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Season 2 episode 4 of the Resist + Renew podcast, where we interview Savan from the No Evictions Network.

“Evictions, arresting people, kidnapping them – it has a long history… undermining human rights, disrespecting human beings”

- Savan

Show notes, links

No Evictions Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

A few extra links:

No Evictions' statement after the raid in Kenmure Street. A Guardian article summarising ("Glasgow protesters rejoice as men freed after immigration van standoff") and an interview with an NEN member ("Kenmure Street's 'van man' speaks out after protest in Pollokshields").

A site from NEN highlighting the conditions in asylum accommodation.

Transcript

ALI

This is Resist Renew,

KATHERINE

the UK based podcast about social movements,

SAMI

what we're fighting for, why and how it all happens.

ALI

The hosts of the show are

KATHERINE

Me, Kat.

SAMI

Me, Sami,

ALI

and me, Ali.

SAMI

I'm recording this now, baby!

ALI

Shit, it's a podcast!

KATHERINE

Okay, so here we go. Welcome to this episode of the Resist Renew podcast. Tonight we're really glad to be joined by Savan from the No Evictions Network. Savan is originally Kurdish, he joined the No Evictions Network in January 2021. He's a student studying Political Economy and Philosophy, as well as being a human rights activist and campaigner. Welcome. It's so great to have you tonight.

SAVAN

Thank you very much, Katherine. And Sami, thank you for having me.

KATHERINE

Great.

So we're gonna start with the first question, which is: What is the political context that you're organising in? Can you tell us a little bit about that?

SAVAN

Yes, in general, well, I, I suppose answer on behalf of No Evictions, so what No Evictions does at the moment, we concentrate on a few things. One of them is basically what we stand for is No Evictions. We're trying to see, we don’t want to see any eviction in Glasgow, in general because that's our capacity in Glasgow, but also we're trying to influence other organisations to do the same around Scotland and even in the UK.

We're focusing on that, and also the new Immigration Bill’s one of the things I'm focusing on. I've got a group, we are trying to resist as much as possible and trying to raise awareness and also influence, influence the politicians to stand up against the Immigration Bill. And one of the things it was I'm sure you both familiar with the Kenmure Street event it was trying to obviously was about eviction and arresting people during the Muslim celebration. Trying to put two people again in the van and stuff like that, so we have a group monitoring the immigration van and trying to be there for them be there for the people who are at risk to be you know, we call that kidnapping in our you know, a way to say kidnapping and actually taking them to somewhere we don't know and nobody else know. And we have a group focusing on raising awareness in East Ends and in those areas we focus in on those areas mainly refugees and asylum seekers learning.

And we trying to get in touch with the community, basically, be trying to raise awareness from the local community with the shop and you know, the neighbours and all of that. So we're trying to let them know that's what's going on. If you notice something please give us a call or please stand up, you know, we're trying to hold them off to we're going to be there. And we're trying to, you know, save lives as much as they possibly can. So that's what we mainly broadly we focus in on.

KATHERINE

Thanks so much for sharing, it sounds like really varied work as well that you're doing: both like on the ground stopping the kidnapping from happening, but also this raising awareness within the community so more people know. And,