Mass hunger strike at Athens Airport since Sunday
Posted by clandestina on 1 October 2009
source in Greek: http://www.tvxs.gr/v21898
About 150 immigrants detained at the airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” began a mass hunger strike on Sunday. The immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and India had been living and working for years in Greece. When they went for a visit at their country, they received the necessary documents from the pertinent municipalities, which would allow them to return. Upon return, though, the authorities did not allow them to leave the area of the airport, claiming that their documents had been forged.
At the beginning of the hungerstrike, some already had been held for one month, awaiting the decision to deport them. In addition to their claims for release, the migrants ask for improved detention conditions; one of the prisoners reported to tvxs, «we are offered food once a day, we have no access to shower facility, but most importantly we can not drink the water because it comes from the single toilet used by all prisoners’
clandestina 
Experiments with truth: 10/2/09 / Waging Nonviolence said
[…] from Pakistan, Bangladesh and India who had been living and working for years in Greece began a mass hunger strike on Sunday at the airport in Athens after being […]
Peter Kaloupis said
They say “you can’t fight city hall.” However, you can do anything if you put your mind to, if you follow a few “simple” steps. Here is how to change the law and pay less for the costs of working permits, participation fees, tickets and transportation, related to a work.
Steps
1. See if there is another jurisdiction that looks at the same issue a different way. For example, if you think that the immigrations laws is a bad way to collect money to fund the government, is there another state that funds itself? Look at their legislation to determine what options are presently available.
2. Know what level of government is responsible for the law. Is it a National law? Then you might want to enlist the help of a Senator or Congressman. Is it a state law? Then a local assemblyman, or state house representative or a state senator is the person to see. Finally if the law is a county or town ordinance seek out the local councilman, alderman, supervisor, mayor, or county executive.
3. See if there are any pending pieces of legislation that might accomplish the goal and are already in the legislative pipeline.
4. Book a meeting with your legislator, now that you’re armed with a good idea about other pending legislation (or lack thereof) and examples of other ways governments handle your issue.
5. Meet with your legislator at his office if you can, rather than at a bar or restaurant, (or at the legislature’s robbing room.) Your legislator will be more comfortable.
6. See the issue from the legislator’s perspective. When lobbying your legislator to change the law, you have to see how it matches the legislator’s goals, values and constituents. He/she is constantly being asked for things and often he has no idea about what the issue is about. Bring information to leave for him and an extra copy for a staffer. It is always good, after you have booked the meeting to send a thank you letter and explain in the letter a little about what your meeting will be about.
7. Show the legislator your proposed legislation. If you have taken the time to start a petition, give him/her copies of the signatures. Try to give him the names of proponents who are from his district unless you have some very famous people helping you in our cause