Sunday 25 September 2011

Dale Farm Solidarity - Update: We may need you to come down Monday night if the injunction is lifted – please be ready. | Dale Farm Solidarity

Update: We may need you to come down Monday night if the injunction is lifted – please be ready.

Sorry about the delay in getting this update together — it’s been a furiously busy 24 hours, and an amazing week at Dale Farm and in the court!

On Friday in court, barristers for Dale Farm residents backed up by the Gypsy Council, did a fantastic job before the Judge.  It now looks like the ground in parts of the former scrapyard cannot be dug up, so at least this part will be saved from being turned into a rubbish dump: http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16076105

At 4pm on Monday September 26, we’ll receive a decision from the Judge about the other arguments that were put forward, and we’ll know if some other plots at Dale Farm can be saved.  The judge has also indicated that he is open to a judicial review of the eviction, and we’ll find out if this goes forward.  If it doesn’t go forward, then the eviction could happen on Tuesday morning, so please be ready to come down Monday night to Dale Farm.  If there is a judicial review, then the eviction will be delayed by several more days.

We also learned a few more things: The judge said that Camp Constant and our property cannot be removed by the Bailifs, including the two back observation towers.  However, Basildon Council keeps pressuring the judge to give them powers to remove the front observation tower and scaffolding gate. Tony Ball also admitted that he was continuing to pay for the rental of heavy machinary, because their contract doesn’t allow them to return it.  It is believed that the bungled operation is costing £1million/day.

We don’t cost a million a day, but we do need some money. Just a fiver would help – please respond to our emergency funding appeal. Buy Dale Farm a pint! http://dalefarm.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/buy-dale-farm-a-pint-emergency-funding-appeal/

Solidarity action – we need you! If you cant make it to Dale Farm right now, please spread the word: link people to the website: http://dalefarm.wordpress.com/ , and the facebook page: http://en-gb.facebook.com/people/Dale-Farm/100000205024856 and get people to sign up to the call out: https://smsalerts.tachanka.org/dalefarm/ . Depending on how things go on Monday, you could also organise an event to raise money and to keep people’s attention on what is going on at Dale Farm. If you are running an event, please send details to: savedalefarm@gmail.com and we will help spread the word.

Also, sign the petition calling for a motion of No Confidence in Tony Balls, belligerent Head of Basildon Council: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nofaithintonyballs/

We’ll be sending out tweets, updating the website and facebook and sending more bulletins on Monday as the court case continues.