News / News Wire
Video: At the front line of allotment protest
Bristol24/7 news editor Pamela Parkes has been at the front line at Stapleton Allotments as bailiffs attempt to remove protestors who have chained themselves to fences and climbed into the trees.
A ring of steel fences has been thrown up around the whole area and around 100 bailiffs and “security specialists” are on site.
When the call came this morning, protesters told me, as many of them who could ran and climbed into the trees.
They say they are well stocked and prepared to stay for as long as it takes. Others on the ground chained themselves to fences and had to be cut free.
Most of the people evicted from the land by Stapleton allotments walked out escorted by security, but I did witness one woman who was physically carried off site.
People I spoke to are upset that it has come to this, but on the whole the atmosphere is good with chanting and singing.
Occasionally people manage to break through the fencing and I saw one man evade the security and climb up a tree, with accompanying cheers and whoops from the campaigners.
A protestor evades security and climbs into a tree
Despite the heavy security presence this afternoon there seems to be no sign yet that they will forcibly remove people from the trees, although bailiffs have started to dismantle the camp where the protesters have been living for the past six weeks.
Read what some of the protesters have to say
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