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Class War at No Demolitions Without Permission housing protest, London, UK
London, UK. 3rd November 2018. Class War supporters came to the 'No Demolitions Without Permission' housing protest at City Hall with banners declaring that Labour Councils were the biggest social cleansers in London and 'Labour, Labour Home Snatchers! Even Worse Than Maggie Thatcher', pointing out that it was largely Labour councils who were demolishing council estates so that developers could replace council houses with large numbers of properties sold at high market prices and a miserably small number of homes at social rent, promoting schemes which cut by thousands the number of council homes. Councils including Southwark and Lambeth are demolishing well-liked estates against the wishes of the residents many of whom are forced to move out of London because of high rents for tenants and inadequate compensation for leaseholders. Class War has been very active in housing protests, supporting groups on estates including the Aylesbury estate and groups including Focus E15, as well as their lengthy campaign against separate 'Poor Door' entrances for social housing tenants in mixed blocks, protesting against the role of Savills in determining housing policy and taking part in various other housing protests and were one of several groups unhappy at not being allowed to speak at the event. When a well-known local Labour politician go up to speak, Class War erupted, shouting him down, making clear to all that it was Labour who was responsible for estate demolitions. It was perhaps unfair on the speaker, Ted Knight, former Lambeth Labour leader, who is also fighting against these policies - and who when council leader was responsible for the building of some of the very estates that are now being demolished. But as other speakers had pointed out earlier, homes will only be saved if people become more militant and engage in the kind of direct actions which Class War advocates - and not by rallies like today's outside a closed City Hall. Class War stood to one side at the end of the rally when most of the rest taking part marched around the empty offices, calling for a rather different revolution. Peter Marshall/Alamy Live News
Class War at No Demolitions Without Permission housing protest, London, UK
London, UK. 3rd November 2018. Class War supporters came to the 'No Demolitions Without Permission' housing protest at City Hall with banners declaring that Labour Councils were the biggest social cleansers in London and 'Labour, Labour Home Snatchers! Even Worse Than Maggie Thatcher', pointing out that it was largely Labour councils who were demolishing council estates so that developers could replace council houses with large numbers of properties sold at high market prices and a miserably small number of homes at social rent, promoting schemes which cut by thousands the number of council homes. Councils including Southwark and Lambeth are demolishing well-liked estates against the wishes of the residents many of whom are forced to move out of London because of high rents for tenants and inadequate compensation for leaseholders. Class War has been very active in housing protests, supporting groups on estates including the Aylesbury estate and groups including Focus E15, as well as their lengthy campaign against separate 'Poor Door' entrances for social housing tenants in mixed blocks, protesting against the role of Savills in determining housing policy and taking part in various other housing protests and were one of several groups unhappy at not being allowed to speak at the event. When a well-known local Labour politician go up to speak, Class War erupted, shouting him down, making clear to all that it was Labour who was responsible for estate demolitions. It was perhaps unfair on the speaker, Ted Knight, former Lambeth Labour leader, who is also fighting against these policies - and who when council leader was responsible for the building of some of the very estates that are now being demolished. But as other speakers had pointed out earlier, homes will only be saved if people become more militant and engage in the kind of direct actions which Class War advocates - and not by rallies like today's outside a closed City Hall. Class War stood to one side at the end of the rally when most of the rest taking part marched around the empty offices, calling for a rather different revolution. Peter Marshall/Alamy Live News