“Riot” Evictions Campaign update
Maite de la Calva with her daughter and their block of council flats
On Friday 12th August, three days after the England riots had come to an end, the Conservative Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles declared on the BBC that “looters should be evicted”. David Cameron later that day, had given his “full backing” for councils to evict entire families. Wandsworth Council had already served an eviction notice on Wednesday 10th, to Maite de la Calva even though her 18 year son, Daniel Sartain-Clarke is still yet to be convicted with riot related charges. The mother of two who took no part in the London riots and has stated fear for her 8 year old daughter’s education and well-being, has accused the Local Authority for behaving like “fascists”.
In London, four councils had publicly stated to evict “rioters”, there were two Conservative: Westminster and Hammersmith & Fulham, and two Labour: Southwark and Greenwich.
“Cardboard City” Flash Mob against Homelessness on 15th September
From Dale Farm Solidarity London (dalefarmldn[at]gmail.com)
Eric Pickles' office has been targeted by anti-homelessness protestors
On Thursday 15th September, friends and supporters of the Traveller site at Dale Farm in Essex and activists from various campaigning groups will assemble in a flash mob to create a “cardboard city” at the offices of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
Supporting activists and groups include No Sweat, Dale Farm Solidarity, trade union activists, Amnesty International supporters, anti-racist groups such as UAF and audacity.org
Osborne and Laws sharpen their axes: the Con-Dem Nation Economy
So two weeks in, Osborne is able to keep his pledge on making £6,000,000,000 of cuts this year. Well what he has announced proves that he is actually making £5,700,000,000, as he is “redirecting” £500 million, which means he is £300 million pounds short of his pledge.
Whilst the city and business leaders have applauded the “fair but painful” cuts, they note that it will not affect most of the city. Yes some small business will feel the pain particular government contractors and businesses in the IT sector but the Markets and Richard Lambert, head of the Confederation of British Industry could barely contain his joy as taxes will not be raised on the rich, which was the real fear.
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Was the Dale Farm eviction really “Ethnic Cleansing”?
Over the past day, weeks and months, we have witnessed an unprecedented use of force and power towards one section of an ethnic minority community based in Essex. The local police constabulary and Basildon Council have admitted that the residents of Dale Farm pose no criminal threat nor are a source of other social antagonism other than simply wanting to live among the more “settled” elements. However the “peaceful eviction” was initiated by riot police bludgeoning faces with batons and firing tasers at protestors.
This was we are led to believe part of “facilitating” the enforcement of civil law. It is clear that the state is going beyond its normal throes of oppression. “Yeah it is really bad”, a friend tells me, “but is it really ‘ethnic cleansing’? Doesn’t that hyperbole totally demean all those people that really are suffering from ethnic cleansing and genocide?”
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