Last week saw two devastating events: a violent attack at the pride parade in Berlin, and a drowning of migrants attempting to cross the border into Spain.
ESWA wishes to express our solidarity and offer our deepest condolences to all who were affected. As a human rights and social justice organisation, we also feel we must acknowledge the systemic issues that lead to these tragedies in the first place, and demand accountablity.
ESWA stands in solidarity with Berlin's queer community
Berlin's queer community suffered a violent attack at Christopher Street Day (CSD) on July 25th. We share in the grief and pain of marginalized people who continue to be targeted by violence. As a sex worker-led organization, we know that our safety and the safety of queer communities are inseparable.
At the same time, we take a firm stance against the rising Islamophobia in Germany that instrumentalizes this tragedy to advance a far-right agenda, while on the same breath moving police forces to attack and arrest queer activists at the Internationalist Queer Pride happening on the same day. Community resilience and solidarity are the way forward.
ESWA stands in solidarity with Migrants Crossing in Ceuta
We expressed above how our rights as sex workers are inseparable from queer rights, they also inseparable from migrant rights. Since yesterday, we have seen images flood news and social media networks of thousands of migrants crossing the border in Ceuta. We have also seen massive anti-immigrant backlash across Europe with far right politicians stoking the flames and distorting the narrative.
The border in Ceuta is one of Europe’s only land borders with the African continent as a result of ongoing European colonial occupation. We denounce all colonial borders and their increasing militarization as well as the horrific villianisation of and violence against those migrating globally. We honour the lives of those who were lost trying to cross the border, and we call on the EU to respond.
