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Last update: 31-03-2004
9 LADIES AWAITING EVICTION
Papers have been served on the site which means that they could be evicted at any time. Read the Guardians article or click for to goto the 9 ladies website
More links:
http://www.britainexpress.com/articles/Ancient_Britain/nine-ladies.htm
http://www.stonehenge.ukf.net/nineladies.htm
http://nineladiescampaign.tripod.com/nineladiesstonecircle/
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/01/284233.html
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=125
MEADOWLANDS: STOP EVICTION!
22-01-2004
Travellers dug in, with ditches and barricades, ready to resist attempt at eviction from their own caravan park - Meadowlands - on Monday morning (26 Jan), starting 8 am. This is an operation by Chelmsford Borough Council, instigated by planning officer Christine Lyons (who has it in for Travellers) WITHOUT a court order or Injunction.
Contractors have been hired to "clear" and bulldoze the entire caravan park - because it's on greenbelt land. But the council itself has set up another caravan park just up the road, and presumably gave themselves planning permission for this.
Location: Meadowlands, Cranham Road, Little Waltham, Essex, near A130.
There are only 30 people living on the park, including a young pregnant mother, Ann Connor, and a disabled man. So far, about 60 people have said they will come to Meadowlands on SUNDAY (25 Jan) and stay overnight with us - ready for action on Monday morning.
Thanks to Steve, there will be a marquee; and thanks to Becky and others, a kitchen is being set up. Room in trailers for sleeping - but bring sleeping bags and blankets. Come to Chelmsford station and call Jim on 07876697015 for lift to Meadowlands.
Call Grattan on 01206 523 528 for any info you need.
ROMA STOP EVICTION WITH HUMAN SHIELD
14-01-2004
Seventy Roma formed a "human shield" outside their caravan park on Monday (12 Jan) preventing bailiffs, accompanied by police, carrying out an eviction.
Over the weekend, defences had been prepared using mechanical diggers. From early morning, barricades were set on fire, confronting the hired bailiffs with a wall of fire and smoke. Behind the front barricades, was a second defence line of trenches and heavy lorries. Roma from London, Bedford and Birmingham came to the Bulkington Fields Caravan Park, near Coventry, to support the non-violent resistance. They were also joined by members of the TERF Human Rights Monitory Group.
"If they had got passed the men and the ditches," said John Lee, of the National Travellers Action Group, "Our women and children were ready to get under the caravans and refuse to move."
At one point, the men advanced up the road towards the bailiffs. They halted at the police line behind a banner saying "STOP ETHNIC CLEANSING". There were chants of "We will not be moved."
After a seven-hour stand-off and tense negotiations led by TER secretary Grattan Puxon, Constant and Co (the compared hired to carry out the eviction) withdrew there men on the orders of Nuneaton and Bedworth Council. Some 50 police and a fire-engine left shortly afterwards.
In a debate in Parliament the same afternoon, Kevin McNamara, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Traveller Law Reform, said, "A fracas took place in Coventry today over issues that will - I hope - be resolved satisfactorily." McNamara said it was time the Government addressed the issue of Traveller accommodation and ended "the spiral of hatred in which the Traveller community exists."
The Bulkington Fields Caravan Park is owned by a group of 21 families. They have put in roads, hardstanding, water and electricity supplies. So far, Nuneaton council has refused planning permission claiming the greenbelt preservation area has priority over the needs of the families. However, John Lee and Aaran Smith with their legal representatives will apply on Thursday (15 Jan) at the High Court in London for an Injunction preventing Nuneaton Council attempting again to carry out an eviction by force.
Nuneaton Council officials have agreed to meet representatives of the NTAG and TERF on Friday. John Lee and Aaron Smith will be accompanied by Cliff Condona, chair of the NTAG and by Travellers Chaplain Father Joe Brown.