The only permanent Palestine-supporting encampment in London is at the centre of an ongoing battle concerning its future.
The encampment in Nine Elms, just a stone’s throw away from the US Embassy and on the scenic bank of the Thames in Wandsworth, has been there 14 months, sporting a kitchen, a community area, and tents for protestors to sleep in.
But with some residents expressing concern, a battle is shaping up in Wandsworth Council over the future of the Community Camp for Palestine.
In October, a Conservative motion sought an injunction to remove the encampment for the second time, citing potential lawbreaking, with the association UK Lawyers for Israel writing that the council may have committed offences regarding violated planning laws and planning permission laws.
The motion was voted down by the Labour majority in Wandsworth, and now the Conservative councillor for Nine Elms, Matthew Corner, is warning that the council and its leaders may well face legal action if the encampment remains.
The protestors, meanwhile, maintain that local residents remain supportive of their situation, and that there is no justification for leaving the site with large-scale violence continuing in Gaza.
A spokesperson for Wandsworth Council said: “While we respect the right of individuals to protest, there is always a balance between the right to protest and the impact protesters can have on local residents and the local community.
“The demonstration outside the American Embassy is clearly a complex situation, and the engagement with the protestors is kept under regular review by officers across the Council, working in partnership with the police.”
Watch the video below to learn more.
Featured Image Credit: Rich Brann
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