Villawood under siege
July 24: Hunger strike by 100 asylum seekers begins at Villawood Immigration Detention Centre. A roll call occurs five times a day. Twenty Refugee Action Collective activists, outside the camp showing their solidarity, are attacked by security guards employed by centre managers, ACM.
July 25: Riot control guards and police deployed at Villawood IDC. Harassment and intimidation of hunger strikers intensifies. Immigration department official threatens that if asylum seekers do not end the hunger strike, their cases will fail or will be indefinitely delayed, and they will be transferred to jail. Hunger strikers forced to take refuge in the detention centre's recreation room. ACM refuses medical care to sick hunger strikers, including diabetic Batrice Niombo.
July 26: All communication, water and power are disconnected. All detainees, not just hunger strikers, are now incommunicado. ACM and police try to get the hunger strikers to board buses to an unknown location, but fail. Children of asylum seekers are taken from their mothers by ACM.
July 27: RAC-organised protest at Villawood draws 50 people, who are refused entry to visit detainees. The immigration department promises there are “no plans to transfer detainees”.
July 28: RAC protest, 20 people, at John Howard's city office.
July 29: At 4am, ACM security guards and riot police break down the door to the Villawood IDC recreation room. Hunger strikers are handcuffed, sedated, carried to trucks. ABC reports hunger strikers are moved to Woomera and Port Hedland.
July 31: Water, phone and power are restored to Villawood. RAC activists banned from contacting detainees or visiting the centre. At least six detainees remain on hunger strike at Villawood and the hunger strike continues in Port Hedland.
August 1: Media conference, attended by NSW Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon and representatives of the RAC and Amnesty International, condemns the treatment of asylum seekers.
August 4: RAC protest of 50 people occupies Blacktown Migrant Centre. Immigration minister Philip Ruddock pulls out of a planned meeting there.
