August 10, 2009, Basildon, UK: Residents of the Traveller community at Dale Farm and their supporters gathered today at noon outside Bailsdon Centre to protest the planned eviction of more than 100 Traveller families.

Carrying the flags of the United Nations, the Romani nation, and many countries, the group demonstrated outside of town hall, urging a freeze on the Basildon Council’s forced eviction plans.

The Travellers contend the eviction will cost more than 3 million pounds, and say it amounts to ethnic cleansing of the Gypsy community. Travellers have been consistent targets of racism and discrimination in the UK, despite the fact that most were born in the UK and are British citizens.

During the protest, the Travellers presented a legal memorandum outlining the Council’s obligation under international law to seek an alternative to bulldozing their community. The memorandum, drawn up by the Geneva-based Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, with the help of the Univeristy of Essex Faculty of Law, says Dale Farm families have a strong claim under international law to be resettled — and not thrown out on the road, as the council intends.

Last week, the Council was told by the UK Government that it must provide land for a minimum of 62 caravan pitches, to enable Traveller families refused permits
to live on their own properties to take up legal residence in Basildon.

“We hope commonsense will prevail,” said Dale Farm Housing Association president Richard Sheridan. “It would cost the councilnothing to leave us in peace in our own homes.”

So far, talks with Basildon officials, continuing this week, have produced no offer of accommodation or land.

The Dale Farm crisis began in 2005 when it was determined the Travellers were living on Green Belt land that is environmentally protected from development. Eviction orders were issued in 2005 and 2007. The most recent threat began after the UK Court of Appeal ruled in January that the Travellers could be legally evicted.

The Dale Farm Housing Association is a partner of The Advocacy Project (AP). AP has supported the Travellers since 2005 and previously sent two Peace Fellows to volunteer at Dale Farm.