After setting up camp safely and seeing in midnight and the start of the protest last night, the morning saw us heading off to Asda for our food for the week. We had our Red Cross food parcel shopping list, and had found out the nearest Asda was about 3 miles away. We had to use Asda because we had bought vouchers for that supermarket from a friend in Manchester who is a refused asylum seeker but who gets section 4 support so is issued with these vouchers by the government. We felt this was a small part of solidarity with those facing this system. Though we have concerns about the voucher system itself the main thing we were aware of is that most refused asylum seekers (unlike our friend) would get no support at all so in reality we would have had no vouchers to use.
It was a lovely sunny morning so made a nice walk but I was very concious of the time it took to get there when I am used to using our local shop across the road. Vouchers for Asda mean you can only shop there and believe it or not there isn’t always a store that near. Of course we didn’t have money for public transport to get there so you are immediately aware of how the ordinary tasks in life quickly become more of a challenge.
We started recording our shopping trip when we arrived but somewhat predicatably we discovered that this wasn’t allowed in the store. When Ben gets the video up online you’ll see my foray into the fruit and veg section only though we hope for permission to video next week. As we continued to shop I became aware of two things. Firstly how basic our menu was going to be and secondly how it wasn’t going to be easy as a vegetarian.
There is enough food to keep going I think (though camping always makes me more hungry) and it is relatively balanced but we were of course keeping costs down with saver items. In total it came to £19.11 for the two of us but the Red Cross parcel budget is only £6.50 a head. I know that they get savings from bulk buying but it worries me that with food prices going up the most vulnerable will get even less.
In terms of veggy food there is very limited fresh fruit and veg (1 apple, orange, banana and pear plus 2 onions, potatoes, carrots and 1 pepper) and there are hot dogs in a can, sardines and tuna. Plus the 1 stock cube for the week is chicken! At least Ben will swap me some veg for the meat/fish. The rate of trade at the close of the day was 1 tin for 1 onion!
The walk back with all the shopping was a bit of a pain and again makes you count your blessings with nearby shops, and money for the bus if you need it. When we got ‘home’ I drafted a menu for the week which has lots of bread at the start (before it goes stale) and lots of rice and pasta at the end. It will be good to appreciate the simple things in life as dry bread for breakfast and lunch has made me realise alreayd. Anyway I need to get back to camp to cook tea - baked beans and bread tonight. Sleep well everyone!
Well, our protest begins at midnight tonight - very exciting!
Ben & I have been planning and preparing the protest with the help from some friends over this last week, getting the right equipment for camping on Parliament Square and making banners and placards. Take a look at some of our preparations!
If you’re on Facebook, please join our group in support! If you’re not on Facebook, please signup then join our group!
Once you’ve joined our Facebook group, you’ll be able to join our discussions, upload photos and videos you might take while visiting us, leave us comments and post links so get stuck in!
Our campaign can now be followed on Twitter! Twitter.com allows you to post short messages about what you are doing or thinking or feeling so that your friends or family can know.
I have now enabled my mobile phone to send messages to my Twitter account which means that you can know what Ben and I are doing in these next few days in the run up to our Protest and while we are living at Parliament Square.
If you use Twitter, go to my page here and click “Follow” to keep updated.
Documentary maker Nick Broomfield has made a new short film for Amnesty International to highlight the issue of destitute refused asylum seekers in the UK. It is very good and well worth 13 minutes of your time!
As one of your constituents, I would like to arrange a meeting with you about the plight of refused Asylum Seekers both in Manchester, and the UK.
I am going to be living outside the Houses Of Parliament for 2 weeks from 29th September 2008 to the 12th October 2008 as a protest against the destitution of refused Asylum Seekers. I will be doing this with a friend (also called Ben) and we will be living as destitute Asylum Seekers, sleeping in tents at Parliament Square and eating the contents of a Red Cross food parcel each week.
To read more about our protest and campaign, please see our website: http://asylumstories.co.uk/protest/
I would like to meet you in your office at the Houses Of Parliament during the 2 week period I am living outside. I would also like to bring an asylum seeker with me to explain their situation.
I saw that on 22nd July 2008 you asked a question about the Independent Asylum Commission to the Secretary Of State, so it is clear that you care about this issue.
Please let me know when we can meet as soon as you can since the protest is rapidly approaching!
One of the most important parts of our protest is that we live as much as possible as destitute Asylum Seekers over the 2 weeks we are at Parliament Square. As well as only eating the contents of a Red Cross food parcel, we will also be “sleeping rough”.
Many refused Asylum Seekers end up destitute, sleeping under bridges or in phone boxes etc. Ben and I have decided that in solidarity with their plight, we will sleep outside, not at a friends house or my wife’s parents flat.
I called the Special Events Team at Charing Cross Police Station a few days ago to let them know what we are planning and to see what we might need to do to get any permission we might need. The officer I spoke to was very understanding about our protest and not in any way antagonistic. He simply told me what we ought to expect if we were to sleep in tents at Parliament Square.
He pointed out that there were byelaws from Westminster Council and the Greater London Authority banning the erection of tents at Parliament Square. This is the Westminster Council Byelaw is here and the Greater London Authority Byelaw is here.
Because of these byelaws, the police officer said that our tents could be searched at any time and removed if found without its owner. If Westminster Council decided to prosecute us, then of course we could be arrested.
Brian Haw and his supporters currently sleep in tents on the pavement on the East side of Parliament Square which is managed by Westminster Council. Many attempts have been made to legally force them off the Square, but none have succeeded. So we will join Brian’s protest. He has already said that we can join him and that he supports our protest aims.
Brian has lived at Parliament Square since 2001 and passionately protests against the British War machine, particularly our acts of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Brian has expressed deep concern for people fleeing threatening situations and coming to Britain and is appalled, like many people, at how the Asylum system in Britain treats such Asylum Seekers. Our shared concern and anger at how our country treats foreign people, both in their own nation and in our nation, means that our protests are very closely linked.
Ben and I know of a number of people who have said that they would like to come and join our protest for a night or two during our 2 weeks. We can only point out the above information and that it is at your own risk, though any support is muchly appreciated!
This great short film from grainmedia highlights the misunderstandings around Asylum issues in Britain and presents the facts in an engaging and informative way.
If you want to understand more about why Ben and I are doing this protest, I highly recommend you watch it!
Our campaign can now be followed on Twitter! 
