With hours left before squatting in a residential property became illegal; a Territorial support group backing up enforcement officers smashed their way into a residential property in Dalston yesterday and unlawfully evicted the building of its many residents.
| TSG and Enforcement Officer |
On arrival at the crime scene we found a group of shocked people standing on the pavement surrounded by their personal possessions. Scheduled eviction date was the 26thof September 2012 and they believed that they would be evicted on this date as stated by the court. One person peddled furiously to Gee street county court where he told court officers of the illegal eviction taking place. After checking court documents it was agreed that this was the case and the eviction should be stopped immediately. When this information was relayed to the officers involved in the on-going eviction they replied ‘Ah well, it’s too late now’….
With full knowledge that the eviction was illegal the police continued on with their work. When we spoke to the police about their actions the feeling on their part was that they were the law. This is not so. The police force are the upholders of law; when this is forgotten we move another step closer to a police state. Thankfully the people evicted yesterday will not have to sleep on the streets. Friends and supporters have taken them in. However, this will not be the case for many other people .
The streets are going to fill with rough sleepers while buildings remain empty for years. To say that a property owner has the right to do anything they like with a building is morally bankrupt. A property owner has a duty of care to the community the property is in .You cannot leave buildings empty for years on end while people are homeless.