New anti-Traveller law WILL affect you – but we are here to help, say Drive2Survive

The anti-Traveller Policing Bill will become law within a matter of weeks. One of the big changes in this Bill is that it will no longer be a civil offence to stop on unauthorised land. It will be a crime.  At the Police’s discretion, they will be able to seize your vehicles, trailers, and cars, and fine each adult up to £2,500. 

This time of year, many of us Traveller families are travelling to fairs trying to earn a living, buying and selling, meeting up with family and friends and doing the same as generations of our ancestors have done before.  This year If you’re travelling to and from a fair, this new anti-Traveller law is likely to affect you.

The new anti-Traveller law will also include a section that will make hare coursing and lamping illegal. They can seize dogs, and fine owners, charge for the cost of kennelling and then ban the owners from keeping animals for life. It will criminalise our men and boys.

We need your help to find the cases to get this law overturned in the courts. Its a racist law, and its wrong as Billy Welch says:  “This is out of necessity, this is desperation this is a threat to our way of lives.  Our culture our traditions, nomadic life. They trying to erode us, they trying to get rid of us.”

WATCH. Drive 2 Survive Sherrie Smith interviews Billy Welch about the new anti-Traveller law at Appleby Horse Fair:

Be in no doubt, this will be catastrophic to our way of lives. For our community this is not just a politics issue, it’s a threat to our ethnicity and our children’s future.

We will not go away, or disappear. We believe this new law is likely to breach human rights. We will continue to fight but for the moment we need to learn how to live with it until a legal challenge can be found.

When the new law comes in in a few weeks - if that -  www.Drive2Survive.org.uk, a community led organisation, will be there to support you.

The bill WILL become law, attempts to try to stop it in parliament have failed, and- we have to learn to live with it - but WE can help.

We advise using your phone to film and record incidents with Police and authorities trying to enforce the new law. If we gather the information across the UK, we can see the national picture as to which areas are enforcing the new law. We’ll also be able to understand if the Bill is targeting Travellers on their way to fairs. This may help in the legal challenge as it will prove they are trying to stop our right to meet and celebrate our culture and traditions, one of the few remaining things that defines our shared ethnicity. 

• Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need help (see contact details below)

So if you experience the Police trying to enforce these new laws on you, we recommend taking the following action: 

                • Try to remain calm at all times

                • Do not shout or raise your voice

                • Ask someone to video proceedings and inform the police calmly you will be filming

                • Ask where you will be escorted to, how far it is, and if there is definitely adequate site provision there for all of you.

                • Make the police aware if anyone in your family or group is unwell, pregnant, elderly or if you have any children

We are here to give Travellers help. We have two new phone numbers where you can contact us

Sherrie Smith or Jake Bowers also on WhatsApp, voice notes, videos, pictures: 

    •    07840 979302 
    •    07903 198022

Here is the link and QR code to take you directly to the Travellers Help Drive2Survive website page to download some basic resources and posters, videos for advice. We will add to these as more information becomes available.

Drive to Survive will be out on the road this summer so look out for us. We will be at Gypsy Traveller events across the country giving out leaflets and advice. We will be at Appleby, and even , Glastonbury Festival | The Official Glastonbury Festival Website (glastonburyfestivals.co.uk) where we will be giving advice and support about the Bill. We’ll have more details to share about this soon.

 

Here are the first fairs this year where we will be, come and say hello. We are #StrongerTogether #TravelllersHelp

Gypsy Horse Fairs and other events 2022

April
                Bournemouth   16th /17th April 
May 
                Stow                      12th May 
                Wisbech                               13th/14th/15th May 
                Telford                  14th May 
                Wickham             20th May 
                Dereham             21st/22nd May 
June 
                Epsom                   3rd /4th June 
                Appleby               9th -15th June 
                Cambridge          22nd-27th June 
                Glastonbury       22nd-27th June 

Article by Sherrie Smith, Drive 2 Survive and Sally Barter, Drive 2 Survive, Education specialist