Demonstrate on Saturday Sept 10 against the £18 million eviction of 90 Traveller families from their homes at Crays Hill, Essex.

The eviction is likely to happen early in September and if it happens before September 10th, we will march to Dale Farm immediately.

The Dale Farm estate has been bought and created by Traveller families who wish to have settled homes, though still travelling for work. Parts have existed since the 1970s and the community has close ties with local churches. Two generations of Dale Farm children have attended Basildon schools.

While half the estate was built with planning consent, some 52 properties are located on a former scrap-yard and have been denied planning permission. It is these homes which Tory-run Basildon Borough
Council is targeting for destruction, on the grounds that they are within the green belt.

Is that the real motive? In a giveaway remark council leader Tony Balls has said, "We have enough Travellers in Basildon". Community spokesperson Kathleen McCarthy comments, "We feel this is a case of ethnic-cleansing."

Through the Gypsy Council, Dale Farm residents have submitted two planning applications to develop alternate homes on land owned by the Homes and Communities Agency. This land was earlier offered to Basildon council for this purpose but turned down.

Against Labour and Liberal Democrat opposition, and pleas from UN bodies, the Council of Europe and Amnesty International, Basildon have voted to spend a third of its budget -- £8 million demolishing the estate and turning people out onto the road. They include a bed-ridden patient, children with learning difficulties and several pregnant mothers.

The policing of what could be a three-week operation has an additional price tag of £10 million, of which £6 million is being provided by the Home Office.

Dale Farm Solidarity have called a demonstration starting at 1pm on Saturday Sept 10th. Join us at Wickford Train Station, mere 30 minutes by train from London Liverpool Street Station. The march will then proceed to Dale Farm and Camp Constant, a base for human rights monitors and those who will engage in civil disobedience to stop the bulldozing.

Families have been given until midnight on August 31st to abandon their homes or have them bulldozed. If the eviction starts before the schedule demonstration, we will march immediately to Dale Farm.

To sign up to a txt alert in case of eviction, or to spend a night at Dale Farm so that we have a constant presence there click here

Buses will also be available. Contact savedalefarm@gmail.com
to find or confirm transport leaving from near you.