Dale Farm Travellers and supporters leave site

After two-day standoff residents walk out of Dale Farm in Essex peacefully, saying they do so with ‘dignity’ and heads held high The beginning of the eviction at Dale Farm was marked by violence, but the end – when it came – was calm and ordered. After seeing the final barrier designed to stop bailiffs entering the site torn down earlier in the day, Travellers and protesters staged a mass “dignified walk out”, leaving the site outside Basildon in Essex together as the sun began to go down on Thursday, chanting “save Dale Farm” as they went. It was an emotional moment for the remaining protesters, many who have lived on the site for months, and residents who expressed their thanks for the support that they had been given. Kathleen McCarthy – who has taken on the role of voice of the community — said: “We and the activists, we are all proud people and we are leaving here with our heads held high. It’s an emotional day. I’m sad but so be it, God will protect each and every one of us.” Good had come from the Dale Farm story, she said. “We showed we are not what they made us out to be, we are not thugs, we are good people.” There had been violent clashes at Dale Farm on Wednesday, when riot police were pelted with missiles and two protesters tasered. But on Thursdayon the site there was a mood of despondency and resignation. The decision to walk out together was taken in a public meeting, held among the ruins of Marianne McCarthy’s pitchIt had earlier been unclear whether the planned departure would happen, when tempers were raised by Basildon council representatives entering the site with riot police to survey what remained. But at 5pm, the walk began. It was the right time to go, said Marie McCarthy. “It’s been worth everything,” she said. “It’s the best thing Travellers have ever done. This time we made a stand and I tell you what, we put up a good fight. We’re going out with dignity at the end of it.” Asked where the Travellers would go now, she said: “We go on the road to nowhere, that’s where we go.” Like much of the story of Dale Farm, the final walk-out was not without theatre. Photographers jostled for the best shot as the walk progressed, with police officers and hard-hatted bailiffs standing sentry while residents and protesters filed out of the gates. Legal observers will remain to make sure bailiffs comply with the law as they start to deconstruct the site. Marina Pepper, who lead much of the protesters’ campaign and had been seen berating bailiffs and police, said it was the right way to go, but that she was disappointed. “It is this idea that you always have to bend to the will of the strongest bully, and what we have seen here is state bullying,” she said. “We have to go because nobody wants to go out of here in a body bag. The end is seen as inevitable now, but if that changes we’ll be back for a massive party.” Soon after they had quit the site, Basildon council issued a statement, in which leader Tony Ball said it was “encouraging” that the Travellers and supporters were leaving Dale Farm in a “peaceful and dignified manner”. He said: “Sadly, this could have been achieved many years ago and without the scenes of violence which we have witnessed over the last 48 hours and the accompanying expense to the taxpayer.” Speaking at a press conference earlier, Ball reiterated that the council had made Travellers aware of sites in other areas of the country, and had made the offer of bricks and morter accommodation for the elderly and young which had not been accepted. It was clear that the end was close from early on Thursday when police removed five protesters who had locked themselves to the gate and a metal barrier and had remained in place for more than 25 hours. Soon after, before the sun had warmed a freezing site, the bailiffs’ heavy machinery got to work, quickly destroying the 40ft barricade that had become symbolic of the struggle at Dale Farm. Before long a Russian military truck, which protesters had been attached to, was also removed – after its owner called the RAC to come and give it a jump start. During the final two-day stand off 39 people were arrested, with one person charged with a public order offence for refusing to take off a face covering, said Superintendent Trevor Roe from Essex police. “As far as I’m aware, the residents have offered no violence whatsoever,” he said. Ten forces had been part of the operation, but police were now keen to scale back the operation and let bailiffs take over. “We now want to return to normal policing as soon as we can,” said Roe. It was the end of a long road for Dale Farm, where the residents had been locked in a battle with Basildon council over housing on a former scrapyard which they own but do not have planning permission for. On Monday, an appeal court judge refused the Travellers’ final attempt to halt the eviction after 10 years of legal wrangling. Caravans in the early evening began pulling off Dale Farm – and on to the legal site alongside. One man said that £18m was a lot of money to move someone a couple of hundred yards. But the council has vowed to prevent Travellers from settling illegally nearby, and after the next few days few know where they will go. Mary Quillgan, mother of five children, said reports that other councils were preparing to prevent Dale Farm Travellers settling in their areas sickened her. She said: “People say we are Travellers and we should travel but the world is changing, our kids need to go to school. They keep pushing us on the road, but where does the road end?” Dale Farm Roma, Gypsies and Travellers Local government Planning policy Protest Human rights Alexandra Topping guardian.co.uk

Posted by on October 21, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.