested almost immediatly. (when i say ‘we’ i mean that only the white activists got arrested) they took us to the station and some of us refused to give our id or nationality. the new activists were really a bit shocked by the way they treated us. A keeps getting insulted by one policeman – ‘god, youre so ugly’ ‘youre so evil’. but ive become quite accustomed now to the long waits in the copshop. (stay passive, keep a few good books in your bag)
theyre allowed to keep us for 4 hours without charging us. so i settle in for the long haul. A has her interview first and recommends the translator. so when its my turn i decide to have a translator for a change – a funny very polite little old man in a suit. on the way into the interview room they tell me i dont look as stupid as the others (thanks!)
so im sat in front of the ‘brigadier of calais’. he calmly asks me why i refused to give me nationality. i start to explain how it is one of the few means of protest left to someone who witnesses constant and brutal racism from the police on a daily basis. the brigadier stands up and starts to scream at me. the over zealous translator ceases to translate for me and starts shouting what the brigadier is shouting at me in english. ive got two people hurling insults at me in two different languages. so i (stupidly) start insulting them back in english and trying to shout over the comotion in french. i tell the translator to stop translating. he puts on a puppy dog expression. hes offended. he tells me that the interview is almost over. and i should just keep quiet and listen and then hell go away. im told that i should be a good boy and if i dont cooperate were all going to end up in prison.
im quite angry now. i reply in french that ive done nothing illegal. if he is refusing to listen to me then i have nothing else to say.
more shoutingt in french and english. i just stare at the clock. 5 minutes til they have to let us out. im ushered downstairs. were all told that because i misbehaved in interview we will all be kept for longer as a collective punishment. we inform the guards that weve been kept longer than 4 hours without charge and they have ten minutes before we call our lawyer on our mobiles.
sure enough ten minutes later the brigadier is back. he tries to force us to sign some documents in french. the translator has mysteriously disappeared and the documents are full of mistakes.apparently my interview took place two hours ago. we refuse and are forcibly ejected. we later find out that our signatures were forged anyway.
on the road. weve finally got a lift for spain!! its off to the international forum for freedom of movement in barcelona. i get a text from our lawyer. apparently weve got a case..
