Irish travellers are, as we understand, on the process of being evicted from their homes in Dale Farm, Essex. About 1,000 people have resided there in the last ten years but now have seemingly lost their long term battle to stay at the halting site. Protesters on the travellers' behalf are continuing to support them as this saga is to go on for a very long time. Evictions could take up to six weeks - depending on how straightforward the mission is.
The bailiffs, part of the Basildon Council today have been dressed in blue jackets marked "Enforcement Officer" evicting them family-by-family from their residence because they have refused to use planning permission to stay at their six acre land meaning they've been living there illegally. They haven't claimed the land with pen-and-paper and therefore it's the Council responsibility to take action. It is completely understandable, what the council are doing. If someone has done something illegal and got caught, they'd have to face the consequences. It's the Council's right to get the travellers packing.
Let's try and see the traveller's side to this. They claim to have nowhere else to go, as they cannot afford to live elsewhere. One says they are too ill to leave the premises. These are their excuses not to leave their 51 unauthorised caravans. Their place there has been under threat since legal procedures started when the travellers first moved a decade ago. Their persistence and support from human right activists have kept them on their feet until now.
However, their allegations offer more questions that need answering. If they're "travellers", why have they nowhere to go? What do they find in Dale Farm which they call home? This land used to be a scrapyard and today, to me looks worse. The living conditions appear to be shocking and even if I had no money whatsoever, I wouldn't want to live in a place like that. Absolutely terrifying.
The travellers have to consider themselves lucky during this process. I mean, if anyone else broke the law to this extent, they'd be locked up in prison but they've been left Scot-free. There have been series of debates the media about the children's well being in that sort of environment. One caller during the Jeremy Vine show on Monday afternoon (presented by Paddy O'Connell) says the children go to the local school whenever their parents felt like it, denying them some form of education. Surely these contradict human right campaigns against child cruelty?
I don't want to say that being a traveller is a bad thing but I feel they could do themselves better to go elsewhere and learn from their previous mistakes - such as getting planning permission for some land. If they want to live in similar environment as they are at present, there are plenty of places in the UK and beyond to stay. Or if the council really want to get rid of the travellers, offer them a place to stay and perhaps they could find another path for good health and prosperity in the future.
It has been just announced that London High Court are to meet with the travellers and Basildon Council on Friday as the council are restrained from clearing structures from Dale Farm. As I said, it's a saga which will last much longer as we all will like.
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