NSW:Hundreds gather to support Villawood men

AAP General News (Australia)
04-25-2011
NSW:Hundreds gather to support Villawood men

SYDNEY, April 25 AAP - Hundreds of refugee supporters have gathered outside Sydney's
Villawood Detention Centre to support three detainees protesting on the rooftop.

However, the centre's other detainees are in lock-down, unable to communicate with the crowd.

The supporters on Monday marched the two kilometres from Chester Hill Railway Station,
in Sydney's southwest, to the detention centre to show their solidarity with those on
the other side of the fence.

"Freedom," they chanted, and the cry was returned by the men on the roof.

The three men are in the sixth day of a protest that began on Wednesday, when a riot
involving 100 detainees left nine buildings gutted by fire.

Twenty-two of the alleged rioters were taken to Sydney's Silverwater jail.

Majid Parhizkar, 24, from Iran, and stateless Kurdish men Mehdi and Amir, whose applications
for asylum have been twice rejected, are refusing to come down from the roof.

Majid's brother Hadi, 25, has been camping outside the detention centre since Thursday
and says he is worried about his brother, who has been without food since the protest
began.

"It's not good, he's very hungry and they can't resolve the problem," Hadi told reporters
at the scene.

"It's dangerous for him and I want (him to come down).

"We came to Australia together two years ago and I was accepted after six months and
Majid has not been and we want to know the reason."

His brother could not go back to Iran because he might be killed for converting to
Christianity, Hadi said.

Majid felt as if he had nothing to lose and if he came down from the rooftop he might
be sent to jail or be deported, he said.

The refugee supporters maintained a one-minute silence for Anzac Day, as police and
detention centre security guards closely monitored the area.

AAP lxs/wjf/hn/de

KEYWORD: DETAINEES UPDATE (PIX AVAILABLE)

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