Sandholm background

Background articles from Modkraft.dk on the action today against the Sandholm Refugee Center near Copenhagen:

Police impose informastion blackout over Sandholm.

Three left parties in parlaiment support the goals of the action - but their spokeswoman aren't participating themselves.

Camp closed

Modktaft has learned that the closure of the Sandholm Camp includes a curfue for the inhabitants. Police have warned the inhabitants against leaving, saying that they risk not being allowed back in or even, police supposedly said, arrest if they try to get back in.

Inhabitants have also recieved tickets so they can be away from the camp during the action. According to sources some inhabitants have returned the tickets, others have decided to use them another day. Some have torn them to bits in front of Red Crosss representatives.

<span>P</span>olice black out over Sandholm Camp

Police intend to lay a ring of iron around Sandholm Refugee Camp on October 25, when Close The Camp is planing demonstrations and actions. A large area will be curtained off and air space above the campo will also be closed to traffic "so nobody can follow what is going on", as Police spokesman Flemming Poulsen says.

Late afternoon the police also announced that the camp will be closed to visitors and press during the demonstration.

Flemming Poulsen says the press prohibition is "for operational reasons" but refuses further comment on the decision.

Jørgen Chemnitz, who is Center Chief at the Sandholm Camp, informs Modkraft.dk that the Red Cross isn´t especially happy about the denial of acces for visitors.

– We set great store by openness, but in this situation we have to listen to the police, they are in charge of security, says Jørgen Chemnitz to Modkraft.dk.

– Vi aren't happy about it but have to respect it. We can't do anything else.

But Red Cross actually could do something else, informs Christian Dølpher, who is legal consltant to the Danish Federation of Journalists. The Sandholm camp is private property and police therefore can only give suggestions, not orders.

Red Cross monopoly on the story

The Police black out of the Sandholm Camp means that it will be very difficult to document the reactions of the inhabitants durung the planned actions. Already there is much speculation about how a confrontation between police and demonstrators will affect the refugees, some of whom are traumatized by war.

Activists from Close The Camp feel that closing the camp to the public is very problematic.

– This way the Red Cross gets to be the only one to tell the story of how the inhabitants react to our action. We have been in the camp several times and spoken to many of the inhabitants, who express that they are happy about what will happen. But one could suspect that the Red Cross could have an interest in that these people don't make critical statements about Red Cross, says Emil Nielsen from the Close The Camp press group to Modkraft.dk.

Leftists want to close the refugee camps

The refugee camps should be closed and converted to reception centers for refugees, with a maximum stay of six months before being helped into society. That is the unanimous verdict of immigration and integration spokesmen from three parties in parliament: Henrik Dam Kristensen (S - Social Democrats), Astrid Krag (SF - Popular Socialists) and Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen (Ø - Red Green Alliance).

In april 2007 the Social Democrats presented a plan for activation of asylum seekers, announcing that "the Social Democrats refuse to let people rot away in refugee camps".

The Social Democrats want to give everybody who seeks asylum in Denmark a work permit, and for everybody who gets work: permission to live where they want.

Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen of the Red Green Alliance that those who for one reason or another can not be sent back to their own country should be able to live and work in society.

– Also, off course, we need to change the very restrictive rules for giving asylum.

According to Astrid Krag, the Popular Socialists have made an egreement with the Social Democrats about converting the camps to reception centers with a maximun stay of six months.

– We will hold them to that if we enter into government together, she says to Modkraft.dk.

Christiansborg stays home

Even though the demands of parliamentary left are almost identical with the those of civil disobediance action Close The Camp on October 25, practical support for the action from the parliament building at Christiansborg will be very limited, according to the three spokespeople.

– I am prevented by a prior meeting engagement, but I expect that many members of the Red Green Alliance will participate. And our allies in Socialist Youth Front is moving a session of their annual general assembly there, says Johanne Schmidt Nielsen.

Astrid Krag has an almost identical message:

– I don`t know if anybody from the Popular Socialists will participate. We have a Central Committee meeting tomorrow, so I certainly won´t be there.

And Henrik Dam Kristensen won´t be there either:

– I don´t think any Social Democrat will participate. I certainly won´t, he says.

It is good to demonstrate

The three spekespeople agree that the planned action may be a good idea as long as it is done without violence.

– In principal I of course think that it is ok for perople to use therir democratic rights to dra w attention to different problems. I to don´t think that everything is as it should be in the camp at Sandholm, says Henrik Dam Kristensen to Modkraft.dk.

Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen explains that the Red Green Alliance supports the action a peacefiul and non-violent basis, "just as the activists have declared", while Astrid Krag says that her parliamentary group hasn´t discussed the matter and she doesn´t know if any other party organ has, either.

Disagreement on plans for vandalism

The three parties part ways where it concerns the activist goal of cutting the camp´s perimeter fence to pieces.

Unsurprisingly, it is the spekseperson from the red Green Alliance who is most relaxed on the question:

– It´s just a fence. But is a very apt symbol for the asylum policies we have here in Denmark. I canåt get exited by it, because a hole in a fence is notong compared to the conditions that hundreds of people in the camps are living in. The activists have openly stated whatr they intend to do and will have to take the fine for it. The important thing is that it is done with out violence, says Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen.

Astrid Krag of the Popular Socialists is also not unsupportive, but the support is more conditioned:

– In principal, actions with limited civil disobediance - banner droppings, for example - are a good way to draw attention to things. But it must be compared to the message, because the end does not justify the means. In this case I think teh important thing is how teh action is percieved buy those living in the camp. Do they perhaps feel that it is an attack on their property? That sort of thing should be taken into consideration, she says to Modkraft.dk.

Henrik Dam Kristensen, on the hand, is completely clear about the planned vandalism:

– I condemn it forcefully. I am not one to point fingers, but there are strongly traumatized people living in there, and they should think about them.

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