Chickens coming home to roost, or: the occupation of Margaret Thatcher House
Updated Thursday - see below
Mrs Angry called in to visit the occupiers of Margaret Thatcher House this morning, finding them in good spirits and keen for our local MP Mike Freer to accept their invitation to join them for a night in the cold, to experience what it is like for someone without a home to live out on the street. They have this morning sent him this letter:
Dear Mike
We appreciate you taking the time to communicate with us, thank
you for the permission from you and your office to conduct our
peacefull protest on the front yard piece of land at 212 Ballards lane
N12.
The
protest at your constituency office is a result of us trying to engage
with the parliamentary democratic process in which we followed your
procedures,for a public consultation.
Lobbying
campaigning and raising awareness,whereby 96% of the replies to the
public Consultation said do not criminalise squatting.
Including
Judges, police and lawyers associations as well as homeless charities
and housing NGOs requesting the law not be enacted.
However
your government chose to ignore their own public consultation and
press ahead undemocratically to criminalise sheltering (squatting) in
empty buildings.
We
are further concerned greatly by Chris Grayling the justice minister
saying he may once again undemocratically criminalise non residential
squatting.Which is one of the last safety nets for many homeless and
landless people who are not helped by the housing system.
Part
of serving your constituents is to represent all constituents including
rich and poor this includes some of your homeless constituents
currently evicted onto your front yard from a community centre around
the corner the Bohemia.
We
have many points of importance to raise with you around the issues of
the Housing crisis,the rise in street homeless,the bedroom tax,the
further criminalisation of non residential squatting etc.
The
law you co sponsored sec 144 Laspo act is unfair, unjust, undemocratic,
unlawful, unaffordable and unworkable,and is causing great misery by
removing an ancient and basic human right to shelter.
Also
leading to an increased number of people freezing to death over
winter.Many of your constituents are facing urgent housing/homeless and
medical issues,which we hope you are willing to address.
We
have had numerous liaisons with the inspectors from Colindale police of
the past days (which we have filmed recorded and logged ) who are happy
for our protest to continue, acknowledging
that:
We are not breaking any laws and that we have rights to peacefully
protest and assemble under ECHR articles 10 and 11.
That at all times we are endeavouring to be polite, courteous,co-operative with police requests through regular Liason.
We
are keeping the area clean and tidy and are aiming to install some
plants and window boxes to make the area more beautifull and attractive.
We are keeping the main access way very clear to your doorstep all times.
We have trained health and safety managers who are monitoring the situation.
We
politely ask you to meet with us to discuss matters of great national
importance such as the housing crisis which we feel your sec144 is
exacerbating.
We
would like to invite you to spend a few nights camped out with some of
your homeless constituents to discuss these and many other issues,over a
cup of tea, in an atmosphere of co-operative democratic discussion.
Having
been ignored by your so called democratic public consultation, we have
taken this act of peacefull protest to facilitate direct discussion and
to stimulate the debate in the national media.
We
are, having met with you and shared our views with each other,and some
of our conditions met, happy to discuss an end date to our protest in a
reasonable and proportionate manner without recourse to the law.
We hope to avoid unnecessary court time and expense.
We shall be advised in all the matters by our good friends Bindmans solicitors.
Looking forward to a discussion of solutions to the housing crisis that we can all work towards together.
Yours sincerely
Phoenix
Daniel
Mordecai
Petra
Peter
Graham
Dom
Mark
Bohemia Caretakers
Not backing Boris: the Bohemian occupiers of Margaret Thatcher House
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