David Cameron backs Ethnic-Cleansing Action

Disregarding UN calls and apparently scornful of human rights, the British Government is now actively promoting an ethnic-cleansing operation against hundreds of homeless Travellers and Roma. After private meetings with Prime Minister David Cameron, Conservative Member of Parliament for Basildon John Baron announced on 7 June 2011 that he has obtained full financial backing for the eviction at Dale Farm. A sum of €11,000,000 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 €3,000,000 is going to a private security firm, Constant & Co., which has a notorious reputation for clearing so-called Gypsy sites. Constant & Co. has already bulldozed Romani properties close to Dale Farm.

Another €4,000,000 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 Basildon, Billericay and Wickford 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 Dale Farm. 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'. The Dale Farm residents need to travel and have a permanent place they can call home, to come back to.

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 at Dale Farm after the 28-day Notice of Eviction from Basildon Borough Council is delivered to residents.

To receive a text alert when the eviction operation is close, send your mobile number to me, Grattan Puxon, at dale.farm@btinternet.com

A protest demonstration is to be held at the Basildon Centre at 7.00pm on 30 June 2011, 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. You will be most welcome to join us.

Grattan Puxon 08.06.2011

Grattan Puxon represents the Dale Farm Residents Association. The website on http://dalefarm.wordpress.com is helping Dale Farm supporters to co-ordinate the defence of the residents from Basildon Council's Bailiffs, Constant & Co., even while negotiations continue.

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