The electrocution of a young Syrian asylum seeker on Tuesday, who climbed on an electricity pillar because he was not allowed to follow his family out of Lesvos to the mainland, sparked new demonstrations in Moria camp. While the young man was hospitalized two more people attempted to climb on the electricity pillars on Wednesday and the demonstrations led to clashes with the police during the night. The police used tear gas inside the camp, while organizations were trying during the night to support the families who abandoned the camp because of the clashes. Today, Thursday the camp was locked down by the police and new arrivals could not proceed to the identification and registration.
Read the following articles and social media posts on the events:
Young Syrian refugee hospitalised after shock on power pillar | APE-MPE | 13 Mar. 2018
A teenage Syrian refugee was hospitalised on Lesvos on Tuesday after being shocked by electricity when he climbed a pillar to protest a migration decision.
According to sources, the 19-year-old was informed in the afternoon that his family would be transferred to Athens to complete their asylum application, while he would have to remain at the hotspot of Moria.
The young man climbed the pillar in protest, and when he inadvertently touched the transformer he was shocked by the current and thrown into a nearby stream. According to information, he is in the Mytilini hospital and out of danger.
Two refugees persuaded to climb down from electricity pillar after protest | APE-MPE | 14 Mar. 2018
Two young refugees, a 20-year old Syrian and a 19-year old Iraqi, climbed on an electricity pillar on Wednesday at the entrance of Moria hotspot on Lesvos, threatening to jump if they were not transported off the island.
The two refugees said they felt they had been trapped on Lesvos for months. They climbed down after the intervention of some of their compatriots and the help of police negotiators. On Tuesday, a 19-year old Syrian had also climbed on an electricity pillar to protest a decision keeping him on the island while the rest of his family were transported to the mainland, but was shocked by the current and fell off. He is being hospitalised at Mytilene hospital with burns but out of danger, according to the medical staff.
@MSF_Sea | 14 Mar 2018 | Twitter post >>>
#BREAKING: Very disturbing clashes today in # Moria between the #Greek police and refugees trapped in #Lesvos. Our teams outside the clinic together with #Moria medical support have treated six people for tear gas, among them three small babies.
Refugee 4 Refugees | 14 Mar 2018 | Facebook post >>>
This evening there was a big fire in Moria! Together with our team, Humans 4 Humanity, Attika Human Support and No Border Kitchen Lesvos, we brought the families and people to safety in our warehouse. Many people including volunteers, were suffering from the teargas. We made sure everyone received water and necessities. Thanks a lot for everyone today who helped to keep the refugees in Moria safe!
Riots in Moria | Are You Syrious | 14 Mar 2018
Riots have broken out once again in Moria following the near death of a young Syrian man who was denied asylum and forced to remain in Moria while the rest of his family was granted it. He was electrocuted as he climbed up an electric pillar in protest against this abhorrent decision. He survived but obtained serious and life threatening injuries, and is currently in Mytilini hospital.
Statements from volunteer groups on ground:
This follows recent and continuing suicide attempts, which have become a daily reality in the Greek islands. All around people are desperate and depressed: they don’t know what is next, why they can’t move on to the mainland, why they don’t get a decision, why they are treated like they are. — Lesvos Solidarity — PipkaMoria right now. People protesting after a boy almost killed himself yesterday because he was sick of the conditions, sick of waiting.The two year anniversary of the EU Turkey deal is upon us in a few days. Nothing has changed. If anything the situation is worse. — Refucomm
Lesvos Solidarity - Pikpa | 14 Mar 2018 | Facebook post >>>
A young Syrian man got electrocuted yesterday in Moria camp, when climbing an electricity pillar in protest of the decision to keep him stuck in Lesvos island. He survived but got severely injured. He is currently in Mytilini hospital. This follows recent and continuing suicide attempts, which have become a daily reality in the Greek islands. All around people are desperate and depressed: they don't know what is next, why they can't move on to the mainland, why they don't get a decision, why they are treated like they are.. The EU-Turkey deal in action. Two years on, the illustrations of the devastating impact of the deal on human lives are countless. Join our solidarity action on Saturday in Lesvos: https://www.facebook.com/events/2079834038898561/
For actions near you, visit 17March Against EU's Dirty Anti- Migration Deals
Refugee 4 Refugees | 15 Mar 2018 | Facebook post >>>
Last night was for many on Lesvos a sad and terrifying night. Late afternoon some people inside Moria camp saw the police hitting a woman. As a normal, human reaction they got angry. This resulted in a big fight between many men who live in Moria camp and the police. The police used an horrible amount of teargas against them, even in the areas and tents where families with kids live. A lot of people had breathing problems. Together with three other NGOs we took the families that were standing outside to our warehouse around 200 meters from Moria camp. There they were able to calm down a little bit and drink something. One of our main goals as an NGO is to empower the refugees, that’s why many of our volunteers are people who live in Moria. Unfortunately one of our amazing colleagues was taken yesterday night by the police, among hundreds of men who until now still remain in detention. He had nothing to do with the fights, because when this all started he was working with us in the warehouse. This shows, together with the use of the teargas and flash grenades, that the police can’t control the situation here anymore and that they’re violating human rights on a daily basis. Earlier this week a man tried to electrocute himself because his family was allowed to leave to Athens, but he had to stay on Lesvos. People are sick of waiting, literally sick of waiting. People wait for more than 6 months for their first interview and for more than a year for a decision. And in the meantime they are forced to live in the inhumane conditions of Moria camp. We will stay as long as needed on the island to be there for the people, help them wherever we can and give them a little bit of their dignity back. #sickofwaiting #safepassage #weareallhuman
Eight police officers injured during in clashes at Lesvos refugee camp | e-kathimerini.gr | 15 Mar. 2018
A riot by refugees and migrants at the Moria reception center on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos on Wednesday night led to injury of eight policemen. According to reports, the clashes broke out after some 150 people started to protest that they were trapped in the camp indefinitely and charged at police who arrived at the center, and set fires to dumpsters. In the last few days, three refugees and migrants threatened to commit suicide, and one of them was hospitalized after getting electrocuted while climbing up a pole. In a report issued earlier in the month, Amnesty International said overcrowding, poor sanitation and security lapses are putting refugees and migrants being kept at the reception and processing centers of Vathy on Samos and Moria on Lesvos at risk.