The eviction at Dale Farm in Essex has begun. It's a hard one to talk about because both sides make their case with passion.The travellers would say they have been on that land for so long, land they own, and the eviction is costing millions at a time when we're not the richest of nations. While the land they're on is technically greenbelt it's hardly and area of outstanding beauty. It's greenbelt but a horrible shade of green, like a khaki.
The officials would say you can't have one law for one group of people and another law for everyone else. If they don't have to adhere to planning law why should anyone? If they're not evicted your neighbour might just add a Leylandii forest to his back garden.
On Wednesday, riot-trained officers entered Dale Farm, Essex, at first light and quickly advanced, establishing a position which allowed them to begin removing the main scaffold gate. To try to stop police getting in some travellers set fire to a caravan.
That's an odd move. If you can get them to keep doing that eventually they'll clear their own site.
Some protesters chained themselves to gates but they were removed quite quickly, probably by the same guy who had my bike away a couple of years back.
Last time the eviction was threatened the plans to stop it were better. We heard of one guy who set his arms in concrete. Arms, not arm. If you set one arm in concrete they still can't move you, but you can scratch your own nose. Still, it's a good move. I'd give him a round of applause but it would look like I was taking the Mick.
Resistance remains and some residents said they were determined to obstruct the eviction.
I don't know whether I'm for or against this but one thing's for sure, they're a lot less entertaining when they're not having a big fat wedding.
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