Ready to share on social media, the OL website, etc: http://occupydemocracy.
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OCCUPY DEMOCRACY CALLS ON SUPPORTERS TO DEFEND ECOVILLAGE ON THE SITE OF DEMOCRACY'S BIRTHPLACE
Occupy Democracy is today issuing a call for its supporters to take a stand in the iminent battle of Runnymede 2015. Runnymede is the historic birthplace of democracy where the Magna Carta was signed 800 years ago this year. An Eco-village which was set up on the site in 2012 by people from Occupy London is under threat of eviction to clear it before a politically-charged celebration of the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta in June.
A supporter of the community, Phoenix Rainbow said: "They're trying to clear out the commoners before the Queen and aristocrats arrive to whitewash what's left of the Magna Carta."
Runnymede Eco Village has created a space for occupiers to come and set up home - dubbed "tent city" - prepared to drastically expand the size of the community in response to a possession order due to go to court this Thursday, 9th April (and also due to be enforced by the same bailiffs who evicted Dale Farm). Free men and women are called to stand in unity.
Clauses in the Magna Carta gave rights to commoners and free men to live comunally on the land. The Runnymede camp are the living embodiment of a different type of democracy as they seek to live in common on the land, while echoing the protest of the Diggers of 1649 who turned to peaceful direct action to highlight social and environmental injustice of that time.
Occupy Democracy activist Julie said:
"It's an extreme hypocrisy to evict the camp now, and one can only wonder at the timing and suspect that it is in anticipation of the visit of the Queen and the modern barons of society coming to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta not wanting the messy democracy of the commoners, however pertinent and timely their protest."
Runnymede eco-village resident Danny Freeman said:
"The essence of community is consistently under attack in the UK and nothing could better display the sheer horror of this than the displacement of an eco-family on the boundary of the self-proclaimed birthplace of modern democracy. We will demonstrate our values within our tent city providing skill shares, talks, performance art and a variety of community initiatives which we hope to livestream. The extent of Runnymede eco-village's love has always and will always penetrate every heart and mind imaginable."
In a related development, an affiliated low-impact community, Yorkley Court Community Farm in Forest of Dean [https://yorkleycourt.
Pictures of the Runnymede Eco-village can be found here:
For more information see www.diggers2012.wordpress.com
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