Yarl's Wood hunger strikers: students protest

Students protest outside the SERCO Institute offices, Holborn, in support of mistreated hunger strikers at the Yarl's Wood detention centre.

This morning students and campaigners commenced a solidarity hunger strike at theLondon
Offices of Serco. Protesters will entertain a constant presencefor2 days between 8am and
8pmto draw attention to the violent response of the centre staff and UK Border Agency
(UKBA) to the peaceful hunger strike at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre, Bedford
as a build-up to a London-wide protest held at the same location on Friday at 2:30pm.
Over 75 women detained in Yarl’s Wood I R C began a hunger strike on the evening of
Thursday04/02/10.In their statement the women call for an end to detentionand appeal to
the UKBA to "allow enough time and make resources available to residents who need to
fully present their cases". On Monday 08/02/10 this protest was broken up by force: 70
women were locked in a corridor for up to 8 hours without access to water, health care or
sanitary products. Many collapsed and twenty who climbed out of a window were beaten and
remain in isolation.

One woman trapped in the corridor reports that"the guards were doing a roll call by holding
up photos of us to the window. They did not help us when women started to collapse."While
some officers stood by laughing at the women having to urinate on the floor of the corridor,
others made sure not to film their colleagues assaulting the women. Another woman outraged
over the guards' behaviour says:"Many guards behave like we are in prison. They should go

to the army, this place is not for them."

Protesters are calling for Serco to end their complicit behaviour in kettling peaceful protesters
inside the detention centre without allowing access for emergency services. Protester Jane
Peder says, "Serco is running Yarl's Wood as a business at the cost of women and families
who come to the UK to ask for protection. Serco staff is acting as front-line immigration staff
- they clearly overstepped their capacities and need to be held accountable for their actions
against the women at Yarl's Wood."

To date, women who sustained injuries have not received adequate treatment in the privately-
run health care centre. Many women have been threatened and intimidated by centre staff.
Four women are being held at Bedford Police Station without charges. Regardless, many
women are continuing the hunger strike because they have not been given a response to their
demands. "Without response to what the women have asked for from the UKBA and without
response to what happened at Yarl's Wood we will not stop.", says protester Carry Jon.

For further information and questions, please contact:
Email: soas_detainee_support@riseup.net
Tel:07545125188 or 07792496066