Vottem, Belgium - Agitated demo in front of detention centre

suie e cendres

27/02/2011 - We were there, about 40 in front of the detention centre of Vottem, our hearts still warm from the news about the revolte in the lager of Steenokkerzeel only a week ago, and the possibility of escapes so in reach. A loud, determined group of people. Some people climb the fences, others start to hit them. We scream and scream, small fireworks everywere, big fireworks above the centre. After the arson in Steenokkerzeel a week ago, which has put out of use 2/3 of the prison, some rioters had been transferred to Vottem. Of the 150 sans-papiers who had been evicted of an occupied space in Anderlecht (Brussels), 17 of them were imprisoned in Votem, 5 were already deported. We arrived just after 17 'o clock, the prisoners had just left the walk, only few reactions from the inside. When cutting bolts were thrown over the fence, screams of joy from the inside. We left the centre in demonstration, towards the city centre of Liège. "Freedom for all, break that wall", "Solidarité avec les sans papiers, avec les révoltés", "Brique par brique, mur par mur, détruisons toutes les prisons", were some of the slogans shouted. At two occasions, the road was blocked to try to slow down the cop cars following us. At a certain point, cops also arrive from the front, we stick together and pass them. They try to arrest a comrade, we took her back. A cop was hit. After the chaos, cops arrive from everywhere, some people arrested on the spot, other people arrested in the streets around.
On the radio of the cops, the arrested comrades hear that a car of the guards on the parking lot of the prison was damaged. In total, about 20 comrades were arrested, most of them released quickly, others were kept for some hours. Some comrades got slightly injured.
Everything will continu. Greetings to the rioters of Steenokkerzeel, to the rioters everywhere else, to the comrades Olivier, Dan and Ivan who are currently imprisoned in a prison in Paris for their participation in the struggle against the detention centres, against all imprisonement. Their struggle, our struggle.