CONSTANT THREAT

The Dale Farm gypsy community in Essex is under threat again. Last week they were joined by supporters in a protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London, where the Basildon Council are appealing a High Court decision from May this year which halted the planned eviction of Dale Farm, and ordered local authorities to find alternative land for them to live (See SchNEWS 632). This is despite the fact that the community of 100 families – effectively a village of 1000 people – actually own the land, but don’t have planning permission. In fact the eviction of Dale Farm is more about ethnic cleansing, rather than planning permission per se.

Basildon Council are trying to get the green light for a £2 million eviction of Dale Farm, with the self-proclaimed ‘gypsy eviction specialist’ bailiffs, Constant & Co, chaffing at the bit to be let out of their cages to do the dirty work. It was after seeing footage of Constant’s violent evictions of previous traveller evictions that persuaded the High Court Judge to halt the Dale Farm eviction in May, and urged Basildon Council to not use them in any future eviction.

Large communities like Dale Farm come about because life on the road and working itinerantly is now nearly impossible in England. Park-up land around the country has been taken away and their only recourse is to buy land and live on it – with or without planning permission.

The judge’s decision on the appeal is due in the new year, but already some 200 people have pledged to join the community to resist if it comes to an eviction. will keep you posted if and when that happens...

* For more info dale.farm@btinternet.com
* See also www.gypsy-traveller.org