Traveller Law Reform Bill comes up in Parliament on 10 July tomorrow…

Travellers continue to face ethnic cleansing

What this is all about is that Travellers are facing a kind of UK-version of “ethnic-cleansing”.

The Government encourages the purchasing of land for private caravan parks (since local council no longer have to provide them – and have closed a lot down).

But 99 times out of a 100, planning permission is refused. And EVICTION follows.

Now people at >WOODSIDEWOODSIDE< the Gypsy Alamo.

We are gathering support to oppose the eviction expected to be attempted by Mid Beds Council around 1 Nov. So far over 100 people have joined the RED ALERT “CASCADE”, a telephone network which will alert people as soon as anything happens.

About 20 (so far) will stay overnight in Tent City put up on the l7-acre park (beautiful place), and 50 more will come to protest. Others will phone the council making protests on the day.

This is the first time we have called on support in this way – you may have some ideas and input

to give us.

We are linking up with other caravan parks, also facing eviction, at Nuneaton and Epping.

Meanwhile, the Traveller Law Reform Bill comes up in Parliament on 10 July. This would restore obligation of council to open caravan sites (abolished in l994 by the Criminal Justice Act).

We would like to make common cause with New Age Travellers and there is plenty of room for people to move on to Woodside. We will fight for EVERYBODY to be offered an alternative site.

Cliff Codona, chairman of the National Travellers Action Group, met with MP David Atkinson on 3rd July 2002 about the Bill.

Grattan Puxon

co-ordinator

Trans-European Roma Federation

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