Villawood Detention Centre

RISE Media Release: stop the villification of Villawood detainee protestors

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 27/04/2011 - 6:11pm

RISE MEDIA RELEASE: Wednesday 27/4/2011 RISE is concerned about the portrayal in the mainstream media of the latest protests by asylum seekers incarcerated in Sydney’s Villawood immigration detention centre. The images of fires and other distressed acts carried out by incarcerated asylum seekers coupled with sound bites from mainstream media commentators, radio shock-jocks and politicians are being used to whip up flames of hysteria in the Australian community at large.

Geography: 
Sydney
Keywords: 
RISE
Villawood Detention Centre

ANZAC Day Villawood refugee rally

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 26/04/2011 - 2:19pm

About 300 people marched on Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in Sydney's west on April 25 to demand an end to mandatory detention of refugees. The rally was in solidarity with all people caught up in mandatory detention but also offered specific support to the three detainees still up on the roof protesting on the roof of Villawood where they have been for six days without food. One of those on the roof Majid Parhizkar, a 24-year-old Iranian spoke to the crowd via mobile phone. His mother and sister and brother are already in the community and were present at the rally.

Geography: 
Sydney
Keywords: 
asylum seekers
Villawood Detention Centre

Villawood detainees held in solitary confinement at Silverwater prison - lawyers shocked at conditions

Submitted by Flowerpower on Sun, 24/04/2011 - 3:56pm

Refugee Action Coalition Press Release 24.4.2011 Solicitors visiting asylum seekers now incarcerated at Silverwater prison are shocked at what they have seen. Stephen Blanks, solicitor and secretary of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties briefly interviewed two of the 22 (mostly Iranians and Kurds) locked up there. He said: “They are in solitary confinement, locked down for 18 hours a day with no access to communication, either with each other or with the outside world.

Geography: 
Sydney
Keywords: 
asylum seekers
Villawood Detention Centre

Villawood protest on Anzac Day – demanding a fair go for refugees

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 23/04/2011 - 9:20pm

Refugee Action Coalition Press Release 23/4/2011Wayne Swan is wrong to criticize Monday’s planned refugee rights protest at Villawood detention centre, refugee supporters say. Following this week’s unrest at Villawood, refugee rights advocates will stage a mass show of support for Villawood detainees on Easter Monday, 25 April. The 25th is also Anzac Day. Refugee supporters will meet at Chester Hill station at 12 noon, before marching to the Gurney Rd side of the detention centre for a rally in support of detainees.

Geography: 
Sydney
Keywords: 
asylum seeker
Refugee Action Coalition
Villawood Detention Centre

Villawood burns - eyewitness account

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 21/04/2011 - 6:32pm

Below is an eyewitness report of the protests at Villawood reposted from Brami Jegan’s blog

At about 11.55pm last night (Wednesday) I got a frantic call from ’S aunty’ saying that Villawood Immigration Detention Center was on fire and our friends inside (who we had got to know over the past year ) were really scared about the escalating unrest.

Geography: 
Sydney
Keywords: 
asylums seekers
Refugee Action Coalition
Villawood Detention Centre

Three Villawood detainees on hunger strike

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 12/03/2011 - 10:35pm

RISE media release 09/03/2011Three refugees in Villawood immigration detention centre are on day 8 of their hunger strike. The men have been accepted as refugees by the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (“DIAC”) but have been given adverse security assessments by ASIO.

Keywords: 
refugees
Villawood Detention Centre