The eviction of Claremont Road has finally taken place, the day before Budget Day, naturally, in order to minimise news coverage. The battle only ended on Thursday/Friday night with the last defender coming down from the scaffolding tower.
Barely two years ago the No M11 Link Road Campaign consisted of a group of about 20-30 local residents of the Leyton and Leytonstone area and a few environmentally-minded allies (mostly middle-aged and middle-class) from elsewhere in East London. A lot of those involved were artists and musicians living in homes rented through an artists' housing association which had been leased properties bought under compulsory purchase orders by the Department of Transport. We held jumble sales, had street parties and benefit gigs, and offered advice and help to people as eviction notices started to come in. Over 1,000 people stood to lose their homes, with laughable compensation rates offered. Week by week we started to lose housing. Bully-boy security men intimidated (and occasionally attacked) residents in the streets; as soon as a property could be evicted security men were installed inside until Squibb & Davies moved in to demolish the house. We got a few houses back, by starting up our own squatters' and tenants' "East London Community Action League" but it was clear that we were losing. The battle was all about housing, and we simply didn't have enough people to move in and squat every property as existing tenants moved out.
The change began at Wanstead when local residents in this leafy suburb became concerned about what would happen to their much-loved chestnut trees on the old village green. Suddenly we were an environmental issue, not something to do with housing or preserving communities or an artists' colony. And in the wake of the Twyford Down motorway construction blockade this was news. Soon a lot of people, most of them young Earth First! supporters with training in non-violent direct action and "monkey-wrenching", were appearing at George Green to save the tree. Several rows of houses were soon squatted by people with a green (sometimes even a political) outlook. The movement had changed completely in a few weeks, and the original residents who had spent years fighting the road were soon completely superseded if not entirely ignored by the influx of so-called crusties and eco-warriors.
So far the resistance to the road has cost the Department of Transport over GBP 6 million in additional security costs. Although they have been gradually wining the housing war it has been slow and costly work for them. Had there been a pitched battle it would all have been over in a few weeks, but the completely nonviolent nature of the protest has been a major strength--they simply couldn't go in and kick everyone about when no-one was doing anything to deserve it. And Link Road campaign supporters have also been at the forefront of a number of spectacular publicity stunts, including the occupation of the roof of the Houses of Parliament the evening before Guy Fawkes Night and the garden party in Michael Howard's front garden in Kent recently. Whilst their weapons have been biased law-courts too expensive to use, armies of truncheon-wielding police and brutal security guards, and obviously control of the media, ours have been non-violence, humour and innovative methods of resistance.
The most recent struggle has been the defence of Claremont Road. For more than half a year the street's residents and friends have been preparing for a mass eviction; this finally began last Monday, timed to coincide with the Budget to guarantee a minimum of coverage. Apart from local TV on the first two days there was a virtually news blackout on events, despite this being one of the largest and most expensive police operations of the year. The siege began at 2pm. 500 people had barricaded themselves into tree-houses, roof-spaces and bunkers or chained themselves to roofs, whilst hundreds more simply occupied the street until chased out by charges from riot police.
On the first two days the bailiffs and Tactical Support Group (TSG) police were remarkably patient, allowing people to leave in their own time and being professionally polite. This began to change on Tuesday evening when the TSG moved in to cut the cargo netting strung between terraces and trees for communication. A couple of accidents and dangerous behaviour by police and bailiffs stirred up a lot of tension. Although non-violence was maintained throughout by the defenders, the bailiffs and TSG became increasingly threatening and brutal - many people being brought out of the street when nos 14 and 15 were attacked chose to leave after seeing the violence used against the first people to be reached.
There was occasional bad behaviour on both sides, naturally, but the operation was generally carried out remarkably peacefully, especially considering the length of time it took to remove the last people from the scaffolding tower. Naturally, although more properties were inevitably lost, the campaign doesn't stop here. In fact we feel heartened by the strength of peaceful resistance and very proud and inspired by the tremendous bravery and perseverance of the hundreds of people who cheerfully and willingly put up with several days of cold and boredom with very little to eat and drink but an amazing sense of solidarity.
There may be many more Claremont Roads over the coming months, and it's good to think that we may have been an inspiration for the people involved.
This article was originally published in Peace News.
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