Sat01Nov08 - HYDE PARK, LONDON - UK Peasants Revolt callout

[Mark]

Contact phone number for Richard the organiser is at the bottom of this email. Hoping for some news soon about speakers at the event [ed.].



The UK Peasants Revolt callout - London, 1st Nov.
Ref: http://www.peasantsrevolt.org/

This email (all from the website) contains:
1). Mission statement
2). Latest News
3). Purpose of the UK 2008 Peasants Revolt
4). Write-up on the current situation facing GYPSY-TRAVELLER and NOMADIC COMMUNITIES



1). Peasants Revolt 2008*

Homepage: http://www.peasantsrevolt.org

The Peasants Revolt will be a Peaceful Protest of Individuals and
Communities that will Represent the Voices of the UK Nomadic Cultures, the
UK Homeless and the UK Communities and Individuals that Would Choose to Live
a Lifestyle that is in Keeping with the Concept of Sustainable Development.

The UK Peasants Revolt 2008 is organised by individuals and organisations
who believe in the concept of sustainable development and who also believe
that the UK Government are failing in their duties to act in the interests
of the UK communities.

In particular those who are homeless, nomadic, victims of flooding,
immigrants and our elders whom are concerned for their wellbeing in a
climate that is unlikely to provide them with the security necessary to
ensure their in the long term 'Quality of Life'.

Furthermore it is evident that our young community are finding everyday
pressures mounting especially with regards to issues of Global Change and
the lack of affordabble housing or accomodation.

***************************************************

2).
Roll up Roll up News for July n August 2008

It has been a difficult few months numerous visits have been made to
Scotland Yard and agreements have had to be brokered. Much shuffling of
paper, grim faces, furrowed brows and the feeling that someone somewhere
is eyeing up your neck line for measurments - and the promise of a new
shirt is not quite what we mean!

We are of course expecting the agreements to be respected and the route to
be aknowledged by the enforcement powers of the UK Governements.  After
all we being the people they are obliged to oblige you know.  'Ahem' this
starkly written in UK law!  It is too early yet to release the details of
the march but we can assure you we shall be going where we intended!

The MAIN agreement is on the use of HYDE PARK - we have been informed that
it would be preferable to START the rally from HYDE PARK! which incidently
is a complete turn around from the original agreement- . . The big
sticking point was the Royal Grass.  We have been informed that should the
march finish there it was likely that the royal grass would become damaged
and thus we would be liable to reinstate it.

Now it must be said that Royal Grass is potentially rather expensive and
to be honest we don't know where to purchase said Grass from- so any
suggestions!  This is not something one generally has about ones person!

However we are Pleasant Peasants so we are not so worried about the Jeckel
Hyde turnaround - that to be expected. .

So OFFICIAL - The Peasants lAwful Meeting will begin in HYDE PARK Saturday
November 1st 2008 at 10.00am.  This is Samhain for those who do not know!
There will be speakers and general discusions occuring throughout the
morning as well as community interaction.

The actual Peasants Revolt Protest March 2008 is not envisaged to START
untill the early part of the afternoon - so keep an eye on this space!-

Good folk of the UK and habitating individuls we are also going to do some
merging!  . . Thats right merging!!! whats that? . . . you may well ask?
Well we don't want you kindly folk to finsih such an event and feel
flumuxed so we are going to picnic straight after!  . . . n merge with
those who know about quality picnics - so bring your paper bags full o
goodies and we shall strike up a chorus of good health!!  Communities
United.

Further opportunities for late evening merryments will be posted later on
the website - news section.

*****************************************

3).
The Purpose of the UK 2008 Peasants Revolt is to Bring to the UK Governments
Attention the Plight of those that are Homeless or who are having their
Traditional Way of Life Compromised through Unsustainable Parliamentary
Practices: To This End we shall Deliver to 10 Downing Street and to the
Government that Resides there a Request and a Petition Signed and Supported
by Those Who are - and Have Been Affected by Poor Planning and Unsustainable
Community Actions in the UK.

We Shall Request that the UK Government:

- Provide Common Solutions to Enable Traditional Sustainable Communities
to Coexist alongside Contemporary Communities
- Foster an Understanding that Nomadic Lifestyles are a Natural Cultural
Tradition that embraces the Concept of Sustainable Development and thus
should be encouraged
- Ensure that Ethnic Cleansing Practices of the UK Nomadic Communities
Cease Immediately
- Demand that Transparent Policy be Developed and Implemented Nationally
to permit the 'Enabling Mechanisms Necessary' for those who seek to live
their Lives embracing Traditional Culture and Those who wish to Sustain
Natural Lifestyle.
- Utilise Innovative Methodologies to Ensure that the Homeless and Nomadic
Peoples of the UK are Provided with the Actual Resources necessary to
Ensure 'Quality of Life' in Line with UK Policy

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION ON LINE- http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/PeasantsRevolt

************************************************************

4). GYPSY-TRAVELLER and NOMADIC COMMUNITIES
(written by the Traveller Law Reform Project):

To have no home also means being denied the right to live the natural life culture to which you are accustomed. In this context we mean that some communities are having their traditional practices compromised and are being forced to live in a manner that is both unsuitable and unjust.  The situation for these communities is desperate

Ken Livingstone - Former Mayor of London
“Gypsies and Travellers are one of the most marginalised groups in our
society".

The UK Government acknowledges that Gypsies and Travellers are the most socially deprived group in Britain, yet the Social Exclusion Unit still have no plans to examine their plight. Other priorities have been seen as more important, as the Prime Minister Tony Blair stated in reply to a letter, and that is still the position.

Local authorities are not obliged to provide somewhere for Travellers to live, since the repeal of the Caravan Sites Act 1968 nine years ago, and only 4% of Travellers who apply for planning permission on their own land succeed. The number of Traveller families with nowhere to live is increasing, and passed the 3,000 mark in January 2003.

'The situation today [2008] is much worse- cramped sites are witnessing an increase in health problems much liken to those of the previous century. What is fuelling the problem is the increasing numbers of populations joining with traditional nomadic cultures.

The issue is that many of the swelling numbers joining the traditional
gypsy traveller communities originate from non- nomadic lifestyles and are forced into the traveller lifestyle simply because they cannot afford or find anywhere to live within the mainstream communities. There is a growing unease about the integration of mainstream communities into the nomadic way of life because they are ill equipped and find it difficult to maintain health and wellbeing due to lack of knowledge.

The increased growth of nomadic communities is also placing pressures on nominated site capacities which in turn are compounding the well known and recognised struggles that the gypsy and traveller communities are already faced with.  It is therefore 'vital' that the UK governments become accountable for homeless issues. This is because should issues relating to gypsy and travelling communities continue to remain ignored and under funded it is likely that the problems will magnify greatly and potentially act as a trigger.

Clearly the UK Governments have not addressed the issue of gypsy traveller communities adequately and there is much evidence that their linked planning practices are in fact unsustainable and this has caused for much despair and unrest amongst the oldest and traditional cultures.

It is also obvious that Climate Change is an issue therefore the low
impacts associated with gypsy traveller communities must be appreciated as a valuable asset and should be nurtured and supported not marginalised and squeezed'.   (Dr K. Y Sumser-Lupson, 2008)

Problem: At present there is no proper security of tenure for Gypsies and Travellers on sites. However local authority tenants in houses or flats and non-Traveller residents of mobile home parks have security of tenure. In November 2004 the government said they would change the law. They still haven't done so/

Council tenants (i.e. of flats and houses) who might be evicted have a
right to go to court and have their say in answer to the council's reasons
for evicting them. The judge hears evidence from the council and from the
tenant (and any witnesses either wants to call) and then the judge decides
who s/he believes and also whether s/he feels it is reasonable to grant a
possession order and evict them. Very similar security of tenure is
available to residents of mobile homes parks. The Mobile Homes Act
specifically excludes local authority Gypsy sites from its protection

In May 2004 the European Court of Human Rights heard a case brought
against the United Kingdom by Mr Connors. Mr Connors had been evicted from
a local authority site in Leeds. He had hotly contested the councils
reasons for evicting him but had not been enabled to put forward any
defence. The European Court of Human Rights held that this lack of
procedural safeguards meant that Mr Connors human rights had been
breached. He was awarded compensation. In November 2004 the government
said they would change the law to ensure this didn't happen. Much
campaigning and pressure later and...they still haven't changed the law, .
. .


info at travellerslaw.org.uk

Richard Solly Tel: 07956 450916