Bridge Park Campaign - Brent Council Mediation Fails. Hearing starts on Monday,

A thousand people attended a public meeting on the issue early in the campaign

Bridge Park campaigners and Brent Council go to Court on Monday in the latest round of the Harlesden and Stonebridge community's  efforts to win the argument that they own the land and buildings which Brent Council is seeking to redevelop in a multi-millon pound deal with  overseas developers, 

The hearing has added significance with the prominence of the Black Lives Matter movement and Brent Council's expressed desire to address the needs of the Black Community.

Bridge Park serves an area where there is a large African and Caribbean community. The area has already lost the Stonebridge Adventure Playground to developers.

Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt is speaking tonight at a meeting entitled 'Black Lives, Whute Privilege: a Community Discussion'. (See article below) 

Bridge Park Campaign told Wembley Matters:

Mediation talks with Brent Council took place today yesterday as previously stated our position remains that Brent Council are only custodian charity trustees and the African & Carribean Community own the Land and Buildings and we do not wish this Sale to proceed. Mediation with Brent ended without productive conclusion. We will now go forward to full Trial.

The Trial will be read on 20th and take place on Tuesday 21st July 2020 10.30am (Judge Michael Green).

Brent Council are the Claimants and we are defendants. The Attorney General is  also a defendant in this case.

The case and complexity has been significantly expanded, now to a estimated case duration of 9-10 days previously 3-4 days.

Report on Monday's Council Meeting:

 'The ten point Brent Black Community Action Plan, which includes tackling health inequalities, developing community spaces that will be run and managed by community members and an internal review of processes in the council, was unanimously agreed at a full council meeting on July 13.'
'Cllr Abdirazak Abdi addressed Cllr Butt and chief executive Carolyn Downs directly saying: “I hope in the spirit of this report and what has been said today, that you take this forward and into the negotiations with the Bridge Park Community Centre.. [due to begin in court on July 20}.. so that the legal battle, the ownership of Bridge Park, doesn’t go to the court.” '

 

'Skipping Katie' was NEVER a target for Black Lives Matters solidarity demonstration in Harrow

Today's Black Lives Matter solidarity demonstration in Harrow Town Centre (Graham Durham Facebook)

While rightwing thugs were fighting police in Central London, Harrow residents held a peaceful solidarity Black Lives Matter event in Harrow Town Centre this morning.

The organisers from Harrow Labour Left had arranged to meet at the statue of 'Skipping Katie' in the pedestrianised section of St Anne's Road - a well know local landmark dating from the 1980s LINK.

However, following recent events the Council boarded Katie up, giving rise to social media speculation over why Black Lives Matter were targeting her: 'What has she got to do with slavery?'

Laughable in a way but also illustrating how on edge people are at present.

Following calls on social media for Cllr Pamela Fitzpatrick, a Harrow Labour councillor who supported the event to resign, one of the organisers, Mizanur Rahman yesterday tried to clarify the matter:

My public statement regarding Harrow's Black Lives Matter demonstration tomorrow.

The below is my response to a post in a local Dacebook group that is spreading misinformation about the statue that we will be demonstrating around, fear, and calling one of our councillors to be sacked for supporting this BLM demonstration

"Hi Guys,

I am part of the organising team behind this.

Firstly, The statue will be safe because we are not protesting against this specific statue. This location was chosen as the place for the static, demonstration to take place because its in the middle of the town centre...Rest assured its nothing to do with the statue.

Secondly, there will be marshalls telling people to keep 2 metres apart as well as handing out masks and gloves.

Thirdly it was not Pamela's idea. There are people from BAME communities in Harrow who wanted to show public solidarity with Black Lives Matter and therefore it is they who are organising it & want this to go ahead.

Fourthly, if people feel so strongly about social distancing & mass gatherings then please also make a public call to close down all the parks, and join a national campaign to close down all the beaches. Because it seems to me that people will break social distancing rules when it comes to recreation, which the government will tolerate, but not when it comes to showing solidarity on issues affecting BAME communities or demanding political change.

We are not expecting masses of people to turn up and those that do will be reminded throughout the demo to keep 2 metres apart from everyone."

The comments on some social media continued often becoming quite ridiculous with some seemingly trying to stir things up. The video below should put an end to such comments and instead allow the focus to be Harrow residents gesture of solidarity with the boroughs Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic community.

Thanks to Hussain Akhtar and the Harrow Monitoring Group for the video below of the demonstration. LINK