30 Apr [EN] Donauwörth police attack : Next trial May 6 in Augsburg
30.4.2019 Call for solidarity
On March 14, 2018, a massive police raid brutalised the Gambian community in the Donauwörth first reception centre. The Bavarian criminal justice system continues to persecute the victims and to legitimise the police actions. On May 6, 2018 Sam D., refugee from the Gambia, is challenging his order of punishment on “breach of public peace” at the Augsburg local court.
Already on November 7, 2018 as two Gambians challenged their summary orders of punishment on “breach of public peace”, the court had to acknowledge that there was no violent resistance by the residents against the deportation attempt in the night of March 14, contrary to the accusations of the police and the prosecutor. The identification of the „offenders“ also revealed itself as unreliable and tendentious, based on visual impressions of one or two camp workers during the nightly events developing over several hours in various locations, as people descended from their rooms due to a fire alarm. No concrete actions or utterances could be attributed to the accused by the witnesses. Yet the court decided to maintain their sentences, against which the two accused obviously again lodged an appeal.
Evidence against Sam D., at trial on May 6, is speculative. We expect that the Augsburg local court will still attempt to perform its summary „justice“ against persons it calls „guests“. The court has shown keen disinterest towards African asylum seekers’ due process rights or other fundamental and human rights such as expression of opinion and rights of assembly.
The political stakes are high in trials following the numerous raids in 2018 to Bavarian and Baden-Württenbergian camps. Large scale police operations targeted camps in Ellwangen, Stephansposching, Donauwörth, Donaueschingen and other places to promote deportations both by massively intimidating asylum seekers until they leave the country, and by turning Black African asylum seekers into „criminals“ in order to legitimise deportations of asylum seekers “without perspective to stay“. In 2019 criminalisation is about to be extended even to supporters and civil society at large, as initiatives such as the project for a „Geordnete-Rückkehr-Gesetz“, also envision a mass incarceration and impoverishment programme for „unwanted“ asylum seekers.
Stop the politically motivated criminalisation of refugees in Bavaria and elsewhere in Germany! All accused and sentenced refugees are to be acquitted in the Donauwörth case and in other cases connected to raids elsewhere.
Come to show solidarity with Sam D. and observe the court proceedings at the Augsburg local court on May 6 at 1:30 pm. A rally before the court begins at 12.
Address: Amtsgericht Augsburg, Gögginger Str. 101, 86199 Augsburg
Contact for more information:
Tel. +49 15214069014
David Jassey, Gambian Community in Donauwörth (English, some German)
Email: david.donauwoerth@gmail.com
Donate to support the victims of the Donauwörth police attack, including lawyer costs:
Bayerischer Flüchtlingsrat
Bank für Sozialwirtschaft
IBAN: DE89 7002 0500 0008 8326 02
BIC: BFSWDE33MUE (München)
Verwendungszweck “Donauwoerth”
Links:
Jassey: Chronology of the Events in the Donauwörth Reception Camp
Call for trial monitoring on 7th November 2018
Report on the 7th November 2018 hearings
Korvensyrjä: Hoffnung statt Handschellen.
Korvensyrjä: Polizeigewalt gegen Geflüchtete rechtens?