The government has a responsibility to help people seeking refuge, not detain them 4,000 miles away
- Holly Hudson is an organiser with Green New Deal Rising
On Friday night, I and several others went undercover to a crowded dinner party held by the Bassetlaw Conservatives Association and challenged the home secretary, Priti Patel, on her inhumane “Rwanda plan” to process refugees offshore. The newspapers called us a “mob”, but I know that we were simply standing up for what is right.
A lot had led up to this moment. We at Green New Deal Rising, who are based all over the UK, had been thinking for days about how to get our message across. We bought tickets to the event, knowing that if we had been outside we might not have been able to speak directly to Patel. On the way there I felt nervous, but determined. As we travelled there together we shared our stories of why we cared and why we were willing to take action despite the personal risk. This helped us remain focused and positive, even through our nerves. Dressing the part helped, too, and we spent time restyling our slightly “youthful” haircuts into something that wouldn’t ring alarm bells.
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Holly Hudson is an organiser with Green New Deal Rising
