Tension building up at Dale Farm Travellers Eviction

As the time has passed for the start of the eviction at Dale Farm all the media's eyes are on a small ex-scrapyard in a backwater in Essex.

The main UK news channels and online media are focusing on the events and preparations at Dale Farm Travellers Eviction. With live coverage on the rolling news channels BBC News 24 and Sky News.

Twitter is traffic has gone through the roof, and as usual it can be very polarised between those for and against the eviction and Travellers.

Here are some 'stories' have caught our attention in the last 24 hours and show the human side to this conflict:

The letter sent to David Cameron by 11 year old Eileen O’Brien who lives at Dale Farm. This letter can be read on the Irish Traveller Movement in Britain website. The message is simple as you would expect from an 11 year old, however you cannot fail to be moved by it's cry for help to the man who could have intervened to make the situation better.

Another, more distressing video story, made by Johnny Howorth and Richard Sprenger for The Guardian website shows the effects that the eviction is having on Dale Farm residents health. Featuring Candy Sheridan of the Gypsy Council talking with and trying to help ease their worst fears about the days to come.

Finally this 'story' is a comment from James on the Travellers' Times Facebook page:

"I'm no Gypsy, but every flesh and blood human being has a right to live on any land on earth, Paddy Doherty has has shown Travellers in a different light, and wiped the stereotype clean! So now the Government need to make them look bad again by poking them with a stick."

Given that this comment is from a non-Traveller it shows that some positive exposure in the media by Travellers can be good for the community and also that people are seeing the forced eviction for what it really is.

This 'stories' are a reminder that this conflict is not just a simple matter about planning rights and upholding the law as many people see it.