Could you live on £5 a day?

A protest at St. Paul’s church in Covent Garden was held by refugee rights group STAR on Thursday. Political activists used posters, speakers, music and camped in St. Paul’s church to draw the attention of Londoners.
Campaign manager of ‘still human, still here’ and speaker, Michael Kay 44 from London, said the aim of the protest group was to: ‘end destitution for asylum seekers being made to live in poverty or on the streets’.

Amongst the curious public, political activists and students taking part was asylum Seeker Gladys Mabvira, 32 from Zimbabwe who spoke at the protest of her experiences as a detainee and refugee in the UK, claiming most refugees are ‘professionals who just want to work’.
Brandishing banners that read: ‘could you live on £5 a day’, referring to the daily benefit the government currently offers asylum seekers, the protest was peaceful, with some activists approaching people in the square to talk and raise awareness of the campaign.
There are 34 ‘STAR’ (student action for refugees) groups nationally and more events at London Universities and other places across the UK planned this week, for more information please visit: http://www.star-network.org.uk/.