"Hands off my friend"

Two thousand campaigners marched on Downing Street to tell Prime 
Minister Tony Blair to get his hands off asylum-seekers. The Trafalgar 
Square rally heard speakers denouncing the anti-asylum stance of 
Conservative leader William Hague and warned Labour against trying to play 
the race card in the coming elections.

Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn pointed out that over 1,000 asylum-seekers were 
currently detained in Britain and "not one of them is a criminal".

Green MEP Jean Lambert said that it was encouraging to see the range of 
organisations present at the rally. "It's crucial that we have such a 
united front in the battle against racism and xenophobia", Ms Lambert said.

TV personality Kevin Whateley, famous for his role as Sergeant Lewis in 
"Inspector Morse", said "We're all immigrants — we have a German royal 
family".

Mr Whateley was one of the many actors, MPs, trade unionists, religious 
figures and campaigners who signed up to the appeal urging justice for 
asylum-seekers, which was handed in to 10 Downing Street.

Labour MP Diane Abbott said that she was "ashamed of the way my party has 
tried to outdo the Tories in rhetoric against asylum-seekers. It has done 
nothing for the reputation of the country.

"A New Britain under New Labour could and should behave in a much more 
principled way to people suffering persecution", she told the rally, which 
was organised by Speak Out Against Racism — Defend Asylum Seekers.

Fazil Kawani of the Refugee Council warned that "asylum-seekers are among 
some of the most disadvantaged people in Britain".