I am following the developments at Dale Farm, which is being forcefully evicted by the police since this morning. It may be that technically the people living at Dale Farm are ‘illegal’ by the letter of the law, but I seriously question the way in which the British Government and police force are being used to push through the law. I am not sure why there wasn’t a more peaceful and longer dialogue between the parties involved and I don’t totally understand the implications of Dale Farm residents staying or why it is not possible to find alternative space. But there are people living there and having done so for a number of years. Is it really necessary to use so much force and violence against people who just want to live in a different way than most Western people in the ‘modern’ world? Comparing these images to the riots I personally witnessed on my doorstep in Hackney this summer, it is not easy to understand why the Police are using taser guns against the people living in Dale Farm. Why is it okay to use them there in this situation and why weren’t they being used during the riots when people caused serious damage and caused major disruption and fear in many communities?

(Source: Guardian)