ENGLAND

                                                                                                                                              

ESSEX

FROM ROMANO LILORO
ROMA VIRTUAL NETWORK

CONSTANT BAILIFFS EVICT HOMELESS

Former Housing Advice Centre, Occupied by Homeless people to be evicted by Violent Traveller Eviction Specialist Baliffs Constant & Co

There is a doubly bitter irony in a group of homeless people being evicted from a former homeless advice centre (closed because of the cuts) by High Court Baliffs Constant & Co, who have in turn, won the contract to make over hundred Irish Traveller and Roma families homeless at Dale Farm, Essex.

Housing and Legal advice services are being decimated by this government. Traveller and Gypsy communities are being attacked. Meanwhile, misery profiteers like Constant & Co are merely rubbing their hands and counting their profits.

Its up to us get in their way.

On Monday 7th Feburary at 2pm, the occupiers will be in Court at Redcliffe Street. Its highly likely (based on very recent experience) that an eviction attempt will follow immediately. So please be at: The Former Hub 13-17 Cumberland Street, St Pauls, Bristol, BS2 8NL for 2pm to give your solidarity and resistance.

Before that there is a demo against the Legal Aid Cuts between 12 noon and 2pm, Queens Square outside the Legal Services Commission.

One of the Occupiers said:

"We took up residence in the building in protest against the massive cuts to services for the homeless and vulnerable in our area and plan on highlighting and taking heed of prime minister Cameron's statements of citizens taking responsibility within their local communities and being politically actively involved in so-called 'the big society'."

Meanwhile in Essex, preparations defend Dale Farm from eviction have been under way for a while.

Actvity days at Dale Farm have been scheduled for 19 and 20 February. Contact dale.farm@btinternet.com if you wish to take part. Or e-mail bristolnoborders@riseup.net for locally organised resistance

Background: Dale Farm

Dale Farm, in Crays Hill, Essex, is the UK’s largest Travellers’ community, consisting of nearly a hundred separate properties, lying well outside the village and made up of extended family plots or yards.

Most are owned by Travellers of Irish heritage, although some Romani families also own yards. The estate is divided in two sections, the front part (about 45 plots) has planning permission; while the back part (52 plots) despite numerous applications and appeals, has been refused planning consent, even though the site was previously a disused scrap yard! 90% of traveller planning applications are initially rejected compared to 20% overall.

Caving in to racial prejudice, Basildon District Council (BDC) has set aside two million bounds to demolish the homes in the back 52 plots. This could happen as early as September. We view the destruction of half this community as ethnic cleansing.

The main desire of the families is to not move from Dale Farm; they wish to get planning permission for permanent residence to continue living in the site they privately own.
http://dalefarm.wordpress.com/

Background: Constant & Co.

Constant & Co have gained a notorious reputation through such brutal evictions as the infamous Meadowlands and Twin Oaks evictions in 2004.

Established in 1973, Constant & Co. is the trading name of Constant and Company (Bedford) Limited, registered in England and Wales with registered number 1899428. Previously known as Constant & Co. (Cambridge) Ltd., Constant's registered office is 136-140 Bedford Road, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 8BH, but its head office is located at 66 Harpur Street, Bedford, MK40 2RA. It also has a 'fully computerised' processing centre in Milton Keynes (163 Queensway, Bletchley, MK2 2DZ) and two smaller offices in Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.

Needless to say, Constant & Co. has earned millions of pounds over the years removing travellers from land they live on, and in some cases own, in mostly unlawful, cowboy-style operations around the country. Its most recent accounts show that its net current assets at the end of 2008 were almost £1.2 million.

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I encourage any readers who are in England, to attend the hearing on Monday 7 Feb.  The Travelers and Gypsies in England and Ireland are under attack and need support.
Morgan