Thurs 15th, London: CARDBOARD CITY FLASH MOB AGAINST HOMELESSNESS

[mark at tlio.org.uk]

Please forward on to other interested parties:

Press Release: CARDBOARD CITY FLASH MOB AGAINST HOMELESSNESS
For immediate release

On Thursday 15th September, friends and supporters of the Traveller 
site at Dale Farm in Essex and activists from various campaigning 
groups will assemble in a flash mob to create a “cardboard city” at 
the offices of the Department of Communities and Local Government 
(DCLG) [1].

These groups believe the DCLG is failing to seriously tackle 
homelessness and that in particular three policies promoted by Eric 
Pickles, the Secretary of State, will only worsen it.

1.  Riot Evictions as collective punishment: Eric Pickles has 
personally endorsed evicting entire families if a member is found to 
be a "looter[2]. Wandsworth Council had served an eviction notice to 
Maite de la Calva though her 18 year son had only been arrested with 
riot related charges. The mother who took no part in the London riots 
has accused the Local Authority for behaving like “fascists” [3].

2.  Unreasonable treatment of Traveller communities: Basildon Council 
has received £1.2 million from DCLG [4] to finance the eviction of 
approximately 400 people from Dale Farm in Crays Hill, Essex [5]. 
Despite calls from the UN to suspend the eviction at Dale Farm [6], 
and offers of mediation from local Bishops [7], Basildon Council seem 
determined to make over 100 children homeless and severely disrupt 
their education [8]. A total of £18 million is being spent by the 
local authority and the Government to finance the eviction of the 500 
people at Dale Farm, the largest Traveller site in the country.

3.  Radical social housing reforms in the Localism Bill: Local 
authorities will no longer be obliged to offer subsidised social 
housing to those on waiting lists and the abolishment of the right to 
a council house for life [9]. The controversial Localism Bill has been 
criticised by a number of housing experts as creating “a revolving 
door of poverty,"[10]. It has also been criticised by Conservative and 
Liberal Democrat peers for the pace at which it is being rushed 
through parliament [11].

Jason Fielding, a teacher from South London who is organising the 
demo, said:

"The situation at Dale Farm is becoming desperate - people are scared 
for their homes, their children and their futures."

Tracy Singh, a mother of two from Battersea, who will be attending the 
protest, said:

“Why make my family homeless, if my teenage daughter gets caught up in 
the riots steals a packet of sweets? It just makes me sick.”

Protests in solidarity with the Travellers at Dale Farm are also 
expected
at British Embassies in Berlin and Dublin to show support to the 
families facing eviction.

ENDS

Notes for Editor:

For more information contact: Dale Farm Solidarity London on 
MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from 
"uk.mc272.mail.yahoo.com" claiming to be dalefarmldn at gmail.com

[1] The flash mob will take place at 5pm outside the Department for 
Communities and Local Government. Address: Eland House, Bressenden 
Place, London, SW1E 5DU. Supporting activists and groups include No 
Sweat, Dale Farm Solidarity, trade union activists, Amnesty 
International supporters, anti-racist groups such as UAF and 
audacity.org

[2] Communities Secretary: 'Looters should be evicted', BBC News, 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14502704

[3] Wandsworth riot eviction mother attacks 'fascist' council, BBC 
News London, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14810580

[4] Costs of Dale Farm Travellers Site evictions raised in Parliament, 
Housing and Property Law 
Daily,http://www.housingandpropertylawdaily.co.uk/news-by-category/2011/06/09/costs-of-dale-farm-travellers-site-evictions-raised-in-parliament--10345.html

[5]Dale Farm: UN calls for Essex eviction to be suspended, BBC News, 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-14763905

[6] UN anti-racism committee urges UK to suspend eviction of Gypsy 
families, UN News Centre, 
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=39436&Cr=eviction&Cr1

[7] Church dodges question on land, Echo News, 
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/9233271.Church_dodges_question_on_land/

[8] Dale Farm: Fears raised over school after eviction, BBC News, 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-14801980

[9] Briefing: Localism Bill - Committee Briefing, James Bevan, 
Shelterhttp://england.shelter.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/333570/Localism_Bill_briefing_Homeless_discharge_and_flexible_tenancy.pdf

[10] Housing experts horrified by localism bill, 
http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2011/1/26/housing-experts-horrified-by-localism-bill

[11] Peers denounce new laws 'tsunami', Michael Buchanan, BBC News 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14794400