Dale Farm locks on against eviction

Published: September 19, 2011 09:51 by biased comments

Jamie Waller has been on bbc1 tv news this morning as a 'bailiff and eviction specialist' and saying that it's 'unfortunate for everyone that there are activists there at dale farm - travellers i spoke to last night are frankly sick of them and want them gone'....

Oh yeah jamie? Amazing biased coverage from bbc.

On the other hand Sky just had interviews with ppl living at dale farm saying how grateful they were that supporters had come down to help resist the forced eviction.

Published: September 19, 2011 09:55 by update

Around 20 security in hi viz jackets have been gathering in their compound for what appears to be a briefing. First bailiffs in black seen also in compound. TSG riot police are stationed in vans offsite and outside of the eviction security/police compound.

Published: September 19, 2011 10:05 by imcler

as a reminder: you can also send sms directly to the London Indymedia Tumblewire: txt to 0794 3103736

Published: September 19, 2011 10:08 by update

More bailiffs arrived in compound. More road closures around site now including Oak road. Three coppers from the 'crays hill community team' (set up specially for dale farm) were at the gate earlier but have now left.

Published: September 19, 2011 11:35 by update

Another 11th hour meeting with dale farm reps and basildon council is going ahead. loads of ppl still locked on. about 25 police vans in area as part of operation 'cabinet'.

Published: September 19, 2011 11:58 by update

meeting failed as dale farm rep wanted to talk about delay to eviction, alternatives and legal side, council reportedly only wanted to talk about mechanics of eviction.

council and cop press briefings due to start.

Published: September 19, 2011 12:29 by update

Council leader Tony Ball said in their recent press briefing that the operation will begin at some point today - at first with bailiffs requesting access to the site in order to talk to residents.

He said they declined a further meeting with dale farm reps when it became clear that the reps wanted to discuss a delay in eviction until nov 22nd (when a planning appeal is due on a separate site), rather than discuss the eviction process itself.

It was also said that there was intelligence that opponents of the eviction were prepared to use violence, and that no other authority would agree to a single site large enough to accommodate the community together in one place.

Published: September 19, 2011 12:36 by -

inside security compound. they have 2-3 mobile barrier trailers too.

Published: September 19, 2011 12:44 by solidarity

Dale Farm residents plea for a solution through negotiations

Residents are voicing a plea for resolution, and have asked Basildon Counci to negotiate with them in order to find a way to avoid a forced eviction. Basildon Council have yet to begin the eviction that residents have been expecting from 8am this morning. Over the past several years, the Dale Farm community have been attempting to find a resolution to avoid a forced eviction through proposing alternative sites and through legal processes.

Local Bishops as well as the United Nations have offered to mediate between the Dale Farm community and the Council. However, recently the Foreign Office refused the request of the European Represenatve of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Jan Jarab, to visit Dale Farm and attempt to conduct negotiatons. (Emails available as evidence up request).

The offer of negotiations comes at a time when Basildon Council is being criticised for not maintaining open communication with the residents. The residents have been increasingly distressed at the lack of information about what time the eviction is due to start. The mixed messages continue as the Council discusses with the press that they were considering negotiations while saying the eviction is going ahead.

The community living on the former scrapyard at Dale Farm are in the Royal Courts of Justice at 11.30 today. While the chances of success are limited, the case shows that Basildon Council’s statements that all avenues to solve the problem are exhausted are incorrect.

Several Dale Farm residents also have planning permission applictions lodged with Basildon Council pending decision in October.

Dale Farm resident Kathleen McCarthy told the Today Program this morning, “We will give Basildon Council our land if they build us a site… The law keeps us breaking the law.”
Basildon Council leader Tony Ball repsonded, “The Council is offering suitable accommodation’ to Dale Farm residents.” and and that “all avenues” for alternatives had been “exhausted”.

Letters from the Homes & Communities Agency to Richard Howitt MEP show that they offered land and funds to allow Dale Farm residents to move to a legal site. (Letters available on request). Basildon Council deemed relocation in the Basildon area unacceptable and unilaterally left the multi-agency ‘Altenative Sites Working Group’ in October 2010. Immediately after leaving the group they employed notorious anti-Traveller baliffs Constant & Co to undertake the eviction.

Since then Tony Ball has been more interested in courting the media than honestly communicating with Dale Farm residents. They get their information from the press, and not Basildon Council.

http://dalefarm.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/dale-farm-residents-plea-for-a-solution-through-negotiations/

Published: September 19, 2011 14:43 by update

several police vans have now moved up into the front security compound

Published: September 19, 2011 14:44 by update

now moved up

Published: September 19, 2011 15:00 by update

Around 25 bailiffs just removed some of the fencing of the security compound to enter the approach road further up from the main gate.

Along with around 7 police they have walked towards the main gate to make an announcement...

Paraphrased: 'we are commencing operation to return the land to green belt - we have been facilitating your protest - you are blocking the emergency access road and the structure you have errected has potential to cause harm - we are concerned with your safety and that of the council workers - is there anything i can say or do to persuade you to remove yourselves in a peaceful manner?'

After the announcement and being heckled they turned around and walked back along the road and entered the security field closing the fencing behind them. Some were wearing blue bibs saying "enf officer" with black hard hats dennoting 'evidence gatherer'

Published: September 19, 2011 15:32 by update

Situation scaled back now after bailiff announcement and request to leave. More barricades built inside, people still locked on. Cop vans retreated from forward security compound area.

Published: September 19, 2011 15:54 by update

Today's lords appeal following the failure to obtain an injunction preventing the eviction has also failed.

Published: September 19, 2011 16:00 by fyi

4pm

Published: September 19, 2011 16:26 by update

Dale Farm Solidarity group says power is still on!

Published: September 19, 2011 17:02 by 5.55pm update

Temporary high court injunction to prevent removal of structures til at least friday (when hearing is to take place) - celebrations on the barricades! more soon!

Published: September 19, 2011 17:20 by update

High court injunction forbids council removing physical structures from site and directs them to issue notices by midday tomorrow to dale farm residents on a plot by plot basis detailing what enforcement measures will be taken along with a timetable. Residents will then have until midday thursday to respond and the judge will then look again at the injunction on friday at 11.30am

The injunction also prohibits the council from cutting utilities (water/power) unless there is a risk to life or limb.

The guardian reports that "Mr Justice Edwards-Stuart granted the order at London's high court on the basis that there was a realistic apprehension that the measures to be taken - while genuinely believed in by the council - "may go further" than the terms of the enforcement notices."

Published: September 20, 2011 07:48 by supporter

I'm amazed that people think this injunction is some sort of victory when in fact it is the State doing what it does best, deflecting real resistence through delaying tactics. The State knows full well that tensions are high, bad publicity is just around the corner so it allows a 'legal delay' knowing that a numnber of things will happen:

1 - the media will lose interest (they can't keep crews on site for ever.
2 - some of the supporters will leave as they have jobs and lives to return to
3 - the barricades will have to be partialy removed to allow supplies in etc.

On the State's side balliffs are quite cheap to keep there, Basoldon council has already received extra funding from Whitehall for their costs so they are ok and now they play the waiting game where at least some of those on site will 'crack' and leave under the pressure (the waiting is a form of torture) and supporters will lose motivation.

Published: September 22, 2011 09:26 by Non-Alingned

I'm sorry to say that the comment above here has in part turned out to be true. Although some parts of the media are still here the vast majority including nearly all the TV crews have now left which is a shame. Also some supporters have had to leave because they have job or family commitments.

The baliff teams are changing with the 'friendly face' individuals now gone as the TV has left and a more 'ex squaddy' lot arriving. Seems they are former soldiers who are on a bonus depending on how quick they get us out once the operaiton starts.

Published: September 22, 2011 09:53 by Still has the bruises

Be careful, I have come across those former soldier ballifs in the past, they all come form one firm which I think is called Dawkins Baliffs and they offer a service where violence is likely. As might be expected they have no hesitation in wading in with fists and boots and we came up against them last year at a squat in Canning Town, as well as former Army thugs there were five or six ex Ghurkas who were simply terrible toward us.

Published: September 23, 2011 07:12 by anonymous autonomous

it was a victory because we got another five days to barricade and recover... that is all... hopefully we get a decent turn out again, we'll see...

what we really need rather than your knowledge of the obvious is your presence at the Barricades.

Cheers!

Published: September 23, 2011 15:34 by Will

And once again people are foolishly celebrating as a 'victory' the delayed Court hearing when it is nothing of the sort. The Friday showdown quickly reinvigorated the mainstream media who thought they could get a few juicy bits of film on a slow news day so surprise, surprise the ever helpful court system decides it does not have the time to deal with this before Monday. The powers behind this knowing full well that this will likely see the media leave, some supporters go home and some Travellers fall to the psycological pressure and depart the site.

I wish some activists would understand how they are manipulated.