workingclasshistory:On this day, 13 May 2021, local residents in Glasgow won the release of two peop
workingclasshistory:On this day, 13 May 2021, local residents in Glasgow won the release of two people who had been detained by immigration officers by surrounding the vehicle and blockading it for several hours. During Eid celebrations, Border Force snatched up the men and put them in a van. This was noticed by neighbours, who quickly surrounded the vehicle and contacted friends and local tenant and anti-eviction groups. One man climbed underneath the wheels of the van, where he remained for the duration of the subsequent events. One local resident, Lotte, told the Scotsman newspaper she wanted “to express my utter disgust at the brutal removal of my neighbours from their home”. Soon the crowd had swelled to hundreds of people. Hundreds of police also came to the scene to try to clear the way for the immigration van to leave, but they were unable to dislodge the crowd. By the early evening, authorities relented and agreed to set the men free. One of those detained, Lakhvir Singh, from India, issued a statement through a translator stating: “I’ve been astonished and overwhelmed by the support I’ve received from the people of Glasgow.” * We only post highlights on here, for all our anniversaries follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wrkclasshistory https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1986361834882290/?type=3 Another version of de-arresting. Why does this kind of thing not happen more often? -- source link