Free the Yarl’s Wood 3!
In February 2010 prisoners at Yarl’s Wood immigration prison organised a hunger strike. They demanded an end to indefinite and abusive imprisonment. Their courageous protest lasted five weeks, despite violent attacks by guards at the detention centre.
Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington John McDonnell tabled a House of Commons motion, calling on the Inspector of Prisons to hold an investigation in to the treatment of these women.
A dispute at Yarl’s Wood Centre began three weeks ago when 50 women protested at being held for up to two years.
As retribution several people involved in the hunger strike were moved to prisons. Three of those targeted in this way are still behind bars: Denise McNeil, Sheree Wilson and Aminata Camara.
They have been away from their families, friends and communities for too long.
Their struggle was “for everyone in detention”.
This was not the first hunger strike at Yarl’s Wood. Parents detained in the centre went on hunger strike in 2006 in a desperate bid to draw attention to the sufferings of their children and a mass hunger strike broke out in 2009 (and met with violent assaults on detainees by Serco security guards).
We need to support those who take action on the inside. When they use prison to try to silence resistance we will fight back. At the start of a new year, let’s show them that they have our support and that the struggle for freedom goes on.