UK PRIME MINISTER BACKS
ETHNIC-CLEANSING ACTIONBy 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.comA 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.
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Roma Buzz Monitor » UK: PRIME MINISTER BACKS ETHNIC-CLEANSING
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