Basildon Council defies EU plea with new Dale Farm eviction plans

For further comment, call: 07729 762059

Displaced Dale Farm Travellers face a new round of evictions by Basildon Council. Following forcible eviction from their own land in October 2011, the 83 homeless families – including 100 children – have moved onto the private road leading to their former home and onto the adjoining Crays Hill site. Basildon Council issued new enforcement notices to the families last month, which have now expired, opening the way for a further eviction in the near future. [1]

This directly contravenes the public letter from Thomas Hammarberg, EU Commissioner for Human Rights, in February this year, in which he urged Eric Pickles, Minister for Communities and Local Government, “to ensure that an end be put to violations of the right to adequate housing of Travellers in Basildon”. He called the eviction in October “highly regrettable”. [2]

International concern has been widespread, with the UN and Amnesty International both condemning the original eviction.[3] Last week, as part of ‘Roma Nation Day’, a global day of protest against discrimination towards Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities, Roma activists in Romania held up flags declaring ‘We Support Dale Farm’ [see photo].[4]

Roma Activists in Romania hold a banner saying 'We Support Dale Farm' as part of Roma Nation Day.

Dale Farm resident and mother of three, Mary O’Brien, said today, “Tony Ball knows that we have nowhere else to go. He says he’s offered us council housing, but what kind of option is that? It would be the death of our Travelling culture, the death of our community. The last eviction was terrible, I never want me or my kids to go through anything like it again – but we don’t have any other options but to stay now. I’m absolutely terrified by the idea of another eviction.”

This Saturday, Dale Farm Travellers, local residents and supporters from the Traveller Solidarity Network are planning a ‘day of action’ in Basildon town centre to build local support against the eviction, with leafleting, a petition and street theatre. [5]

Annie Murray, a Wickford resident, said, “Basildon Council have acted disgracefully, spending millions of pounds making all these families homeless. That’s not what I paid my council tax for and I think a lot of people are angry about the senseless waste of money in these tight times. There’s an election coming up and it is absolutely essential now that settled people support the Dale Farm community and stand up against the prejudice and ignorance of Tony Ball’s Tory Council. This whole community deserves better, settled and travelling.”

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[1] For more information see:

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/9641895.Deadline_for_travellers_to_leave_Crays_Hill_passes/

[2] For Hammarberg’s original letter, see: https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?Ref=CommDH%282012%2914&Language=lanEnglish&Ver=original&BackColorInternet=FEC65B&BackColorIntranet=FEC65B&BackColorLogged

[3] http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=19665.

[4] For more information on Roma Nation Day, see:

http://travellersolidarity.org/2012/04/09/london-roma-nation-day/

[5] For more information on Saturday’s day of action, see:

http://travellersolidarity.org/2012/04/04/day-of-action-in-basildon-saturday-14th-april/

Dale Farm Travellers and supporters ‘dismayed’ at High Court defeat

Dale Farm residents and supporters at High Court last September

The High Court ruled today that Basildon Council does not have a duty to provide ‘culturally appropriate accommodation’ for three evicted Dale Farm residents. Travellers and their supporters condemned the ruling as a blow to Traveller and Gypsy rights in the UK [1].

The ruling follows recent criticism of the UK authorities by the EU commissioner for Human Rights for the ‘deeply regrettable’ eviction at Dale Farm. Thomas Hammarberg called for an ‘end [to] be put to violations of the right to adequate housing of Travellers in Basildon’[2]. These criticisms were echoed earlier this month in an Equalities and Human Rights Commission report on Human Rights in the UK, which found that the ‘lack of sufficient sites means it is difficult for Gypsies and Travellers to practice their traditional way of life’ [3].

Lawyers for the Travellers argued that forcing them into bricks-and-mortar accommodation constitutes an attempt to destroy their distinctive culture. Almost all of the 83 Dale Farm families displaced by the eviction have registered as homeless and they have stated that they want a pitch for their mobile homes and not a council house or flat. However, Lord Justice Patten and Lord Justice Pitchford rejected this argument.

Mary Sheridan, a homeless Dale Farm resident, said “This is terrible news – not just for us, but for Travellers everywhere. The law in the UK wants to destroy the Traveller way of life. We’re already living in desperate conditions at Dale Farm – it’s like a refugee camp. We don’t know where we will go – we just want to live a normal life with our community, so that we can care for our elderly and get our kids an education.”

Lily Hayes, a member of the Traveller Solidarity Network, added, “The UK is already failing its human rights obligations to Travellers and Gypsies. Pickle’s localism has abolished any national strategy for providing sites, and this disgraceful ruling opens the door to the complete destruction of the Travelling way of life. We need to stand side by side with Travellers and Gypsies to resist these unjust and racist laws.”

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For additional comment: 07729762059
@travellersol
travellersolidarity.org

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[1] MARY FLYNN, JOHN SHERIDAN & BARBARA O’BRIEN v BASILDON in HIGH COURT. Wednesday February 29/ Thursday March 1. The Rolls Building, 100 Fetter Lane, London EC4
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/9603797.Dale_Farm_families_lose_appeal_over_housing/

[2] https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?Ref=CommDH%282012%2914&Language=lanEnglish&Ver=original&BackColorInternet=FEC65B&BackColorIntranet=FEC65B&BackColorLogged=FFC679

[3] http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/news/2012/march/commission-publishes-human-rights-review/

Key Court Case Coming Up for Dale Farm families- come along!

MARY FLYNN, JOHN SHERIDAN & BARBARA O’BRIEN v BASILDON in HIGH COURT Tomorrow and Thursday – Feb 29/March 1, The Rolls Building, 100 Fetter Lane, London EC4

This hugely significant appeal regarding the issue as to whether Basildon
must provide plots to those initially offered, but refusing, bricks and
mortar is now to be heard tomorrow. What is at stake is whether local council’s have a duty to provide culturally suitable accommodation for their population.
The hearing will take place on Wednesday, 29
February and Thursday, 1 March before the Chancellor of the High Court,
Lord Justice Patten and Lord Justice Pitchford in Court 23 of the Rolls
Building. The expected start time is 10.30 am although times are regularly pushed back.

The Rolls Building is located in Holborn [a few blocks away from the main High Court Building] at 100 Fetter Lane, London EC4. The Map is here

‘Shame-Faced’ Tony Ball forced to Flee Council Awards by angry protesters.

Tony Ball, leader of Basildon Council and architect of the Dale Farm eviction, was forced to flee an awards ceremony by angry protesters in central London last night.

Nominated for the award of ‘Council Leader of the Year’ by the Local Government Information Unit [1], Tony Ball was confronted by 50 vocal Dale Farm supporters when he attempted to leave the Westminster City Hall. He was hounded back into the building by the protesters, who invaded the lobby shouting ‘scum’ and ’83 families homeless’, and was ultimately forced to leave under police guard via a back exit.

Although Tony Ball did not win the ‘Council Leader of the Year’ award, the protesters were determined to present the Basildon Council Leader with an alternative award for ‘Community Wrecker of the Year’.

Robert McCready, a supporter of the Dale Farm community, said, “It is genuinely shocking that any self-respecting body could choose to nominate a man who spent £7 million of public money on making 83 Dale Farm families homeless in a brutal manner. The LGIU tonight attempted the whitewash the horrors of the Dale Farm eviction and we didn’t let them. Tony Ball was shame-faced as he fled.”

Dale Farm resident Kathleen McCarthy added, “How anyone can think a man like that deserves to be rewarded, I just don’t know. He wrecked our community and our lives and thinks he can get away with it. He is a disgrace and what he, his council and the Government did will never be forgotten. ”

[1] The Local Government Information Unit [LGIU] are a London based think-tank. http://blog.lgiu.org.uk/2012/02/cllr-achievement-awards-2012-all-winners/

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Press Release
Traveller Solidarity Network
28/02/2012: For immediate release
For further comment, contact 07729762059 or tsn-media@noflag.org.uk

Tony Ball Acceptance Speech Video

Tony Ball: Community Wrecker of the Year Award Ceremony

7PM // Monday 27 February // Westminster City Hall

Tony Ball, leader of Basildon Council, has been nominated for the award of Council Leader of the Year by the Local Government Information Unit “in recognition of his role spearheading the eviction of Travellers from Dale Farm”. The award ceremony takes place on Monday 27 February at Westminster City Council.

For more info, see:
https://member.lgiu.org.uk/whatwedo/cllrawards/Pages/default.aspx.

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/9509681.Tony_Ball_is_up_for_council_boss_of_year/

*

Not wanting Tony Ball to miss out on ALL of the recognition due to him, we will be presenting him with an alternative ‘Community Wrecker of the Year Award’.

In particular, the Dale Farm community would like to thank Tony Ball for his spectacular and unique achievements:

- CLARITY OF VISION: particularly his desire to deal with the problem that there are ‘too many Travellers in Essex’ [Tony Ball]

- OUTSTANDING COMMITMENT TO HIS ROLE: Tony Ball said he would resign if he did not evict Dale Farm – the eviction was about the continuation of his career and not the welfare of the community.

- EFFICIENCY SAVINGS: spending ‘only’ £7 million of public money on evicting the Dale Farm Travellers from the land that they own.

- HOUSING: making 83 families homeless, and refusing them to offer them alternative sites.

- PUTTING CHILDREN FIRST: protecting the interests of the first literate generation at Dale Farm by forcing them away from the local school.

- PROTECTING THE GREENBELT: Tony Ball transformed a beautiful home into a bombsite filled with sewage and old scrap.

- ACCOUNTABILITY: upholding the planning law by evicting Dale Farm and giving planning permission to a Dogs Home two months later in the same area of ‘protected greenbelt’.

- STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS: ‘allowing’ the displaced Dale Farm residents to stay on the private road leading to their former home in unsanitary and cramped condition, cutting the electricity supply.

*

You are cordially invited to join us outside Westminster City Hall, for the presentation of the award, Tony Ball’s acceptance speech and a rowdy reception.

Join us to let Tony Ball know what we think of his ‘achievements’ at Dale Farm.

Update from Traveller Solidarity Network

For ongoing updates see the Traveller Solidarity Network website and sign up to receive updates here.

1) TSN national meeting and Dale Farm debrief feb 25th & 26th, Cambridge
2) London TSN Meeting 19th Feb
3) 27th Feb, 7pm – Tony Ball: Community Wrecker of the Year Award
4) 8th April – Roma Nation Day Action planning
5) 1st-29th March – TSN national info-tour
6) Pennies from heaven: Dale Farm needs donations for ongoing support

1) TSN NATIONAL MEETING AND DALE FARM DEBRIEF FEB 25TH & 26TH, CAMBRIDGE, UK

Details:
Saturday February 25th: Traveller Solidarity National Meeting 10am to 5pm,
followed by after party. All welcome.
Sunday February 26th: Dale Farm Activist’s debrief 11am to 4 pm. For those who participated in the resistance at Dale Farm.

Sleeping space, travel pool to offset those coming from afar, and children’s creche all available.

We will discuss ongoing support for Dale Farm residents, and Smithy Fen and Meriden communities under threat, planning for Roma Nation Day (see below) and more. The internal/process group is putting together an agenda, if you have any proposals please email them at tsn-internal@noflag.org.uk . There is to be a social/party on Saturday evening with food. Please donate on the night if you can. Email sam@ash.coop if you need space to sleep or childcare as early as possible.

Saturday’s meeting will be at
Bharat Bhavan, [Bharat Way,] Mill Road (/bridge), Cambridge, CB1 2AZ. Map
at http://goo.gl/aL7yt
Sunday’s meeting will be at The Humanitarian Centre, Fenner’s, Gresham Rd,
Cambridge CB1 2ES http://goo.gl/00nYW

For more information, email sam [at] ash.coop

2) LONDON TSN MEETING, SUNDAY 19TH FEB
1PM-3PM, Freedom bookshop, Whitechapel.
We will be planning work to support Roma communities in east London facing
discrimination, as well as the Tony Ball protest (below) and more.

3) 27TH FEB, 7PM – TONY BALL: COMMUNITY WRECKER OF THE YEAR AWARD.
Westminster City Council

Facebook Event

Tony Ball, leader of Basildon Council, has been nominated for the award of Council Leader of the Year by the Local Government Information Unit “in recognition of his role spearheading the eviction of Travellers from Dale Farm”. The award ceremony takes place on Monday 27 February at Westminster City Council.

You are cordially invited to join us outside Westminster City Hall for the presentation of the award, Tony Ball’s acceptance speech and a rowdy reception. Join us to let Tony Ball know what we think of his ‘achievements’ at Dale Farm.

For more info, see:
https://member.lgiu.org.uk/whatwedo/cllrawards/Pages/default.aspx.
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/9509681.Tony_Ball_is_up_for_council_boss_of_year/

4) 8TH APRIL ROMA NATION DAY ACTION PLANNING

TSN is involved in planning an international day of co-ordinated local actions to counter the tide of discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Travellers.

Start planning local actions and spread the word to friends around the world. The info tour (see below) will be an opportunity to get together and start planning! More details of protest in London to be announced soon. For more info contact travellersolidarity [at] riseup.net

Planning meeting in London 12 noon on Wednesday 22 Feb
OSI Roma Early Childhood Programme
4th Flr, Cambridge House
100 Cambridge Avenue, London W6 OLE

5) TSN INFO TOUR, 1ST – 29TH MARCH
The Traveller Solidarity Network is touring the country throughout the month of March to build links between local activists and Traveller sites. A short film of interviews which discusses current Gypsy and Traveller struggles will be shown. The talks aim to develop an understanding of different forms of oppression that Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities experience, in areas such as day to day discrimination, housing law, land rights and evictions.

Subjects to discuss will include ways forward after Dale Farm for the new network resisting the oppression of Travellers, and strategies for local support for GRT communities facing eviction and prejudice in the area. We hope to include voices from a range of established GRT organisations, and groups currently engaged in a wide range of related struggles, and we are keen to collaborate with local groups in organising these meetings.

For more information or to find out about nearby meetings contact
tsn-info [at] noflag.org.uk . Look on the Traveller Solidarity facebook to find the details of all the meetings and invite your friends.

Tour dates:
LONDON / 1ST MARCH / TBC
KENT / 2ND MARCH / Friends Meeting House, 6 The Friars (next to the Marlowe Theatre) Canterbury
OXFORD / 3RD MARCH / OXFORD RADICAL FORUM, Wadham College, Okinaga Room, 12 noon
BRIGHTON / 4TH MARCH / THE COWLEY CLUB 5-7 PM
SOUTHAMPTON / 5TH MARCH / 38 Onslow Rd, SO14 0JG, 6.30pm, with food halfway and then music til 11.
CORNWALL / 6TH MARCH / TBC
BRISTOL / 7TH MARCH / St Nicholas of Tolentino Church Lawford’s Gate BS5 0RE
CARDIFF / 8TH MARCH / CATHAYS COMMUNITY AND YOUTH CENTRE 6PM
BIRMINGHAM / 11TH MARCH / TBC
LIVERPOOL / 12TH MARCH / TBC
MANCHESTER / 13TH MARCH / STUDENT UNION COUNCIL CHAMBER 6PM
EDINBURGH / 14TH MARCH / St Augustine’s Church, George IV Bridge
GLASGOW / 15TH MARCH / KINNING PARK COMPLEX, 43 CORNWALL STREET 6.30 PM
NEWCASTLE / 16TH MARCH / TBC
YORK / 17TH MARCH / DE GREY ROOMS 3-5 PM
SHEFFIELD / 19TH MARCH / THE BLACK ROSE CENTRE, 7PM
BRADFORD / 20TH MARCH / 1 In 12 Club. 21-23 Albion Street BD1 2LY, 7pm
NOTTINGHAM / 21ST MARCH / TBC
COLCHESTER / 22ND MARCH / FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE, 6 CHURCH STREET CO1 1NF, 7.30PM
NORWICH / 23RD MARCH / FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE, UPPER GOAT LANE, 6.30PM
CAMBRIDGE / 25TH MARCH / TBC
BEDFORD / 26TH MARCH / TBC
LUTON / 27TH MARCH / TBC
ST ALBANS / 28TH MARCH / TBC
HARLOW / 29TH MARCH / St Paul’s church, College Sq Harlow CM20 1LP. 7.30pm

6) DALE FARM: PENNIES FROM HEAVEN?

Appeal for funds to cover new planning appeals and dig away bunding barriers

Basildon Borough Council has £20m to draw in pursuing its policy of ethnic-cleansing aimed at driving Travellers out of the district. Much of it was spent on the violent eviction last October, backed at Westminster by the pro-bankers coalition.

In response supporters raised £3,600 last year, which was divided between Camp Constant and the Dale Farm Housing Association. Now fresh funds are needed to help pay for the work of restoring Dale Farm. Immediate needs include fresh planning appeal fees and the hiring of diggers to remove bunding that is preventing re-occupation of legal plots.

Can you help? Donate now via paypal or see dalefarm.wordpress.com/donate

DALE FARM: PENNIES FROM HEAVEN?

Appeal for funds to cover new planning appeals and dig away bunding barriers

Basildon Borough Council has £20m to draw in pursuing its policy of ethnic-cleansing aimed at driving Travellers out of the district. Much of it was spent on the violent eviction last October, backed at Westminster by the pro-bankers coalition.

In response supporters raised £3,600 last year, which was divided between Camp Constant and the Dale Farm Housing Association.

Now fresh funds are needed to help pay for the work of restoring Dale Farm. Immediate needs include fresh planning appeal fees and the hiring of diggers to remove bunding that is preventing re-occupation of legal plots.

Can you help?

Donate through Paypal

Dale Farm Supporters condemn ruling allowing Essex police to seize journalists’ footage for ‘intelligence’.

There has been strong condemnation by supporters of Dale Farm residents of a ruling to force Sky, ITN, BBC and other freelance journalists to hand over their footage of the Dale Farm eviction. The journalists had argued in court that it put them in the position of evidence gatherers for the state.

Ali Saunders, a Dale Farm supporter, said “It is shameful that rather than confronting the brutality and racism of Basildon Council’s eviction of Dale Farm the police is criminalising protest and using the media as an extension of police “intelligence” gathering. Families are still struggling to live on the side of the road at Dale Farm- Basildon Council and the Government is proving yet again that it doesn’t care about Travellers in the UK.”

Saunders continued, “The biggest crime that happened at Dale Farm is being ignored here. Standing up to the injustice of the eviction was the right thing to do…”

For Comment:
07583761462
@travellersol
tsn-media@noflag.org.uk

Dale Farm Supporters condemn ruling allowing Essex police to seize journalists’ footage for ‘intelligence’.

There has been strong condemnation by supporters of Dale Farm residents of a ruling to force Sky, ITN, BBC and other freelance journalists to hand over their footage of the Dale Farm eviction. The journalists had argued in court that it put them in the position of evidence gatherers for the state.

Ali Saunders, a Dale Farm supporter, said “It is shameful that rather than confronting the brutality and racism of Basildon Council’s eviction of Dale Farm the police is criminalising protest and using the media as an extension of police “intelligence” gathering. Families are still struggling to live on the side of the road at Dale Farm- Basildon Council and the Government is proving yet again that it doesn’t care about Travellers in the UK.”

Saunders continued, “The biggest crime that happened at Dale Farm is being ignored here. Standing up to the injustice of the eviction was the right thing to do…”

For Comment:
07583761462
@travellersol
tsn-media@noflag.org.uk