Yarl's Wood Hunger Strike Solidarity Picket

A mass hunger strike by families detained at Yarl's Wood detention centre in Bedfordshire has been met with violent assaults on men, women and children by Serco security guards who mange the prison on behalf on the UK Border Agency.A solidarity protest outside Serco's offices in London (22 Hand Court, Holborn, WC1V 6JF) has been called by No Borders London in support of the Yarl's Wood hunger strikers on Friday, 19th June, from 12noon. Activists from the Tyneside Community Action for Refugees (TCAR) gathered outside government offices in Newcastle on Wednesday to protest against racism and all immigration prisons.

Report and pics | Read full feature | See videos of London Solidarity action outside Serco Holborn offices on Friday, 19th June:  Speaker 1 | Speaker 2 | Graffitti outside Serco Holborn office | more graffitti | chanting

Photo from full report on Imc UK

A dozen protesters from different groups yesterday held a picket of Serco's head office in central London in solidarity with the Yarl's Wood hunger strikers and to express their anger at the way Serco security guards have dealt with detainees. The office was closed and no police turned up for the entire two hours that the protest lasted for. Leaflets were distributed and loud chants were shouted via a loudspeaker. The walls and floor surrounding the office were also 'decorated' with chalk to tell Serco staff and neighbours that Serco's business (i.e. locking up and abusing innocent people) is not acceptable.