Thousands protest government’s illegal migration bill

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Thousands protest government’s illegal migration bill

Protesters have marched against the government's illegal migration bill in cities across the UK on Saturday, with organisers saying thousands had attended.

Demonstrators carried signs and banners, some reading no human is illegal, as they matched towards Downing Street in central London.

Organisers Stand Up To Racism and the Scottish Trades Union Congress STUC also protested in Glasgow and Cardiff against racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, fascism and the far right.

The legislation introduced by the home secretary, Suella Braverman, means refugees who arrive in the UK through unauthorised means such as crossing the Channel in a boat, will have their asylum claims deemed to be inadmissible.

Braverman is on a trip to Rwanda this weekend, for which the Guardian did not receive an invitation, to reaffirm her commitment to the government's policy to deport migrants to the African state.

Maria Frazier, 75, said she was protesting against the government because she agreed with Gary Lineker's comment about the language used to promote its immigration policies to that used in Germany in the 1930s.

The speech and language therapist from south London told PA Media: "We think there should be an indefinite general strike and the Tories should be removed by class action." They have got some quite violent programmes that they are trying to bring in they are trying to ban strikes, they are deporting immigrants it is not British.

Lineker was right when he said there are shades of the German Third Reich in the methods they use.

People are turning out because they are angry at the way the economy is being run and the deprivation that is going on while the rich people in power make themselves richer. Coachloads of protesters wore masks on social media depicting the face of Lineker, who was due to return to TV screens to present coverage of the FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester City and Burnley.

The broadcaster was taken off air last weekend for a tweet criticising the language used by ministers when talking about the government's asylum policy.

Planning officer Mark Daly, 65, who travelled from Horsham, West Sussex, said he wanted to stand against the government's racist bill.

The government is trying to make these people not only unwelcome but illegal. He said that we can't classify people as illegal because it's a racist policy from a racist government.

Lizi Cushen, 39, said she joined the anti-racism protest in London with her husband and sons, four and six, because she had been shocked by the scandal of missing refugee children from Home Office hotels.

The architect from Leyton, east London said: "The illegal migration bill is dehumanising everyone who is seeking asylum. It is important to protest because it is the only way to be heard and visible at the moment. Her sons held signs calling for safe passage for all kids like me. We see a lot of government ministers say they speak for the great British public, and we want to be here to say that they don't speak for us.