Dec 2018:-
Statement of Solidarity with the Stansted 15
Last year at Stansted airport, 15 people blocked a deportation charter flight for ten hours to stop it from taking off. The people who took this non-violent direct action now face potential life imprisonment on terrorism-related charges. Their original charge of aggravated trespass was raised to ‘endangering an airport and airport users’, a charge introduced following the Lockerbie bombing which downed Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988 killing 259 people. Their court case, at Chelmsford Crown Court, is beginning its closing speeches this week.
The Green Party and Amnesty International, among others, have called on the Crown Prosecution Service to drop the charges against them. Amnesty International have stated they consider the 15 to be human rights defenders.
Public protest, including direct action, has always played a vital part in defending rights and freedoms in the UK. Actions in solidarity, like those of the Stanstead 15, have been especially important when victims themselves are denied justice or a way to be heard. The excessive charges posed in this case represent a political choice to dissuade and silence further protest.
Charter deportation flights use chartered private planes and private security to deport 2,000 people a year in secretive night flights, often while held in leg shackles and other restraints. The Detained Voices blog recorded statements from people on the deportation flight which these 15 people blocked:
“My ex-husband said he knows I am being deported. He is waiting for me. He is planning to kill me. If he kills me – how will I look after my children?”
“Both of my parents are in the UK, they are British. But they [the Home Office] want to deport me back to place where I don’t have anybody. Nobody hear our cry. We are crying. Please we need to be rescued. Please can anybody helps us?”
Many people on the flight still had pending asylum cases but were snatched from their homes to fill the flight. 34 of the 57 detainees on that flight were able to continue their legal cases and some were eventually allowed to return to their homes in the UK. These flights are not principally motivated by either justice or due process. Charter flights’ mass deportations of particular nationalities are a quick way to meet publicised Home Office targets.
As academics and UCU members, we affirm our solidarity with the Stansted 15 as defenders of human rights; we call for their charges to be dropped; and we join their call for an end to charter deportation flights. As one of the defendants said on the stand last week, “You don’t ask someone’s name before you help them.”
Signed
Dr. Gavin Grindon, School of Philosophy and Art History, University of Essex
Dr. Irene McMullin, School of Philosophy and Art History, University of Essex
Dr. Lorna Finlayson, School of Philosophy and Art History, University of Essex
Dr. Nicholas Beuret, Essex Business School
Dr Ewen Speed, School of Health and Social Care, University of Essex
Dr Catherine Crawford, Department of History, University of Essex & UCU Branch President, University of Essex
Dr Jane Hindley, Interdisciplinary Studies Centre, University of Essex
Dr Angus Holford, Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex
Dr Lisa Blackmore, School of Philosophy and Art History, University of Essex
Dr Sophia Skoufaki, Department of Language and Linguistics, University of Essex
Tom Cornford, School of Law, University of Essex
Professor Lucy Noakes, Department of History, University of Essex
Dounia Bissar, Department of Language and Linguistics, University of Essex
Dr. Jeremy Krikler, Department of History, University of Essex
Dr Lorcan Whitehead, Essex Business School, University of Essex
Susan Stallabrass, School of Health and Social Care, University of Essex
Benjamin Turpin, Department of Sociology, University of Essex
Colin Moore, School of Law, University of Essex
Dr Tom Flynn, School of Law, University of Essex
Professor Donald Nicolson OBE, School of Law, University of Essex
Professor Andrew Samuels, Department of Psychosocial and Psychodynamic Studies, University of Essex
Judith Johnson, Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies, University of Essex
Dr Jörg Schaub, School of Philosophy and Art History, University of Essex.
Dr Stevphen Shukaitis, Centre for Work, Organization, and Society, University of Essex
Dr Ellisif Wasmuth, School of Philosophy and Art History, University of Essex
Anne Kavanagh, Talent Development Centre, Student Life, University of Essex
Professor Florence Myles, Department of Language and Linguistics, University of Essex
Dr Helge Gillmeister, Psychology, University of Essex
Shirley Dow, Student Inclusion and Wellbeing, University of Essex
Teresa Torres, Department of Language and Linguistics, University of Essex
Dr Shamsul Karim, Essex Business School, University of Essex
Marian Mayer, Faculty of Media and Communication, Bournemouth University
Professor Geoff Gilbert, School of law and Human Rights Centre, University of Essex
Dr Martin Reed, School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex
Elaine Ewart, Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies, University of Essex
Gargi Bhattacharyya, UCU Chair, University of East London
Nita Sanghera, UCU Vice President
Munira Ali, Human Rights Centre, University of Essex
Camilla Royle, KCL Department of Geography
S Joss, UCU membership officer, Heriot-Watt University
Dr Timea Tallodi, School of Law University of Essex
Dr Samer Gharib, Organisational Development, University of Essex
Dr Emily Jones, School of Law and Human Rights Centre, University of Essex
Professor Colin Samson, Department of Sociology, University of Essex
Dr Anne Alexander, Research Associate, University of Cambridge
Dr Zibiah Alfred Loakthar, Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies, University of Essex
Professor Robert Johns, Department of Government, University of Essex
Pam Gadsby, Talent Development Centre, Academic Section, University of Essex
Dr. Kirsten Forkert, UCU Chair, Birmingham City University
Carol Cody UCU NW Women’s Equality Officer.
Dr Elizabeth Lawrence, Secretary UCU Yorkshire and Humberside Retired Members’ Branch
Marion Hersh, University of Glasgow
Russell Caplan, School of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University
Sandra Moog, Essex Business School
Jean Crocker, UCU Northern Region Retired Members’ Branch
Professor Jane Holgate, University of Leeds
Professor Shohini Chaudhuri, Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies, University of Essex
Prof Paul Clarke, Institute for Social & Economic Research, University of Essex
Dr Jordan Savage, Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies, University of Essex
Jason Glynos, Department of Government, University of Essex
Jane Stanbury, Department of Law, University of Essex
Roddy Slorach, UCU branch organiser, Imperial College London
Dr. Carlo Morelli, Economic Studies, University of Dundee and UCU NEC
Dr. Lisa Smith, Department of History, University of Essex
Deepa Govindarajan Driver, University of Reading
Casper Hoedemaekers, Essex Business School, University of Essex
Dr David Harvie, University of Leicester
Joshua Kennedy, Department of Philosophy and Art History, University of Essex
Professor Maria Cristina Fumagalli, Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies, University of Essex
Linda Coles, University of Northampton.
Annie Jones, UCU Branch Officer, Sheffield Hallam University
Ronald Mendel, University of Northampton
Dr Shawky Arif, University of Northampton
Dr Graham Clarke, University of Essex
Dr Jill Daniels, University of East London
Sean Wallis, UCU Branch President, University College London
Peter Rees, Goldsmiths College, University of London
James Angel, KCL Department of Geography
Roberto Mozzachiodi, Goldsmiths College, University of London
Gurminder K Bhambra, School of Global Studies, University of Sussex
rashné limki, Business School, University of Edinburgh
Mark Pendleton, School of East Asian Studies and UCU branch committee member, University of Sheffield
Sandra Kazlauskaite, University of Lincoln
Lucy Baker, Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex
Jason Phillips, Epping Forest Labour Party and Socialist Appeal
Rebecca Reynolds, Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies, University of Essex
Dr Laura Montanaro, Department of Government, University of Essex
Professor Gavin Brown, School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester
Constantin Mehmel, Department of Philosophy and Art History, University of Essex
Dave Muritu, Sandwell College UCU Branch Secretary, NEC
Prof. Peter Patrick, UCU, University of Essex
Dr Chris Rossdale, Department of International Relations, LSE
Dr Maurice Stierl, Department of Politics and International Studies, Warwick
Claire Simmons, Essex Law School and Human Rights Centre, University of Essex
Dr Owen Parker, Department of Politics, University of Sheffield
Dr David Bailey, Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham
Dr Paula Serafini, CAMEo Research Institute, University of Leicester
Dr Kevin McSorley, School of Education and Sociology, University of Portsmouth
Dr Ben Davies, University of Portsmouth
Garry McKnight, Business School, University of Edinburgh
James Ellison, Loughborough University
Evelina Gambino, Department of Geography, UCL
Dr Noel Cass. Department of Organisation, Work & Technology, Lancaster University
Dr Simon Parker, Department of Politics, University of York
George Bodie, School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies, UCL
Dr. Katy Fox-Hodess, School of Management, University of Sheffield
Joseph Leigh, International Relations, London School of Economics
Dr. Sara Clavero, Institute of Governance, Public Policy and Social Research, Queen’s University Belfast
Dr. Geoff Cole, Department of Psychology, University of Essex
Prof Jonathan Oppenheim, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London
Jennifer Dybell, Careers & Employability, Lancaster University
Dr Aggie Hirst, Department of War Studies, King’s College London
Dr. Uri Gordon, School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University
Ragnhild Freng Dale, Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge
Carlo Petrucci, School of Law, University of Essex
Dr. Milli Lake, London School of Economics
Dr Felix Fischer, School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London
Dr James Eastwood, School of Politics and International Relations, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Rachel Lewis, Sociology, Warwick University
Hanna Danbolt Ajer, Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, University of Cambridge
Dr Aris Mousoutzanis. Film & Screen Studies. School of Media, University of Brighton
Vicky Blake, University of Leeds UCU President / UCU NEC, Educational Engagement, University of Leeds
Dr Laura Colebrooke, Centre for Geography Environment and Society, University of Exeter
Dr Zoe Stewart, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester
Dr Sofa Gradin, King’s College London
Clint Verdonschot, Department of Philosophy and Art History, University of Essex
Dr Alexandre Christoyannopoulos, Loughborough University
Dr. Kenneth Weir, University of Leicester
Dr Nick Srnicek, Department of Digital Humanities, King’s College London
Dr Anil Yilmaz, University of Essex
Dr Nick Thoburn, Department of Sociology, University of Manchester
Dr Julia Boettcher, Mathematics Department, London School of Economics
Dr Anthony Faramelli, Department of Visual Cultures, Goldsmiths, University of London
Noel Douglas, School of Art and Design, University of Bedfordshire
Robert G. White, Kingston School of Art, Kingston University
Dr Hayley Newman, Slade School of Fine Art, University College London
Dr Emma Bridger, Department of Psychology, Birmingham City University
Dr Alexandra Reynolds, Solent University
Dr Alice Corble, Sociology Department, Goldsmiths University of London
Dr Gary Hazeldine, Department of Sociology, Birmingham City University
Dr Maryam Aldossari, Business School, University of Edinburgh