APPEAL ZERO EVICTIONS RED WHEELS IN UK We want Dale Farm to be left alone!
We, associations of inhabitants, international networks, voluntary groups, NGOs, public agencies, citizens of the world, and forceful removal being perpetuated against Roma and Travellers which have taken place or are threatened in many cities and towns, from Belgrade and Budapest to Birmingham, Athens, Kaliningrad, Novosibirsk and Milan
They signed the petition 527 people!
We denounce
the evictions threatened by Basildon District Council, currently delayed by a Judicial Review in the UK High Court, because they contravene the following International, European Treaties, or National Law ratified by United Kingdom: Article 5 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, despite the Concluding observations of the related UN Committee of 10/12/2003, Article 11 of the International Covenants on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, despite the Concluding Observations of the related Committee of 05/06/2002, Article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, despite the Concluding observations of the related Committee of 09/10/2002, Article 31 of the European Social Charter. Particularly, they violates the spirit and letter of the Human Rights Act and the latest recommendations of the European Roma and Travellers Forum, supported by the Council of Europe: No eviction to take place without provision of acceptable alternate accommodation.
We wish to draw solidarity
to the courageous stand being made by the 1,000 residents of Dale Farm, at Basildon, in England, who, despite a vote by Basildon District Council to destroy many of their homes, continue in the name of Travellers and Roma everywhere, their non-violent campaign to save their community from the bulldozer.
We firmly demand
The Basildon District Council:
- to immediately stop such evictions.
- to declare the land “free form evictions ” pending granting of planning permission.
The UK Deputy Prime Minister:
- that a commission of inquiry be set up immediately to investigate the evictions that have so far taken place or been threatened in recent years.
- that members of councils and their agents, including bailiff and security company personnel, who have been responsible for illegal damage to proeprty and persons be duely prosecuted
- to repeal the those parts of legislation and government and local council decisions which conflict with International Treaties protecting human and accommodation rights
- to guarantee the right to compensation and relocation, in agreement with the interested persons and in accordance with international norms, for all the victims of the evictions, including the right of access to justice, restitution, recovery, compensation, together with a guarantee that these violations will not be repeated again in future
The European Union, The European Committee of Social Rights, The European Court on Human Rights:
- to take immediate action
- to examine the violations of the European Social Charter onaccommodation and housing rights and of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
The UN-Habitat:
- to sending a fact finding mission of the UN-Habitat Advisory Group on Forced Evictions to help and act as mediators to protect the human and housing rights of the Dale Farm community and other Traveller and Gypsy communities in the area of Basildon District Council, in Essex England.
Signed:
UK
Corin Redgrave and Vanessa Redgrave
Evelina Gueorguieva, The Advocacy Project
Clifford Codona, chair, UK Forum
Rachel Francis-Ingham, UK Association of Gypsy Women
Janette Gronfers, International Roma Women Network, London
Grattan Puxon, secretary, Trans-European Roma Federation
Ruth Appleton, Jewish Socialist Group, London
Dr Donald Kenrick, London
Jonathan Oppenheim, Cambridge
Nikos Christodoulou, England
Ruth Barnett, clinical director, Rapheal Counselling Service, London
Xasim, PakiTV, London
Joy Mcknight, National Union of Journalists, London
Gemma Sayers, East Anglian Social Forum
John Row, storyteller & poet, England
International
Prof. Yves Cabannes, Harvard University Cambridge, UN-AGFE convenor, USA
Cesare Ottolini, International Alliance of Inhabitants
Vincenzo Simoni, Massimo Pasquini, National secretary Unione Inquilini, Italy
Giuseppe la Biunda, President Coralli cooperative, Italy
Cristina Almazán, UCISV-Pobladoras. México
Roger Muro, GIU, Perú
Dr Leo Rebello, World Peace Envoy, Mumbai, India
Mei-Ling McNamara, editor, The Advocacy Project, Washington DC
Catherine Beard, delegate, European Roma and Travellers Forum, Strasbourg
Toma Nikolaeff, editor, De Facto, Bulgaria
Muarem Ramush, journalist, Roma Times, Macedonia
Kathy Spencer, Montana, USA
Sinead Lucy, lawyer, Dublin
Valery Novoselski, RomaNetwork
Usama Dafaalla
Charmaine Smith, Romani
John Joe Boswell, Rom
Barbara Burchett, USA
Mon De Rijck, Belgium
Maria Ioanovici, Belgium
Rom Harold Lush, USA
They signed the petition 527 people!