‘Shame-Faced’ Tony Ball forced to Flee Council Awards by angry protesters
Dale Farm Solidarity | 28.02.2012 06:07 | Dale Farm | Anti-racism | Public sector cuts | Social Struggles
Tony Ball, leader of Basildon Council and architect of the Dale Farm eviction, was forced to flee an awards ceremony by angry protesters in central London last night.
Nominated for the award of ‘Council Leader of the Year’ by the Local Government Information Unit [1], Tony Ball was confronted by 50 vocal Dale Farm supporters when he attempted to leave the Westminster City Hall. He was hounded back into the building by the protesters, who invaded the lobby shouting ‘scum’ and ’83 families homeless’, and was ultimately forced to leave under police guard via a back exit.
Nominated for the award of ‘Council Leader of the Year’ by the Local Government Information Unit [1], Tony Ball was confronted by 50 vocal Dale Farm supporters when he attempted to leave the Westminster City Hall. He was hounded back into the building by the protesters, who invaded the lobby shouting ‘scum’ and ’83 families homeless’, and was ultimately forced to leave under police guard via a back exit.
Although Tony Ball did not win the ‘Council Leader of the Year’ award, the protesters were determined to present the Basildon Council Leader with an alternative award for ‘Community Wrecker of the Year’.
Robert McCready, a supporter of the Dale Farm community, said, “It is genuinely shocking that any self-respecting body could choose to nominate a man who spent £7 million of public money on making 83 Dale Farm families homeless in a brutal manner. The LGIU tonight attempted the whitewash the horrors of the Dale Farm eviction and we didn’t let them. Tony Ball was shame-faced as he fled.”
Dale Farm resident Kathleen McCarthy added, “How anyone can think a man like that deserves to be rewarded, I just don’t know. He wrecked our community and our lives and thinks he can get away with it. He is a disgrace and what he, his council and the Government did will never be forgotten. ”
[1] The Local Government Information Unit [LGIU] are a London based think-tank.
http://blog.lgiu.org.uk/2012/02/cllr-achievement-awards-2012-all-winners/
Dale Farm Solidarity