The Somers Town People's Forum are people from the Somers Town estate. They are mostly elderly and while tough, working class and of the "old school" they are also mostly in their 70's, 80's and 90's and therefore physically frail. They include Helia Evans who is the secratary for the local tenants association and who is tiny.
The Somers Town People's Forum are fighting to stop plans by a "Big Pharma" consortium who wannt to build a "superlab" dubbed the "28 Days Later" lab by loclas and the media from being built on the Somers town council house estate behind the British Library and alongside St Pancras Eurostar. The lab has been subject to criticism from the security services, at government level over funding, by local people & businesses, animal rights campaigners, the Camden New Journal, the Guardian, the Evening Standard, thelondonpaper, London Lite, MPs and Camden councillors etc.
The Somers Town Peoples Forum held a peaceful protest against the lab close to the proposed site close to the British Library which was attended by ITV / ITN. During the protest it is alleged that people claiming to be "security staff from the British Library" came out and "threatened, harassed and intimidated the old people" and went on to assault the ITN cameraman believing him to be an "anarchist".

The British Library is currently holding an exhibition called "Taking Liberties, The Struggle For Britian's Freedoms and Rights". They state that "In some countries you wouldn't have the right to visit this exhibition about your rights". The exhibition includes displays on "Freedom of Speech" and has film reels from Liberty playing amongst other things....the "Taking Liberties" exhibition is on from 31 October 2008 until 1 March 2009.

Now most people would agree that threatening, scaring, alarming and harassing elderly people is "Taking Liberties" of the worst kind. In doing so these "security staff from the British Librarry have also angered the entire Somers Town estate where the mostly elderly Somers Town People's Forum live.

The superlab or "28 Days Later Lab" as it has become known is also known as B.L.I.S.S the "British Libary International Science Site. The consortium behind this heavily criticised project are the Medical Research Council, the NIMR, UCL and Cancer Research UK. The lab is rumoured to become at leats a level 3 lab meaning that it will hold deadly diseases such as Anthrax and Bird Flu. It will also be an animal testing lab which has angered local animal lovers ...... Dave Hoefler of the Somers Town People's forum has described it as an "Animal Torture Lab" ...animal rights campaigners are also furious.

The British Library "Taking Liberties" exhibition is free to enter and has thoughtfully provided postcards for members of the public to write what they think about "Taking Liberties".

Please take them up on this and let them know what you think about the {alleged} thugs and bullies who scared the living daylights out of working class pensioners form a Camden council house estate and "Taking Liberties". You might also like to ask ITN to provide the footage from this. I'm sure that the cameramn who was assaulted {allegedly} won't mind.....
You can also let them know who you fell about the "Superlab" and how local people feel about the "Taking Liberties" where this is concerned in an area that needs council homes [ 15,000 people are on a housing waiting list] community facilities, [a much needed health centre could close on a second site] and work for local people...rather than a dangerous "superlab" close to St Pancras Eurostar at a place that has already seen appalling bomb attacks and where a virus leak would be catastrophic, an accidental virus leak so close to the Channel Tunnel could infect the whole of Europe....



Or you can write to the British Library at The British Library 96 Euston Road London NW1 2DB , =44 {0}207 412 7332 {textphone =44[ 0]207 387 0626
www.bl.uk/takingliberties