The authorities of Lesbos threaten volunteer aid workers

On Sunday 11 October 2015, the municipal authorities of Lesbos, more specifically deputy mayor Giorgos Katzanos, in charge of sanitation and garbage disposal on the island, and Giorgos Saroglos, spokesman for the village of Skala Sykaminia, threatened us concerning the structures erected on the beach and ordered us to remove them. They actually gave us a deadline of one week; otherwise they threaten to evict us by force.

Today local residents confirmed that this evacuation is to go ahead. While it is also known that the Golden Dawn member of parliament Lagos is visiting the island this weekend, we were given to understand that this is likely to take place in Skala Sykaminia under escort of the fascists.

The project was formed and consolidated two weeks ago by a number of aid workers and groups of several different nationalities, many of whom will be here on Sunday. We call on all those who support solidarity with the refugees on the island to come to the structures of the Autonomous Solidarity Initiative this evening, Saturday, to oppose the authorities' plans and to confront whatever may arise.

We are here because we uphold the political position of displaying solidarity with the refugees/migrants. Any threat to us is a threat to refugees/migrants.

Autonomous Initiative for Solidarity with Refugees/Migrants

Going to Lesv/bos

OK so it's two weeks to go before the trip to Lesvos. Notice the spelling? Some of the islanders are irritated about these gay women co-opting their island's name, and actually took a lesbian group to court about it back in 2008. They lost. Anyway, Lesbos prefers to call itself Lesvos these days, so that it doesn't make anyone think of lesvians.

It's quite something if an island of 89,000 people suddenly finds itself in the epicentre of a refugee crisis. People have always crossed over from Turkey here, because it's so close, just 10 kilometres. But whereas in the past just one boat a week might come over, with 10 people or so, now there are 100 boats a day, with 50 people in each one. The people smugglers are just middlemen, but once people have bought their tickets they they are at the mercy of the Turkish mafia who actually organise the boats. These people are utterly despicable. They force people onto the boats, far too many in each one, even if the wind is too high, and then leave them to navigate themselves. Greek fishermen go out to save lives every night, and save an average of 400 people every day. Sadly, lives are lost every week as well. Today a coastguard vessel collided with a boat and seven people drowned, including three children.

I bought a few supplies, such as emergency blankets, rain ponchos, toothbrushes and so on, to give to anyone I come across who needs them, or otherwise to leave at one of the camps. And I bought a grabber, one of those sticks with a clamp at the end that helps you pick things up without bending down, so that I can help to clean up some of the rubbish as I move around.

I have no idea what I'm going to be doing yet. I'll be working with the volunteer group at the Captain's Table, a restaurant where Melinda McRostie runs the initial aid effort, but there are about forty volunteers working there at any one time, and many different tasks. Since I speak Greek and will have a car, I may get sent off to fetch packages from the post office. And there are piles and piles of clothes to be sorted.