Riot Cops + Baliffs Evict Meadowlands Traveller Site
no borders | 27.01.2004 13:09 | Free Spaces | Repression | Social Struggles | London
Bailiffs hired by Chelmsford Borough Council yesterday evicted the 30 or so people with kids from the Meadowlands site where they had been living since 2001. Tooled up riot police and over thirty bailiffs entered the site on monday morning. Defensive ditches and barricades had been set up and fires were lit as people resisted the eviction. Four people were nicked (3 for violent disorder and one for obstruction). Apparently 4 bailiffs were injured. The site's been cleared now.
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bbc article
27.01.2004 13:12
A local council missed an opportunity to set a good example for treatment of travellers, according to a spokesman for a human rights group.
Terry Stewart, from the Irish Human Rights and Justice group, which supports travellers, said Chelmsford Borough Council set a poor example for other communities.
He said: "The fact that they've now issued a statement saying 'we've locked up all our gates' in the borough, as well as these people being driven onto the M25 with a police escort, illustrates to me that a lot of other boroughs will also be thinking about how they will begin to deal with these travellers."
Four people were arrested and two were injured on Monday morning when borough council officials sent in contract staff with a court order to clear the site on Cranham Road in Little Waltham.
Security guards patrolled the former unofficial travellers site overnight following the eviction, which was attended by police in riot gear after indications that the travellers would resist.
But Mr Stewart said: "The thing about Chelmsford Council was that it had an opportunity to give a lead in a way on how the larger community relates to travellers and the Roma.
"They have missed that opportunity.
"These are people who are homeless - they deserve a little bit of human decency from other people."
Chelmsford Borough Council had a court order demanding the travellers leave the site, after a legal battle which began in 2001.
Councillor Neil Gulliver, the borough's executive member for planning and transport, said: "We've set aside £100,000 to deal with this, and it may end up costing even more.
"No authority wants to do it, but ultimately you have an obligation under planning law and you have to deal with it."
He said conventional houses would not have been allowed on the agricultural site either.
An emergency housing centre was set up at the local village hall for the travellers.
They have now either moved to other sites outside Essex, or are staying in council accommodation for the homeless.
info
Missed opportunity is right!
28.01.2004 18:00
eg 100 people turn out to a No Borders meeting in London. 4 of them go to defend Meadowlands. Well, it's so reformist defending a site travellers have been bourgeoise enough to buy and pay for. Much more radical doing symbolic actions with clear revolutionary politics.
Yea right.
I'm fucking furious! Fascism did it's best to exterminate Europe's gypsies. The Brit
government has it's embassies targetting gypsy asylum seekers for exclusion. 10 out of 1300 get to stay. Meantime Counxcil after Council is moving to evict travellers from bought sites. And the press screams Nazi propaganda against them. And the BNP feeds on it.
Call yourselves anti-racists?
Funny how ethnic attacks on Roma/gypsies/travellers never quite count!!
madmink