Workers Solidarity Movement

Friday the 16^th September saw a well attended protest outside of the British Embassy called by Minceirs Whiden (Ireland’s Traveller only forum). The struggle continues to keep the 86 Traveller families in their homes in Dale Farm, Essex.  The evictions were scheduled to take place that weekend but since then there have been a series of hearings in court which has prevented the bailiffs moving in.The latest court decision is to review the full extent of the ‘enforcement notices’ and this will be heard on Thursday the 27^th.  The residents have won a temporary reprieve and it remains to be seen what will happen.

Just as we have witnessed here in Ireland, there has been a chronic slowness in providing Traveller appropriate accommodation in Britain which has lead directly to an increase in the numbers of families living on Dale Farm.  Councils in Britain and here have decided to push Travellers towards standard housing rather than providing accommodation which facilitates their Nomadic traditions.   Dale Farm expanded and houses were built on the site without permission but now we see Basildon council spend an astronomical figure (£18M) to make 1000 people homeless.  The choice to enforce certain parts of the law, whilst ignoring other aspects, such as the provision of culturally appropriate accommodation, appears particularly callous and vindictive.

The Dale Farm residents received a letter of support from International Expert Group Meeting on Forced Evictions which met at the UN Human Settlements Programme headquarters in Nairobi and was signed by representatives from over 30 countries (Dale Farm residents prepare for latest court ruling; Guardian 23^rd Sept. 2011; Lizzy Davies)

It stated

"Repressive policies targeting Gypsies and Travellers disguised as planning regulations are discriminatory, whilst inclusive national strategies that are in line with human rights standards generate real progress in addressing issues of exclusion and marginalisation."