Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy Now 20150909

Yeah. Thousands. Amy refugees escaping war in syria and other countries continue to cross into europe as the president of the European Commission proposes a plan for all European Union nations to help settle refugees. About 100,000, 100 60,000. That is the number of europeans that have to take in. And i really hope this time everyone will be on board. Needed for theis time. Amy to talk about the refugee crisis, we will go to guests in the anna, london, and germany and speak with her syrian refugee in austria as well as a Syrian American here at home who is calling for the u. S. To accept more Syrian Refugees. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The United Nations is now estimating at least 850,000 people are expected to cross the mediterranean this year and next seeking refuge in europe to , escape violence and unrest in syria, afghanistan, pakistan, iraq, subsaharan africa, and other regions. 366,000 have already arrived in europe this year. Earlier today, the president of the European Commission called on European Union Member States to accept a total of 160,000 asylumseekers from wartorn countries. This comes as venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro has announced venezuela will take in 20,000 Syrian Refugees while brazilian president Dilma Rousseff says brazil will welcome refugees with open arms. Chiles president Michelle Bachelet says chile will also accept more refugees. The United States, meanwhile, is reportedly considering taking in more Syrian Refugees as it faces increasing domestic and international pressure. White house spokesperson josh earnest spoke out about the crisis. We continue to be concerned position oflnerable so many people who are fleeing violence in their home country. In the United States, in the way we play leading role in confronting so many other thorny and difficult problems come repared to continue problems, are prepared to continue and playing a leading role in trying to assist those organizations that are trying to meet the needs and basic military needs. Amy the United States has resettled only approximately 1500 syrians since the violence began. We will look at the global refugee crisis around the world after headlines. British authorities are defending the recent drone killing up to british syrians citizens in syria accused of fighting for isil. England does not have a parliamentary mandate to take military action in syria. On tuesday, the British Defense minister Michael Fallon reiterated David Camerons statements that it was in selfdefense. There are a group of terrorists in syria working with isil to try and carry out armed attacks here in britain on our streets, major Public Events involving significant loss of life. So that is the danger of a that is the threat we face. Our agencies are working extremely hard to try to identify whos involved in what can be done to prevent those attacks. There is no other way preventing then, yes, we have to carry out strikes act this. Amy in turkey, a wave of nationalist violence swept the country overnight as protesters attacked the headquarters of the prokurdish hdp party and a kurdish newspaper office. The hdp says its offices were attacked in at least a half dozen cities, including in ankara and in the southern resort city of alanya, where the headquarters were set on fire. In istanbul, nationalists attacked the headquarters of the turkish newspaper hurriyet, smashing windows and throwing stones. The hdp party was formed in 2012 as a leftleaning socialist party. It had helped broker peace talks between the turkish gogovernment and the militant kurdistan workers party, known as the pkk, before the truce collapsed earlier this summer. Turkish Security Forces have now crossed into Northern Iraq as the military launched airstrikes against kurdish militants, killing 40. The attacks come after 14 turkish policemen were killed in eastern turkey on tuesday and turkish soldiers killed in a 16 roadside bomb explosion on sunday. Meanwhile, two british vice journalists who had been imprisoned in turkey on terrorist charges have been released. Jake hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury of vice news were detained in august while covering protests in eastern turkey over the governments military offensive against kurdish dissident groups. A translator remains in custody. In the united ststes, congress states, commerce returned from summer recess tuesday with the Historic Nuclear Deal with iran topping the agenda. Four more Democratic Senators announced their support for the deal tuesday, cementing the deals future. The addition of Richard Blumenthal of connecticut, Maria Cantwell of washington, gary peters of michigan, and ron wyden of oregon brings the total number of supporters in the senate to 42. The new total appears to ensure president obama will not need to veto any republican attempt to undermine the nuclear deal, since republicans now lack the 60 votes needed to overcome a democratic filibuster of a resolution against the nuclear deal. Meanwhile, former Vice President dick cheney has emerged as a leading critic of the iran deal, telling an audience at the American Enterprise institute the agreement would give iran the means to launch a Nuclear Attack on the u. S. Homeland. Cheney was interrupted by michaela anang, a peace protester with codepink, who called cheney a war criminal and held a banner which read, wrong in iraq, wrong in iran. The iranians get the better of us in these negotiations. [inaudible] [indiscernible] amy democratic president ial candidate Hillary Clinton is expected to deliver a major address on the Iran Nuclear Deal today, voicing support for the agreement after helping to lay the groundwork for it as secretary of state. But clinton is also expected to take a more militant stance on iran than obama, vowing to take military action if iran moves toward nuclear bomb making capabilities. President obama has merely said he would keep military action on the table. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has apologized for relying exclusively on a private email server while she was secretary of state. A day after she told the Associated Press she didnt need to apologize because what i did was allowed. Clinton apologized in an interview with abc news. In retrospect, certainly, as i look back at it now, even though it was allowed, i shouldve used to accounts. One for personal, one for workrelated emails. That was a mistake. Im sorry about that. I take responsibility. And im trying to be as transparent as i possibly can to not only release 55,000 pages of my emails, turn over my server, but im looking forward, finally, to testify before Congress Something i have been asking for for nearly a year. Amy and in guatemala, a judge has ordered ousted president Otto Perez Molina must remain in jail while awaiting trial over a multimillion dollar Corruption Scandal that sparked widespread popular protests and led to the president s resignation. Perez molina is being charged with criminal association, taking bribes and customs fraud. , in kentury, Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis has been released from jail after five days behind bars for refusing a judges order to provide marriage licenses to samesex couples. U. S. District judge David Bunning ordered davis released , but said she cannot interfere with her deputies who have been issuing licenses to samesex couples in her absence. Republican president ial candidates ted cruz and Mike Huckabee met with davis while she was behind bars. After her release, she appeared on stage, holding her attorney and Mike Huckabees hands, with tears in her eyes as eye of the tiger played from speakers. Kim davis addressed the crowd. I just want to give god the glory. People have rallied and you are a strong people. God who knowsing exactly where each and every one of us is at. Just keep on. Dont let down, because he is here and he is worthy. He is worthy. Amy frankie sullivan, frontman of the band survivor, which sings eye of the tiger, posted on facebook no we did not grant kim davis any rights to use my tune the eye of the tiger. I would not grant her the rights to use charmin referring to the brand of toilet paper. In kansas, a jury has recommended that white supremacist Frazier Glenn miller receive the death penalty. Miller was convicted earlier in september of capital murder for killing three people at a Jewish Community center and assisted living facility in the kansas city suburb of Overland Park last year. In seattle, the Teachers Union launched a strike today for the first day of school after negotiations broke down tuesday night. The city and the union are facing disagreements over standardized tests, Staffing Levels and pay. The strike comes after washingtons Supreme Court ruled last week that the states new Charter School system is unconstitutional. This is the first teachers strike in seattle in 30 years. United airlines ceo and two other Senior Executives have stepped out and missed a federal corruption probe. Federal authorities are investigating whether united launched a direct flight from newark to columbia, South Carolina to curry favor with david samson, the former chair of the Port Authority of new york and new jersey, which operates all new york area airports. Sampson, who at a weekend home in columbia, South Carolina, is a longtime ally of new jersey governor and republican president ial candidate governor Chris Christie. He resigned in the wake of that bridge gates can aware Chris Christie appointees and staffers apparently colluded to create traffic jams on the George Washington bridge as a form of political revenge against democratic mayor who would not support Chris Christie. Tuesday, september 8, marked native american womens equal pay day. On average, American Indian and alaska native women are paid only . 59 for every that white dollar men earn. Hasaltimore, the city reached a tentative 6. 4 million settlement with the family of freddie gray. You was an africanamerican man who died in april after being arrested and transported without a seat belt in a police van. His family said his spine was 80 severed at the neck. Police said they arrested him for making eye contact with them, then running away. Six Baltimore Police officers are currently facing criminal prosecution over his death. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with juan gonzalez. Juan welcome to all our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. The United Nations is now estimating at least 850,000 people are expected to cross the mediterranean this year and next , seeking refuge in europe to escape violence and unrest in syria, afghanistan, pakistan, iraq, subsaharan africa, and other regions. 366,000 people have already arrived in europe this year. On a singleday record 7000 monday, Syrian Refugees arrived in the former yugoslav republic of macedonia. Earlier today, the president of the European Commission called on the Member States of the European Union to accept a total 160,000 asylumseekers from wartorn countries. Jeanclaude juncker made the remarks during the state of the European Union speech in strasbourg, france. Were not talking about 40,000, it is 160,000. That is the number of europeans have to take in and have to take in their hearts. And a really hope that this time, everyone will be on board. No red recs. Action is what is needed for the time. Amy under the European Commission, quotas would be set for all 22 nations across europe to take in refugees. Germany has already said it can accept half a million refugees each year. Many other european nations, quitting hungary, the czech republic, slovakia, and poland, have opposed a compulsory system. On tuesday, leaders from nearly 60 countries met in paris to address measures to aid the rapidly growing number of people fleeing to europe. U. N. High commissioner for refugees Antonio Guterres called the european asylum system extremely dysfunctional and, in the recent weeks, completely chaotic, and called on the rest of the worlds leaders to do more to help those seeking asylum. There no reasons to be optimistic about forced displacement in the world. One. Is nothing only it is, of course, the biggest one, and the one lesser to the european borders. Closer to the european borders. Either increased capacity to improve prevention and to more effectively solve conflicts, or, i think, the refugee problem is going to go on increasing in the years to come. Juan according to the United Nations high commissioner for refugees, approximately 2500 people are believed to have died or gone missing trying to reach europe so far this year. Just over a week ago, 37 people died when a boat capsized off the libyan coast. This came just days after another boat capsized off the libyan coast, killing more than 200 people. Around the same time, 71 refugees were found dead in an abandoned truck on the main highway between budapest and vienna, the victims of negligence by the smugglers they entrusted to bring them to safety. And the world was stunned as images of one of the youngest victims of the migrant crisis, threeyearold syrian boy aylan kurdi, went viral. His body was shown to be washed up on the beach. His family was attempting to reach canada when they drowned in the mediterranean sea. Amy well, today we will spend much of the hour discussing the migrant crisis with policy makers, volunteers, and organizers. Were going first to stuttgart, germany, where we are joined via democracy now video stream by annette groth. She is a member of the German Parliament and spokeswoman for human rights for the left party. Annette just returned last week from a trip to hungary, where she saw thousands of migrants stranded at the budapest train station. Welcome to democracy now can you talk about what you saw and what, annette groth, you think needs to happen . Well, i saw a really horrible pictures. I mean, many, many families lying on the ground, babies on the ground. Hardly any water, no toilet, no sanitation, no medical service. It was really appalling. And i am glad that some of the people i met there made it to germany. I am in contact with several of them. And i hope that every german will warmly welcome them because they deserve it. They have such a poor story behind them. Horror story behind them. I feel to every one in the world, please look at refugees. I listen carefully to the news. What is the route for this massive migration . And the former u. S. Government who is accountable for it. Im very sorry to say so, but it is the truth. It was bush who invaded iraq. , destroying libya been syria. And now saudi arabia, with the help of other german weapons, is invading this is the next country where we will receive refugees. The whole area of the middle war andcovered by terror. Therefore, people are leaving the country. , the wholete groth issue of the migrants, once they get to europe, there will be transported to the country they would like to ultimately get to. Your assessment of the different reactions of various Member States and the European Union and the sole issue of of our sing them trekking through one country of another in his makeshift camps . Understand the , forcing themeece on the boats. There is no [indiscernible] they have to take the illegal way, unfortunately, which is very risky. There landing in the greek islands. Theyre being forced to take the bus or march of to the border. Where i was before went to budapest. At the border to macedonia. Cross the fence on the will be completed. A most likely this will be the case next week. I asked myself, what is going to happen then . Nobody wants to stay in serbia nor hungary. Hungary is a very, very hostile environment, therefore, i am really against a setting up a border system for refugees because they should choose the country where they want to go to. I would not go to hungary. It is terrible. It is not human. That lived in a camp for two days. No water, no food, no nothing. This is not europe. Were not safeguarding human rights or european values, as our politicians are saying. It is horror. Nobody wants to go [indiscernible] people want to go to sweden, germany, belgium because many, many syrians have family members in our countries. There are many, many syrians living in germany. Here, hasas a sister a twoyearold son here because she gave it away to her sister. Has no residence permit and the mother is in berlin. And so on. This is what we need to do. We are obliged by International Law and by the geneva protocol to accommodate and to receive people in distress, in need. Amy you are a member of the German Parliament and you have made a link to between the massive refugee catastrophe that. S now unfolding and arms sales, german arms sales, u. S. Arms sales. Can you explain . Well, it is our arms which are also killing and destroying these countries. [indiscernible] germany,ern part of the industry is located. It is very fluent region. Is the thirdany biggest weapons exporter. We have very good relations with saudi arabia and fatah and despite massive protest, and my party always protests, our government is still delivering arms to saudi arabia. Saudi arabia is also supporting what is this . We are rather stupid to do so. Therefore, it is the arms business, arms exports should be stopped immediately. I mean, i say there are more arms in the middle east than bread. I remember a discussion with an ambassador from this region about three years ago, and he looked at us and said, it is time that the west collects the weapons you have brought us. I would like to ask you about the response in germany. Chancellor merkel has been among the leaders opening up the country, your country, to a large percentage of the refugees that are coming in to also your mark billions of dollars in financial aid. But at the same time, there is still a strong and growing rightwing movement in germany, as in many other european countries, that is antiimmigrant. Could you talk about what has been happening with this rightwing movement . Yes, this is not a new phenomenon. But with the increasing, lets increasing,s and lets say, or high unemployment etc. , etc. , particularly, i must say in east germany, but also in west germany i dont to deny that at all and very, very concerned about this. And i hope that the police is now much more prosecuting the nazis than they did before. [indiscernible] our secret Service Makes of the extreme left and they call it for the worst enemy of the government, of the state. Nazi movement was completely neglected. I must say i feel so ashamed that my friends not far from stuttgart, germany, a family of 16, [indiscernible] medical doctor. I met them. If something would happen to them because some nazi rightwing gangster would throw something at the house now, it would be so terrible for me and i dont understand. I the few seasonal should be put in prison for many years. Guess i think these people should be put in prison for many years. I dont think there should be a part in for them. They need to carefully watch the Nazi Movement in germany and is something is happening, they should be penalized. Amy you just came from hungary. There are reports there on an Internet Television Channel Associated with hungarys far right party fired a camera operator after images of her kicking and tripping migrants spread across social networks. She was captured on video tripping and migrant fleeing from the police at a makeshift relocation camp 100 yards from the serbian border, but it is not just about her. The Roman Catholic prelate in southern hungary, cited the chant of muslims freeing war in the middle east saying, they are not refugees, this is an invasion, supporting the hungarian Prime Ministers position on preventing refugees from coming in. Annette groth, your response . I saw it on my facebook and on social media as well. I was shocked. If i had been there, i would have slapped her in the face. She was immediately fired. Concerning the bishop, i am saying i am shocked. My father has a church background. Andosely follow the pope the church should accommodate at least two refugees in their houses. I found this rather remarkable. This was the bishop and hungry med it is unchristian for and he should be immediately expelled. He should lose his bishop seats, whatever it is. Amy young erin Prime Minister said, migration from muslim lands undermines efforts to keep europe christian. That is not a christian saying. He is very unchristian, would say. It is just the opposite where i believe is christian. We should give the poorest persons everything we have and share it and so on and so on. I cannot say it now, it is out of my hands, the part of the bible where it is, but i was brought up [indiscernible] for me, it is crystal clear. I see injustice, racism, poverty, whatever, i need to help. It is human. I have met lots of people thinking like me and macedonia, greece, and serbia. It is actually the local population supporting the refugees because the governments are failing, and the eu as well. As a church, i must say, reallyg my own one loud statements, you know, [indiscernible] requesting to open the border. I mean, i called up several politicians, for instance, a called league a colleague of mine in switzerland. Shes a member of the council of europe. I saw this in budapest. I said, we have to do something i said, well stop have to do something about it. Inry, i got the bad flu hungary. So whatever makes them open the borders, i dont know. But it is been an explosion. Any, manyere journalists. They were shocked. Not governmentbacked on human rights. There are quotations made behind one of the cofounders of a party [indiscernible] and so on and so on. Thece mentioned that in plenary. They stood looking at me and shocking silence. Amy annette groth, thank you for joining us from stuttgart, germany. She is just returned from hungary where she saw thousands of migrants stranded at the budapest train station. When we come back, were going to vienna, going to london, and were going to be right here in theUnited States looking at various countries policies around refugees. Our guest in london just wrote aps and the New York Times opene. Stay with us. [music break] amy this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with juan gonzalez. Opened up europe, let migrants in. That is the name of a recent New York Times article by our next guest. He served as an economic adviser to the president of the European Commission from 2011 to 2014, the author of european spring. Amy he joins us now from london. Welcome to democracy now talk about what your proposed, what you see britain doing, where you live, what you see the European Union doing and what they should be doing. Well, clearly at the moment, there is a moral panic in europe , unwantednew arrivals new arrivals, and refugees from syria, afghanistan, and elsewhere. Basically, the prevailing wisdom is they are a threat to my that theyre going to drag society down and going to be a cost to the economy and to taxpayers. And i think that is incorrect. So i think you need to make an it isnt first that europes humanitarian duty to allow in refugees. In that respect, the debate has been shifting since those tragic pictures of a syrian child washed up on a turkish beach. But in the other aspect, which is that this is actually a benefit to europe and not a cost, i think theres still a long way to go. The narrative is to prevailing that somehow refugees are burden that need to be shut out. You need to see the context, which is that europes working at population is shrieking by around one Million People year while the number of pensioners is increasing by about 2 million. Thate needs Young Workers have jobs that need doing, to pay taxes, to help pay for the pensions and social care of the growing ranks of elderly people and help care for those people, to start businesses which in turn create jobs, and to innovate. In all sorts of ways, migrants have a lot to contribute to europe and we ought to be having a positive narrative about that, looking at it as an opportunity rather than a threat. Juan Philippe Legrain, the United States confronted similar crisis back in 1980 when over a few week period, about 125,000 cubans came to florida shores and a boatlift and that created enormous debate across the it upy, some argued president Ronald Reagan win against jimmy carter that helped open up our border to the refugees. Of the political debate going on in europe now and the impact it could have depending on how some of these governments decide whether theyre going to open up their borders to the refugees . Mean, the first point to make is about numbers. Clearly, you see very vivid tv largees of seemingly numbers of people on the move. And yet the 340,000 people who have entered europe without permission since the start of the year are equivalent to 0. 07 of europes population. So the idea somehow this is going to overturn society or somehow the impossible disruption is simply not true. It is actually a relatively small number. A crowd of 1500 people, only one of them would be an unwanted new arrival. In terms of the political impact, of course, there is a rise long before this crisis of far right populist, xenophobic and racist parties who found sound a lot like donald trump does in the u. S. And theyre making hay out of this crisis and arguing, as indeed does the primacy of hungary, that somehow the refugees are a threat to christianity, civilization, lawn order, a burden on the welfare state and so on. Tesla merkel is to be commended chancellor merkel is to be commended, she is so far a voice avoiding the voices that are telling her to take a hard line and even as governments which have been much more skeptical of enforced by Public Opinion to make a more constructive approach. So you see in my own country, britain, the Prime Minister initially dead set against letting in Syrian Refugees now has announced a relatively small program, but still it is a step forward, of allowing and 20,000 Syrian Refugees over the next five years. I think also the United States needs to do more. The u. S. Has allowed in only 1500 Syrian Refugees, and that really is a drop in the ocean. I think this is not just a matter for europe, it is a matter also for the United States. Amy we are joined in new york by a Syrian American. In a moment, we will go to vienna or we will be joined by a Syrian Refugees. Your were joined by sarab aljijakli, Syrian American committed to organizer. He recently wrote a piece for the guardian headlined, the u. S. Must do more to help syria. Step one let more refugees resettle here. Hes currently the president of the network of arab american professionals. Welcome to democracy now following up on what philippe whatin is saying about should happen in the United States, i mean, i think a lot of of people may be seeing this as a european issue. What do you see it as . We pride ourselves in america has been the leader of resettlement, but as our previous guest has set, only 1500 syrians have an allowed entry into this country for resettlement. This is 1500 over the course of four plus years. That is a terribly tragic number and shows how ineffective in a controversy has been regarding refugees. The quota this year for allowance of refugees from all over the world to the United States is about 70,000. To look at less than 1500 allowed in for the biggest you monetary catastrophe is problematic, does it the least. Juan and how do you think those americans who are concerned cap of the pressure now on lawmakers to change basically, change those quotas and the white house to take action . Theres a petition going around that has in a few days gained over 50,000 signatories, white house petition, that is. Even more so, just jumping on the swell of energy and emotion related to the tragic losses that we have seen over the past week week and everyone in america can do something to reach out to their elected reps to push this agenda forward. This is a drop in the bucket. It is not necessarily something that will impact jobs in america, for example. A lot of the concerns raised by the far right here are really nolan avoid when it comes to refugee resettlement. We all of this. We can do more to help. Juan your organizing a public event this weekend . Yes, this saturday in union square, a refugee welcoming refugee rally. Welcome refugees across all aspects of life, wherever theyre from. Amy what the u. S. Is doing in syria now . Part of me . What the u. S. Is doing in syria right now . The u. S. Has had four plus year ineffective policy in syria. The second piece second part of the peas and the guardian is to get at the root. The biggest problem we have in syria from a syrian perspective is who are the overwhelming people are driving them out and we know that 85 to 90 of all civilians killed are killed by a the regime. We know the over welcoming driver of this year, of displacement is this regime that has waged a war for four plus years on their own people. Amy is a clear who are bombing those in syria . How do syrians on the ground perceive this . There are two forces in the sky, lets put like that, waging war from above. First and foremost, the u. S. For a year has controlled the skies over syria. Much debate is being made over a nofly zone etc. , but the u. S. Controls syrian airspace. What is more perplexing, with that control, they have allowed the alassad regime to utilize helicopters and air force to bombard and kill tens of thousands of syrians from the sky. It begs the question not about nofly zone, but why the u. S. , which is the overwhelming broker of power in the sky over syria, is allowing some and he syrians to die . Juan theres been so much emphasis now on europe having to contend with this huge refugee crisis, but yet there are countries in the middle east now that have been dealing with this for years at a much bigger level. Im thinking of lebanon, jordan, turkey, which have hundreds of thousands whats millions into millions that escaped their countries. You talk about the relative lack of attention to those . Literally half of syrias population is displaced. Million have fled and about 8 million as of the country. Even as refugees we see on the boasted a, they are fleeing for the second and third time in their lives. The picture we saw support child route on the beach, his father initially lived in damascus, was detained by the regime and had to flee damascus the first him as a refugee with this family, went back into syria and then had to flee again. This is not a new issue. Four plus years of this. Amy and then you have, for example, what is happening in yemen with the u. S. Backed saudi have impact bombing of yemenis, the crisis because there, the front page of the New York Times today were going to continue this discussion after break. Here in theakli United States and join in london by Philippe Legrain. Were going to austria to speak an organizer of refugees there as well as a 23yearold syrian refugee who made it to vienna. Stay with us. [music break] amy this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with juan gonzalez. Juan we go now to the in a or were joined by a 23yearold syrian refugee. With him is erik leidal, a volunteer with the committee run relief group train of hope, which is providing assistance to the migrants passing through the central train station in vienna, austria. Welcome to democracy now erik, could you start telling us what the train of hope is and what you have been seeing in your efforts to help the refugees . Sure, the austrians dont take to the streets in protest for he often, but theyre showing enormous compassion with her health during this test their health in this crisis. Train of hope is a organized and will over 1000 volunteers have helped out over the past week at the central train station here in vienna. It is a very Diverse Group of individuals who want to make a difference together. And it was a train of hope is resonating off of occupy in many ways and taking full advantage of the capacity for social change through social media like twitter and facebook are even using a campaign to Fund Transportation as well, and that is that helpsy rianrefugeesgettogermany. We have doctors and lawyers on our staff who volunteer and ive even met volunteers who of only been in austria for less than a year who are able to help translate and help us with the assistance. The train station where we meet them, for many, this is the first stop in austria. After getting out of hungary. In most of them are exhausted and confused, a lot done even realize they are not in germany yet. Many want to travel on to germany immediately, but those who do want to get off can do so at our center. The trains are often filled with dust to the brim and many have not been for days. Many must wait overnight, some for longer, at the train station for further travel. West traineep in the station but others travel on to munich or where ever the train can take them in germany. Most describe their experience in hungary as hell, hell on earth. Amy can you describe your journey, where you left and how you made it to vienna, austria. Yes, i started from turkey. To greece, greece island. We got to the beach at about 1 00 a. M. We got in the boat. It is about 43 people in it will stop 7. 5 meters. We were in we kept sailing theabout two hours and then after twoed to leak hours. Waterded it was full of it was full of water and i decided to put myself in the water, me and another person because maybe were the only people that we can swim. We throw ourselves in the water boat keepsp or the sailing. And it is far from us, about one kilometer. Island t reach the i dont know the name, a small island and the police guard hears them. , theire screaming whistle. Them, the police, that two other persons throw themselves in the water. And the police keep searching us ir about half an hour until onk out my phone and turned the flash light and waving with it to police. They immediately see me. They saw me and immediately came and rescued me with the other person. And took us to this small island. They rested as for about 12 hours until a big ship came and moved us to another island. Rom there, we took a plane the next day we went to a bus station. To the macedonia greece border. Week beforeabout a the bus send us to there. We keep working for about three hours. Border andss the then we took a train across the border ofeach serbia. After that, we wait for about six hours to get into serbia. After they gave us the u. N. Was there and gave us water and food and medical care to some injured patients. We crossed the border and go to a bus station, and we took a bus to belgrade, the capital of serbia. On the took another bus border of hungary and serbia. Serbia to inside cross. Tobribe the police there let us enter the border. We bribe him. Then we walked for about six a razor wireh fence. Under the razor wire fence always go andes see if there are refugees to orch them, to arrest them, have them fingerprinted in hungary. But the plane could not see us, so we crossed the border and go to somebody who has a taxi driver. We took a taxi and we paid for him about 300 for each person to reach, to go to reach us to budapest. After that, after we reached budapest, we stayed there for about three days. There is a taxi driver could reach us to vienna. We talked to him and we agreed that he would take us to vienna, but there is there was a lot of police and he let us on the border of austria and hungary. And we keep swimming sorry, reach thelking to first village in austria. We keep walking for about six hours until we find this village , and some beetle does that we have to go to station, to the train totion to take a reach vienna. We decided to walk there and we wethe station and then took the train and go we went to vienna, and that is what happened until now. , let me ask if i can rum syria juan the me ask if i can, that is a pairing journey. Let me ask if i can, that is a harrowing journey. Can you tell our viewers and listeners, what made you decide you had to take that journey, why he had no other choice . I dont have any other choices because in syria, there maybesafe place to go and it is more dangerous than this journey even. That is why i left syria. Amy and you have family that remains in syria. Yes, i left my family there. They cant go. They cant went because we dont have any other choices. Because i dont want to be a part of what happened in syria. Problems that i have in syria. That is why i left syria. I cant tell you now. Going tont to end by macedonia, one of the places you talked about, zaher majzoub. Were joined on the Television Telephone right now by gabriela andreevska, macedonian activist, one of the key organizers who has been working on the ground for the last four months to provide, food, transportation, and medicine to refugees like you who are crossing the macedoniagreece border. In this last minute that we have on this broadcast, if you could tell us what the situation is there, and what needs to be done . Currently, the refugee camp location has been relocated to a place outside of the border town. So when the refugees crossed the border, [indiscernible] that and go to the camp location, things are much more organized. Organizationwise, things have improved. But the refugees are still obligated to cross the border illegally, so we must work on providing more save transport for them. Amy and your Biggest Challenges . I would say that is the biggest challenge. What people are fleeing wars walk hundreds of kilometers for food . Want the do you European Union, how do you want countries around the world to respond right now . To protect people, not borders. If people need safe acids passage, who are we protecting our borders from . , thankbriela andreevska you for being with us, from macedonia. Erik leidal from austria with train of hope and zaher majzoub for describing his harrowing journey he took from syria, i want to thank our guests today in our studio here in new york, sarab aljijakli, a Syrian American committed to organizer that will be having a major protest in new york on saturday and thank you to Philippe Legrain who joined us from london. This does it for our broadcast. A very special happy first birthday to our producers daughter sam alcoff. Democracy now is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. Email your comments to outreach democracynow. Org or mail them to democracy now p. O. Box 693 new york, new york 10013. [captioning made possible by democracy now ] [bell ringing]