Dale Farm protestors to 'evict' Eric Pickles

Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Central Government and also in Communities, Housing

Dale Farm protestors plan to evict Eric Pickles from the Department for Communities and Local Government this Friday - the first anniversary of the evictions at the Traveller site.

The protestors claim that  Pickles - Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government - is responsible for "a coordinated strategy to demolish Traveller communities through evictions and slashing site provision".

Intending to give Pickles a "taste of his own medicine", protestors are aiming to disrupt operations at the DCLG from 1pm on Friday.

Oscar Farrell, who protested during last year's Dale Farm evictions, said: “Last year I couldn’t believe I was seeing 83 families made homeless by the Government; but it’s not just Dale Farm, it’s happening all over the UK – and Eric Pickles is leading the attack on Travellers. Evictions can only ever lead to more evictions.”
 
Former Dale Farm resident Mary Flynn said: “The way we’re treated, it’s like we’re not human beings – we’re seen as a problem that they need to get rid of. There are more Travellers than there are sites, so where do they expect us to live? It’s so hard to tell my children that we’re never going to get to go home.”

A DCLG spokeswoman said of the planned protest: "The clearance of the unauthorised site at Dale Farm was a matter for Basildon Council. The Government continues to provide a fair deal for traveller and settled communities and are providing £60 million of funding to help develop new and refurbished pitches for travellers.

"It is for local councils to determine the right level and type of traveller site provision in their communities in discussion with local residents. This will assist hundreds of traveller families find sites where they want to live and foster better relations with existing communities."