copenhagen news

Last night riot police broke into the Brorsons church in copenhagen and arrested a group of Iraqi asylum seekers that have been housed in the church through the last three months. The arrests were significantly brutal.
It is the first time in danish history that the police choses to violate the tradition of the church as a sanctuary.

For several hours, hundreds of activist tried to stop the police from driving the asylum seekers away from the the church. The police responded to this non-violent blockade with the use of dogs, batons and pepperspray, many of the activist were injured and at least five arrested.

Some 60 Iraqis, whose applications for asylum have been rejected, have been seeking sanctuary in Brorson’s Church since May of this year after Denmark and Iraq signed an agreement under which Iraqi nationals, whose asylum requests had been denied, could be repatriated.

Iraq, however, has denied that it has agreed to receive rejected asylum-seekers who do not wish to be repatriated.

The danish minister of integration,birthe rønn hornbech, have decided to overrule the reports coming from Amnesty International, Red Barnet and UHNCR, saying not to deport any iraqi refugees.
Neither the police nor the danish government wish to claim responsibility for the decision to evict the brorsons church.

there is still a possibility of stopping the deportations.
Today (thursday the 13.08.09. at 18.00) the initiative “church asylum” organizes a demonstration, from the “brorsons” church on Rantzausgade to the danish parliament to protest against the inhumane and racist policies of the danish government.

For more information go to the homepage of “church asylum” here (in danish)

there is a lot of money needed to finance the struggle against the deportations, therefor the initiative “aktion auktion” are preparing a benefit art-auction which will take place on the 10th of september.
you can read more about it here (in danish)

More information on this will follow soon.