Romanies have lived on the land here for 50 years, veteran activist Peter Ripley said at the dedication of a Memorial Park near Epping yesterday (22 August), when an appeal was made to postpone the eviction of the last residents of the Paynes Lane caravan park.
"I was just five-years-old when we stopped on this land with wagons and horses," Riply commented. "We surely have the right to stop here today."
Some 120 people, including Roma from the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany, along with Travellers from all parts of England, attended the opening ceremony. Members of the UK Jewish and Hindu communities were also represented.
Dedicating the ground to the memory of the Romani victims of the Holocaust and present-day racism, pastor Harry Shepherton reminded those present of the death last year of l5-year-old Johnny Delaney in a racially motivated attack.
"This park is now sacred to the memory of young Johnny," said Pastor Shepherdson, "and all those who have suffered racial discrimination from the Holocaust until our own day. My God bless us and bring an end to this suffering."
Ladislav Balaz, chair of the Trans-European Roma Federation, said he had sought asylum in the UK to escape attacks by neo-Nazis in the Czech Republic. His close friend Milan Lacko had been murdered by skinheads and he was therefore appalled to learn that members of the neo-Nazi British National Party had now been elected to Epping council.
After a dedication prayer, the Polish Romani ensemble led the meeting in the singing of the Romani national anthem Gelem Gelem.
Grattan Puxon, of TERF, said a number of those present had agreed to act as human rights monitors on 23 and 24 August, when Epping Forest District Council would be sending officials to Paynes Lane for the purpose of evicting the last residents.
The monitors would record on video the activities of the council employees and help prepare a report for the Centre for Housing Rights and Evictions. The Geneva-based CHRE would in turn forwarsd such material to the UN Human Rights Commission, as it had recently done in the case of the eviction at Chelmsford earlier this year.
"We appeal to Epping council even at this late hour," said Puxon, "to postpone this eviction until the issue of homelessness and proper provision under the Housing Act has been heard by a higher court."
Puxon said that there was still the possibility of a Judicial Review hearing, as had taken place in similar cases. John Knapman, head of Epping council, had stated that he was willing to consider establishment of a caravan park in Epping and all that was now asked was a stay of execution of an outstanding injunction.
He reminded the meeting that more than 2,000 Romani families in England currently owned land but were faced with eviction because local authorities were withholding planning permission. In his view this amounted to ethnic-cleansing hiding behind a smoke screen of regulations.
"Through our Gypsy and Traveller Law Reform Coalition we have called for a moratorium on evictions until new legislation is passed," Puxon said. "Its time the governmet heeded this.The situation has become desperate."
Harry Smith appealed to everyone present and all other supporters to return to Paynes Lane today and Tuesday to be present with him and his family in their hour of need.
"We have lived here for l5 years," said Smith.
"I have nowhere to go and event if I did find other land, which I can't, I would end up in prison as has happened to Peter Robb, who obeyed the council and left here only to be taken to court at Colney Health."
Cliff Codona, chair of the National Travellers Action Group and Joe Jones, founder of the Canterbury Gypsy Support Group, as well as Susan Ward, from Bulkingnton Fields, as well as residents from Hamlet Hill, Dale Farm, Eckington and Iver caravan parks attended.
Food was provided by the Whitsable and Herne Bay Gypsy Support Group.
An exhibition covering the Auschwitz Gypsy Camp, Jasenovac and other concentration camps and present-day ethnic-cleansing in Kosovo and elsewhere was mounted. Pictures on the theme of the Romani Holocaust were exhibited by Sinti artist Katarina Pollock.
Some 120 people, including Roma from the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany, along with Travellers from all parts of England, attended the opening ceremony. Members of the UK Jewish and Hindu communities were also represented.
Dedicating the ground to the memory of the Romani victims of the Holocaust and present-day racism, pastor Harry Shepherton reminded those present of the death last year of l5-year-old Johnny Delaney in a racially motivated attack.
"This park is now sacred to the memory of young Johnny," said Pastor Shepherdson, "and all those who have suffered racial discrimination from the Holocaust until our own day. My God bless us and bring an end to this suffering."
Ladislav Balaz, chair of the Trans-European Roma Federation, said he had sought asylum in the UK to escape attacks by neo-Nazis in the Czech Republic. His close friend Milan Lacko had been murdered by skinheads and he was therefore appalled to learn that members of the neo-Nazi British National Party had now been elected to Epping council.
After a dedication prayer, the Polish Romani ensemble led the meeting in the singing of the Romani national anthem Gelem Gelem.
Grattan Puxon, of TERF, said a number of those present had agreed to act as human rights monitors on 23 and 24 August, when Epping Forest District Council would be sending officials to Paynes Lane for the purpose of evicting the last residents.
The monitors would record on video the activities of the council employees and help prepare a report for the Centre for Housing Rights and Evictions. The Geneva-based CHRE would in turn forwarsd such material to the UN Human Rights Commission, as it had recently done in the case of the eviction at Chelmsford earlier this year.
"We appeal to Epping council even at this late hour," said Puxon, "to postpone this eviction until the issue of homelessness and proper provision under the Housing Act has been heard by a higher court."
Puxon said that there was still the possibility of a Judicial Review hearing, as had taken place in similar cases. John Knapman, head of Epping council, had stated that he was willing to consider establishment of a caravan park in Epping and all that was now asked was a stay of execution of an outstanding injunction.
He reminded the meeting that more than 2,000 Romani families in England currently owned land but were faced with eviction because local authorities were withholding planning permission. In his view this amounted to ethnic-cleansing hiding behind a smoke screen of regulations.
"Through our Gypsy and Traveller Law Reform Coalition we have called for a moratorium on evictions until new legislation is passed," Puxon said. "Its time the governmet heeded this.The situation has become desperate."
Harry Smith appealed to everyone present and all other supporters to return to Paynes Lane today and Tuesday to be present with him and his family in their hour of need.
"We have lived here for l5 years," said Smith.
"I have nowhere to go and event if I did find other land, which I can't, I would end up in prison as has happened to Peter Robb, who obeyed the council and left here only to be taken to court at Colney Health."
Cliff Codona, chair of the National Travellers Action Group and Joe Jones, founder of the Canterbury Gypsy Support Group, as well as Susan Ward, from Bulkingnton Fields, as well as residents from Hamlet Hill, Dale Farm, Eckington and Iver caravan parks attended.
Food was provided by the Whitsable and Herne Bay Gypsy Support Group.
An exhibition covering the Auschwitz Gypsy Camp, Jasenovac and other concentration camps and present-day ethnic-cleansing in Kosovo and elsewhere was mounted. Pictures on the theme of the Romani Holocaust were exhibited by Sinti artist Katarina Pollock.
