FACEBOOK - Dale Farm Solidarity

Grattan Puxon

From: Roma Virtual Network <romale@zahav.net.il

UK PRIME MINISTER BACKS
ETHNIC-CLEANSING ACTION
By Grattan Puxon

08/06/2011 - Disregarding UN calls and apparently scornful of human rights, the UK Government is now actively promoting an ethnic-cleansing operation against hundreds of homeless Travellers and Roma.

After private meetings with Prime Minister David Cameron, Tory MP John Baron announced yesterday [7 June] that he has obtained full financial backing for the eviction at Dale Farm.

A sum of 11 million euro has been raised to cover what is being described as a worst case scenario. This will involve a huge force of police, drawn from London and several counties. Riot gear, tear-gas and guns will be available to officers when they descend on the usually peaceful Dale Farm estate.

“The Prime Minister accepts this site has to be cleared,” says Baron. “I urge the Travellers to move off their land.”

In addition to police costs, about three million euro is going to a private security firm, Constant & Co. which has a notorious reputation for clearing so-called Gypsy sites. It has already bulldozed Romani properties close to Dale Farm.

Another four million euro has been set aside by Basildon Borough Council to pay fire and ambulance services, advice and liaison staff and to cover additional operations that may be necessary if Travellers remain in the district.

However, the legal justification for the Dale Farm eviction is still being challenged. The local council was required to consider the welfare of each individual before deciding to use force to remove them and demolish their homes.

The relevant committee allotted just 40 minutes to review copious personal notes, medical and educational data. Confronted by cases of severe illness, bed-ridden and aged pensioners, triplet babies, and a recent miscarriage, they found no reason to make a single exception. Even children with learning difficulties are to face the traumas of violent eviction.

All are to see their property destroyed and to suffer forced removal. Basildon has not responded to two offers by the Gypsy Council to set up alternative mobile-home parks on land available for this purpose near the present estate.

Instead the council has allocated council flats to selected families. These have been rejected.

“We can’t live in houses,” Kathleen McCarthy explains. “That would mean giving up our way of life and breaking up our community and we’re not going to do that.”

Instead Dale Farm residents have resolved to stay and fight. They have vowed to resist the destruction of their homes by non-violent means, and are appealing to people of good-will, including fellow Travellers, to join them.

So far over two thousand have pledged their support to the threatened families. Many are listed on the Dale Farm Solidarity Facebook and several hundred on a phone-tree alert.

The supporting Camp Constant will be set up shortly after the warning 28-day Notice is delivered to residents.

If you want to receive a text alert when the eviction operation is close, send your mobile number to dale.farm@btinternet.com

A protest demonstration is to be held at the Basildon Centre at 7pm on 30 June when Basildon council must meet to approve the final financing details. It is planned to linkup with anti-cut demonstrators who are mobilizing the same day.

Link: http://www.romabuzzmonitor.net/uk-prime-minister-backs-ethnic-cleansing/

via facebook.com