This Saturday, about 3000 Africans from all countries of the continent and their supporters came together in front of the Libyan embassy in Berlin, in order to protest against slavery, rape and abuse committed against their sisters and brothers in Libya. They were very angry but remained peaceful, while the police was present in big numbers to protect the embassy, and also to control newcomers to the demonstration. Many demonstrators perceived this as a provocation and a biased protection of the Libyans.
To begin with, the protesters accused the politicians of the European Union and NATO of legitimizing these human rights abuses.
We had a very moving interview with Victoria Baxter whose family originates from Ghana. She explained how stunned she was by her experience in 2017 when she confronted slavery. She criticizes the inefficiency of the European Union that seems overburdened by the consequences of its own policies, but is also too proud to accept proposals for a constructive solution. “Black people are still being abused as slaves and the Europeans know it. Still they support the Arab world with money and weapons and pretend not to see what is happenning.” This is a shame, she says. She demands that all the citizens of the EU, who pay taxes and therefore finance these actions, should stand up and protest, instead of agitating against refugees. In the end, everything would fall back on them: “Raise your voice against your politicians, not against refugees! If they do not start to act today, I wouldn’t like to be in their shoes. The people will not be stopped.”
Photos by Jos Ajabo:
Photos by Johanna Heuveling:
