Middle England protest in Strasbourg

This week I sponsored over 30 residents from Meriden (The middle of England) to visit and protest and the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Both the BBC and ITV filmed the protest.

These people were victims of discrimination and have suffered since early May this year when their lives were disrupted by an inappropriate development on protected Green Belt land by travellers.

Thanks to the EU, the ECHR and its jurisprudence the law in framed to the advantage of the travellers some of whom seem intent on abusing the system for profit.

As I constantly point out to social law loving Europhiles; positive discrimination is wrong, it is as wrong as any other form of discrimination and it also has victims.

These people from Meriden have stood up to this injustice and have held a continuous 24 hour manned camp to prevent any further damage to the Green Belt. These are ordinary law abiding people who it has been a privilege to get to know around the camp fire at all times of the day. Their dedication to their cause has renewed my faith in local direct politics.

They certainly frightened the European Parliament security that pedantically would not let them wear their t-shirts and caps (spelling out their protest) into the Parliament.   Eventually they got into the parliament.  Their message was simple 'Equal Rights not special rights'. We delivered a letter to President Jerzy Buzek and also to the ECHR.

You can also hear a radio interview prior to the trip here

http://yourmep.org/bbc-radio-wm-sep2010.html

Also a report on the protest by EU Reporter

http://www.eureporter.co.uk/story/protest-strasbourg