Bailiffs resisted at occupied Lewisham Bridge School

On Wednesday 4 vans full of police (allegedly including one TSG unit) accompanied suited bailiffs and members of Lewisham Borough Council in an unsuccessful attempt to evict parents and supporters from the 2 month old occupation of one roof and gravel courtyard in the disused school site. Bailiffs had slated 10.30am as their arrival time but actually arrived 45 minutes earlier, only to be met by a secured site and 20 odd occupiers, cheered on by an equal number of supporters and observers from the street below.

Local rag The News Shopper has some video footage on their site, including a horrific adaption of Louie Louie: http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/4458534.VIDEO___LEWISHAM__Protesters_stay_on_roof_for_second_day_despite_bailiffs/

For those wanting some context to the struggle, I wrote this in a callout email:

Some of you may have heard of the occupation at Lewisham Bridge Primary School, which was started by schoolchildren's parents with the support of locals and A&S since April 23rd.

Parents are angry over the school's closure by Lewisham Mayor Steve Bullock in order to make way for the Lewisham Gateway development, which lies incomplete and derelict despite the eviction of 900 homes and this school building. Children are decanted to and from the school gates by bus to an inadequate facility in New Cross - an hour round trip in traffic - causing them stress and illness to the detriment of their education. Bullock's determination to make a mint off of the Gateway project has brought him into conflict with parents, residents and the rather non-radical ilk of the English Heritage (who responded to the site's planned demolition by awarding it a Grade 2 listing, meaning it is difficult to demolish) and Thames Water (who consider the area around it to be a flood plain and therefore not ideal for development). Bullock has yet to get planning permission for the Gateway, but has gone ahead with emptying the area anyway.

The occupiers have been busy: converting a gravel courtyard into a garden and the site of a an afterschool play scheme for Lewisham Bridge pupils while their parents watch on. This Thursday we had planned an education fun day as an opportunity for ignored children and parents to send a very real protest to the Council over their plans. In response, the Bridge's Acting Head (a hatchet man) introduced rewards and prizes for kids who attend school that day, while the Council rushed their paperwork through court and with the help of a sympathetic magistrate, got a court order for eviction.