“The Police Act is eradicating a culture”: New travellers take their stand | Global Development

But for Amy and many others, this lifestyle is under threat. As police, crime, sentencing, and court bills are one step closer to being passed into law, gypsies and travelers are preparing to rally. If passed, Article 4 of the bill, which will be read for the third time in the House of Commons this week, will make “living or intending to live on land without the permission of the owner or occupier” as a new criminal offence.

Amy started a podcast called “I Choose the Road” to try to sound the alarm. “I started to think about how to pass news about what is happening to other travelers. People may not know that their homes may be robbed or even go to jail.”

Amy and her neighbors are not legal on this land, but “the owners tolerate us for the time being. However, I don’t know what will happen once the bill is passed.” None of the travelers interviewed by the Guardian wanted to include their all. Because they are afraid of being tracked by the authorities.

Throughout the UK, many travelers live in this way, looking for areas where they can be quietly tolerated in violation of planning and housing regulations. Others move more frequently and must find new places every few days.

Amy started on the road in the 90s. She participated in travellers’ road protests in Ireland as a teenager, and since then mainly lived in a car. “We are called the’new travelers’. We have no ethnic traditions, but I have been doing this for many years… [The name] Allow us to declare our identity without stepping on other people. “

For Amy and her neighbor Jace, living in this way is a commitment to another way of life outside of the capitalist structure.

“It’s a simpler life,” Amy said. “A life closer to nature, where you can hear the rain on the roof. You don’t need that much money, so you can have more Accompany your children. This is about the community, because living on the Traveller website and raising children here is like living in an old-fashioned village.”

Jess is hanging out outside her van, and her van is surrounded by fragments of creative life. It is full of fabrics and craft materials, surrounded by hula hoops. The Traveler community has a deep connection with the creative aspects of British festivals, and she hopes to return to the stage this summer. Currently, she is ready to oppose the police bill for her lifestyle.

“I grew up in a parliament manor in Wales and moved to town when I left home and thought,’Oh yes, this is as bad as I thought’, just frustrated and lonely. I now realize what I’m looking for It’s the community,” said Jesse, who declined to give her surname.

She said that if the bill is passed, “we will be the last generation. I will continue to move forward…until they take my car and there is no other choice in my back pocket. I feel fucking stunned, too. Very angry. People are worried that travelers will show up in their area, but where is the public land? You deprived me of animal freedom on this planet. It is destroying a culture.”

In the south of England, another Jess lives in a modified horse box and rides a large motorcycle. Recently, she has been spending time on Facebook, sharing stories of her decades on the road, and encouraging others to tell their stories. “Travelers don’t like to draw people’s attention to themselves, but I believe this is an urgent need to share our story, our culture and history.”

Jess chose this lifestyle to get closer to nature. “I don’t even like to sit in a van… so that I can get as close to nature as possible. The door is always open and I am always outside. Tell you through the media that it really promotes cultural homogeneity-this way Think, judge people like this. People don’t understand why I choose this kind of life, but it’s sane to me. A simple lifestyle close to the earth, without taxes on resources, and can be sustained on a meager income Go down.”

Today, she parked at the top of South Downs Mountain with the door of her truck open. Like Amy, she took the road in the 90s because the protest camp and rave culture put people on the road.

“When I was young, I experienced a crash and recovered health in Ireland, where I met people living on the road, including the world of carriages. It opened my eyes and I thought, “Oh my God, I I don’t have to go home, I can camp.”

“I work in agriculture here and in Europe, from farm to farm. Going out to work is good for my mental health. I have choices, I choose everything.”

Jess can’t say where she stopped recently, because it’s almost illegal. Many travelers are nervous and constantly worry about being tracked down and fined by local authorities.

“During the lockdown, they left us alone,” Jace said. “But before that, I parked my truck around Brighton or in the South Downs. I recently got stuck on the windshield for about three 77 knots (legal order to dismantle the vehicle). They said,’It is believed that you live in Among the vehicles on the side of the highway, you need to move in the shortest possible time.’

“For now, this is a civil crime-I can move my truck to another place, and most of them leave you alone. You stay in a certain place for a few nights and deal with the fine calmly. It is a hazard to the way of life.”

The law will bring major enhancements, from civil to criminal. “If this law is enforced, they can arrest me immediately, put me in a police car, take me to the station and destroy my truck.”

Campsites that ordinary vacationers might visit do not welcome travelers. “It is legal to live in campsites, they are expensive, and they don’t like our vehicles. The special stations set up by the council are full.”

Jess is a confident woman, she feels that if others are too worried, she can tell. “Tell me why I shouldn’t live like this? I take care of my parents-I work, I pay taxes, why should I live in a bloody house?”

In Bristol, Luke saw Jace’s message and thought it was time to say it. He is one of a group of travelers moving in the southwest and is currently waiting to be expelled from where they broke and looking for the next place to hide.

“What should we do? The occupancy disappeared, and it will disappear soon-it’s just that all means of earning a living are criminalized. You can’t just do it.”

Luke is a full-time caregiver for disabled youth, but does not want to live in an ordinary house. “Nomadism is for me. I like sitting around a campfire, digging holes, and cutting wood. I need the community-I’ve been alone for a long time-when I start to squat down like a hot bath , I really don’t want to give up that public element.”

He is very worried that there may be more powers to allow the police to seize vehicles on the spot. “If this happens, I will go back and sleep in the tent in the woods.”

Earlier this month, the High Court Ruled that local authorities can no longer issue a comprehensive injunction Oppose “unknown people” to prevent gypsies and travelers from staying in the area. In recent years, bans have been widely used to prevent people from stopping, even if they are newcomers. Activists and lawyers plan to use human rights law to oppose the bill.

For Luke, the constant pressure to move on and stay away from sight is stressful. “We have been paying attention to where we can go next. Then on the day we moved, it was a lot of pressure and wanted to know how long it would happen and how long we would stay there.”

He said his life is worthy of respect. “People are paying attention to truck drivers, young yuppies, which is good. But some of us are not photogenic or knowledgeable, they have no other choice. We live in shabby caravans and help each other. I hope our existence will be a record, Some of us crawled out of the dirty place and came here and were even taken away.”

A spokesperson for the Secretary of the Interior said: “We do not agree with the description that the measures in the bill are’destroying a culture’.

“In July 2019, in England and Wales, only 4.4% of caravans were set up without authorization on land owned by non-residents.”