An action organized in France by Droit Devant !, Kein Mensch Ist Illegal and No with our Money ! against Sodexho’s misery market .

Anti-Sodexho Action Staged by European Refugee & Prison Activists

An action organized in France by Droit Devant !, Kein Mensch Ist Illegal and Not with our Money ! against Sodexho’s misery market .

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday,
October 20, 2001

For information on Not With Our Money! contact: Kevin Pranis or May Va
Lor, (646) 486-6715, (917) 860-4635, kpra...@nomoreprisons.org,
may...@nomoreprisons.org
For information on the action contact Droit Devant!! in Paris at (33)
1.42.58.82.18 or p.wa...@tchitchi.org

Refugee Rights, Anti-Private Prison Groups Join Forces in Paris Action
Representatives from France, Germany, U.K. and U.S. Criticize Sodexho Alliance

Paris, France. A group of more than one hundred immigrants' rights and
prison activists occupied a tour-boat launch owned by French multinational
Sodexho Alliance for two hours today to protest the company's involvement
in a number of highly controversial privatization schemes including the
operation of private prisons and detention centres as well as a voucher
scheme that advocates say exploits refugees.

The action was spearheaded by Droit Devant!!, a French organization whose
membership includes both activists and undocumented immigrants. According
to a Jean-Claude Amara, a spokesperson for Droit Devant!!, Sodexho was
chosen as a target because the company "makes profits off marginalized
groups [including] prisoners, asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants."

Sodexho has come under fire in the U.S. because of its involvement in the
private prison industry, and in the U.K. because the company operates an
unpopular asylum seeker voucher system, but until today, the company's
activities had attracted little controversy in France.

Sodexho is involved in the operation of semi-private prisons in France
through subsidiary (SIGES) and the company also issues vouchers for
housework that are frequently used to employ immigrants; both activities
were denounced by rally participants. The company was also criticized by a
representative of Kein Mensch Ist Illegal, a German immigrant rights
organization, for operating a voucher system similar to the system in the U.K.

According to Kevin Pranis, who addressed the gathering on behalf of the
student-led Not With Our Money! campaign against prison profiteers, called
the action an historic event. "Droit Devant!! has organized the first
truly multinational action against a multinational company that uses
prisoners and refugees as a source of profit."

Pranis described to the audience how North American students succeeded in
forcing Sodexho to divest from Corrections Corporation of America ("By
speaking to Sodexho in the language they understandmoney!") and explained
that students were committed to continuing the fight until Sodexho gets rid
of its private prison subsidiaries in the U.K. and Australia. While Not
With Our Money! remains focused on the private prison issue, Pranis says
that the group will continue collaborating with "others who find themselves
on the wrong end of Sodexho's misery market."

For more information:

nomoreprisons.org

To Montrealers: Concordia's cafetria is operated by Sodexho. Anyone who
wants to start up an effort to boycott them should contact the Concordia
Student Union.