When the homeless are criminalised

Protestors march against national homeless scandal

Chantal Chegrinec, Thursday, April 16th, 2015

Hundreds of people took to the streets of London yesterday, bringing traffic to a standstill as they marched on Parliament to raise awareness of the treatment of homeless people in the UK, Ireland and beyond.

Yesterdayâ€™s action in London (April 16) – centred on the theme of â€No more deaths on our streetsâ€™-saw grassroots campaigners, housing and homeless groups – directly involved in the fight against homeless – come together to serve food and distribute essential items to the homeless in a carnival atmosphere, complete with speakers, music, performances and workshops.

Protesters made their way down Whitehall towards the Houses of Parliament to the sound of beating drums and a mobile band singing â€no more deaths on our streets.â€™

Pilgrim Tucker, Unite Community coordinator, said: â€śUnite is proud to support this important day of action.Â David Cameronâ€™s coalition government has inflicted misery on millions and is now guilty of turning a blind eye to the horrendous plight of our societyâ€™s most vulnerable citizens.â€™

Homelessness has risen by a staggering 55 per cent since David Cameron became prime minister in 2010, with 742 people sleeping rough every night in the capital alone â€“ a 37 per cent increase on 2013.

Legislating against homelessness

As if the shocking rise in homelessness wasnâ€™t bad enough, the coalition government has also been at the helm of a sustained crackdown on homeless people in recent years.

Campaigners argue that new wide sweeping police powers, a clamp down on begging and the introduction of â€anti-homeless spikes are leading to the criminalisation of homelessness.

In London, the police and local councils people are regularly removing sleeping gear and food donated by the public, while in a number of London boroughs it is now even illegal to commit the â€crimeâ€™ of rough sleeping under Operation Encompass.

Tucker added, â€śHomelessness has risen by a shocking 55 per cent under Cameronâ€™s watch, but to make matters worse we are now witnessing the â€criminalisationâ€™ of homelessness on our streets.â€ť

Speaking after the protest, Jon Glackin, Street Kitchen coordinator and Unite Community member, said, “We would like to thank all the very many people who helped make #March4Homeless a success. It was a carnival atmosphere with a very serious message carried through the streets of London.â€ť

He added, â€śWhat made the march a real success in our opinion was the number of homeless people involved on the day. It’s vital in any fight against the ongoing housing crisis that those at the very extreme end are part of the solution too. Plans are already in place to continue this momentum.â€ť

For more information on how you can support the fight against homeless go to:http://streetskitchen.co.uk/?p=1828