PRESS RELEASE – MARCH 6, 2011

Sunday, March 6, 2011

DAY 41 of the hunger strike

 

The 50 migrants on the 7^th floor of the Labor Centre have been on a hunger strike for 41 days now. They are determined to continue with their struggle until their demands are fulfilled. They are facing critical health issues, as irreparable damage to their vital organs seems almost inevitable, and their life in is danger. At the moment, 16 people are being hospitalized at different hospitals in Thessaloniki. Yesterday 8 hunger strikers were taken to hospital, one of them in a pre-comatose state because of a hypoglycemic episode. He was treated with an intravenous glucose infusion. The rest of the strikers were admitted to hospital with hypoglycemic episodes, low blood pressure, and some with a very low heart rate (bradycardia).

Tomorrow, Monday, March 7, individuals and groups abroad are calling for a European day of solidarity actions for the 300 hunger strikers.

Yesterday, while the centre of Xanthi, a town near the Greco-Turkish border, was reverberating with the sounds of the carnival, members of the Resistance Initiative of Xanthi called a solidarity meeting for the 300 hunger strikers. Around 40 people showed up, distributed hundreds of leaflets to the passers-by and read out announcements in support of the hunger strike.
Today, during the carnival parade in Xanthi, a huge banner was hung across the facade of the University building, visible from the carnival parade, which read
“History is written by workers’ struggles, victory to the struggle of the immigrants” and “Solidarity with the 300 hunger strikers”.

The City Council of Kalamaria sent a solidarity message today stating: “We are calling the Greek government to examine the hunger strikers’ demands and immediately respond to them, for these migrants have been living and working within a ‘grey’ zone between legality and illegality, which makes them most vulnerable to exploitation.”

The Italian Federation of Organizations for the Support of the Homeless Fio.PSD expressed its solidarity with the struggle of the 300 hunger strikers with a message on the homepage of their website: www.fiopsd.org

The Program for the Promotion of Self-Help and the Postgraduate Program on Addiction and Dependency is planning a discussion and film screening with the participation of a representative of the hunger strikers, at the New Wing of the Faculty of Philosophy on Wednesday, March 9, at 7pm.