Syndicate: John O: International day of protes

[Geert Lovink <geert@xs4all.nl>]

From: John O <ncadc@ncadc.demon.co.uk>
Subject: International day of protest 

National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns (NCADC)
101 Villa Road
Birmingham B19 1NH
Phone: 0121-554-6947  Fax:  0870-055-4570
E-mail ncadc@ncadc.demon.co.uk  Web  www.ncadc.demon.co.uk/

Marcus O, another forced removal, another death

International day of protest against the Killing of Marcus O

Wednesday 12 May 1999

Demonstrate outside your Austrian embassy

Organise a fax protest to the Austrian Minister karl Schloegl
(Fax numbers and model letter at end of message)

    On May 1, 1999 a 25 year old Nigerian  Marcus O. was killed, during a
forced deportation He was handcuffed, chained and his mouth was closed with
adhesive tape by the three escorting policemen, pretending that the other
passengers of the deporting Balkan Air flight should not be disturbed.

    Marcus O. suffocated.

    Sadness and rage are gripping us, but this sadness and rage are mixed
with desperation because we know that the killing of Marcus O. was no
exceptional case.

   On the contrary: This murder is part of the racist continuity.

   When they say "... this is a regrettable accident... ...a slippage of
one single policeman..." then  this is a shameless, cynical lie

  Racist attacks by the police against people with black skin are the daily
practice. They are dragged out of the subway, they are beaten up during
routine craft controls, humiliated, strangled, tortured - murdered. And
they have no chance to defend themselves or to report their torturers,
because if they do so they are the ones who are convicted of resistance
against the executive power.

 The courts use racist language. . . .does not everybody know how violent
the drug-dealing "bimbos" are? (a judge: "....why don't we all just say
bimbo that makes it easier for all of us ....").

   In recent times more and more cases of assaults by the police became
public, but not because they did not happen before but rather because
policemen became careless.

   No wonder, whatever becomes public about police methods has no
consequences at all.

    No policemen has to be afraid of any consequence.

    Most likely the killers of Marcus O. will also get away with it.

    We don't believe that the police will change their attitude through
punishment but if this murder and all other numerous cases of torture and
abuse have no consequence than murder will continue in Austria.

    And all the ministers say they did not know ..