An anti-deportation campaigner who took part in a blockade of Yarl's Wood detention centre in July 2009 has been sentenced to 16 days in prison for refusing to pay her fine. Zelda Jeffers had been fined £450 by Bedford Magistrates Court on 2nd November for taking part in the Stop Deportation protest on 30th June against a mass deportation flight to Nigeria via Dublin on that day.

Update: Zelda has been released after serving half her term (8 days) >> more details.

Around 1:30pm, as the Yarl's Wood deportees were being put on the coaches to be taken to the airport, supporters and campaigners started a demonstration outside, blocking the only way out of the centre. The protest lasted until about 4:30pm, when it was removed by police and the coaches left immediately afterwards.

Zelda was arrested for 'obstruction of a police officer', although all she did was to sit down and refuse to leave as the police only asked the protesters to leave and did not read out an official warning.

Zelda, who is a member of London Catholic Worker and an enthusiastic supporter of refugee struggles, is now held at HMP Peterborough.

You can write to Zelda or send her a card of support at:
London Catholic Worker
16 De Beauvoir Road
London, N1 5SU
Or send an email to londoncatholicworker[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]uk.

For more details on the flight and blockade, see our press releases:
http://stopdeportation.net/node/18
http://stopdeportation.net/node/19