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Bailiffs move in to clear anti-lockdown protesters in Shepherd's Bush
Bailiffs move in to clear anti-lockdown protesters from their ‘Lovedown’ camp in Shepherd’s Bush
- Bailiffs from the National Eviction Team gathered to evict the demonstrators who have been camping on Shepherd’s Bush Green since May 31
- The group, who call themselves ‘Lovedown,’ have been protesting against the lockdown and mask wearing
- They had set up around 40 tents on the Green and were later served with an eviction notice by the Council
Bailiffs today moved in to clear dozens of anti-lockdown protesters from their ‘Lovedown’ camp in Shepherd’s Bush.
Dozens of bailiffs from the National Eviction Team gathered to evict the demonstrators who have been camping on Shepherd’s Bush Green since May 31.
The group, who call themselves ‘Lovedown’, have been protesting against the lockdown, mask wearing, Covid tests and vaccines.
They had set up around 40 tents on the Green in a rebellion against the government’s lockdown restrictions and were later served with an eviction notice.
But today, bailiffs – who were supported by Met Police officers – moved in to try and remove the protesters and their camp.
The protesters had set up around 40 tents on the Green in a rebellion against the government’s lockdown restrictions and were later served with an eviction notice
Dozens of bailiffs from the National Eviction Team gathered to evict the demonstrators who have been camping on Shepherd’s Bush Green since May 31
But today, bailiffs – who were supported by Met Police officers – moved in to try and remove the protesters and their camp
Met Police officers can be seen speaking to some of the protesters today as bailiffs moved in to remove the demonstrators from the camp
The High Court approved the Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s possession order for the camp to be removed in last week. The protesters have said they have appealed the court decision.
Some protesters were seen packing up their tents as they were faced with the bailiffs, some of whom were wearing helmets.
But an Instagram Live video from the Lovedown group’s page posted at 7.45pm on Tuesday night shows some of the group still on the Green by their tents. A council spokesperson confirmed that some of the protesters were still there.
‘We continue to support the Met Police and bailiffs to clear the trespassers on Shepherds Bush Green following receipt of a possession order,’ a council spokesperson told MailOnline.
The group have been calling for masks to be scrapped and claim people who do wear the protective face covering increase their risk of inhaling coronavirus.
The protesters have also called for the testing to be scrapped and even questioned why, if the disease is so deadly, you would need to be tested to have it. This is despite medical experts proving that people with coronavirus can be asymptomatic, which means they show no symptoms but can still pass on the virus.
A Met Police spokesperson did not provide a statement but did confirm that officers had attended to ‘prevent any breach of the peace’.
Bailiffs from the National Eviction team can be seen (left) moving in a line towards the camp, while the protesters (right) sat by their tents
Bailiffs from the National Eviction Team (right) today tried to move the protesters who have set up camp on Shepherd’s Bush Green
A post shared by Lovedown (@lovedown_ftp)
It comes after protesters from the ‘Lovedown’ group were seen attending a protest outside Downing Street yesterday and holding up posters.
During the anti-lockdown protests, an injured police officer was dragged away as Laurence Fox and Piers Corbyn joined maskless anti-lockdown protesters demanding an end to all Covid restrictions.
Mr Fox, 43, was shown speaking with police while holding a copy of an anti-lockdown magazine, while Jeremy Corbyn’s 74-year-old brother held an anti-vax banner alongside protesters calling climate change a ‘con’ and complaining about the ‘New World Order’.
Other activists held signs calling for masks and testing to be scrapped, with others said ‘99.7% of people do not die’ and ‘the media is a virus’.
Social media messages showed the demonstration had been specifically planned to coincide with Mr Johnson’s announcement to the Commons about the fate of the opening plans for June 21.
Footage from the demonstration shows a female police officer being hauled away by her colleagues, as protesters scream ‘traitors’ and ‘it’s all right when it happens to one of us, isn’t it’.
Boris Johnson on Sunday urged Britons to be patient as he announces that the relaxation of Covid restrictions will be pushed back until July 19 because of the rampaging Indian variant, to allow more people to receive their second vaccine dose.
Activists held banners calling for masks and testing to be scrapped, with one describing the organisers as ‘a collective of the concerned’
Police officers help an injured colleague during an anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protest in London, June 14
Laurence Fox, 43, was shown speaking with police while holding a copy of an anti-lockdown magazine during a protest against Covid restrictions today
Piers Corbyn (right) held an anti-vaxxer banner alongside protesters calling climate change a ‘con’ and complaining about the ‘New World Order’
Demonstrators protest outside Downing Street against the delay in easing of lockdown restrictions on June 14
Anti-lockdown protesters gathered outside Number 10 today to protest Covid restrictions as Boris Johnson was set to give his announcement about the June 21 reopening
A man gestures at a policeman outside the gates of No10. The Prime Minister is delaying the reopening, to anger from Tory backbenchers
An anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine demonstrator holds a placard as he takes part in a protest in Downing Street
The Prime Minister faces a ferocious backlash from all wings of the Tory Party over his decision to delay Freedom Day last night – as his own MPs warned of curbs lasting through winter and beyond.
Horrified backbenchers expressed concerns about a ‘ lockdown without end’ and said they were losing confidence in the prospect of coronavirus restrictions being lifted for the foreseeable future.
In the wake of the Prime Minister’s announcement of a four-week delay to removing curbs in England, they accused him of ‘panicking’ and said that they feared a return to even tighter curbs in the autumn.
One Cabinet minister said last night the frontbench team were ‘resigned’ to the fact there would be a delay, but added: ‘We must now deliver on vaccinations.’
No ministers stuck their head above the parapet to publicly criticise the lockdown extension.
Piers Corbyn takes part in an anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protest in Downing Street on June 14
A Trump 2024 flag was among those waved at the protest outside Downing Street during the protest yesterday
A demonstrator with a pentagram tattoo holds up a sign saying ‘This NHS workers has had enough’
Police officers stand guard during an anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protest at Downing Street, London, June 14
A woman is seen holding onto a police officer’s high visibility vest at the London protest on June 14
Police are seen linking arms at the Downing Street anti-lockdown protest in London yesterday as Boris Johnson delayed plans to lift Covid restrictions
Police carry away an officer amid chaotic scenes at the protest outside Downing Street on Monday
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader, said: ‘I don’t see the evidence for us suddenly panicking like this.
‘If we are not careful we will drift into late summer and autumn, and the scientists will say, ‘You cannot unlock now because we are heading into winter’. Where are we going with all of this?’
The Tory grandee warned that the country needed to get ‘business going so we can pay our taxes and can afford the Health Service and cut our borrowing’.
‘We seem to think there is only one risk and that risk is Covid and everything else is irrelevant. That is a serious problem,’ he added.
Some hardline anti-lockdown Tories are furious about any delay at all, as they wanted the lifting of lockdown to be faster that it has been.
Former minister Steve Baker channelled classic war film The Great Escape in a message to Covid Recovery Group MPs last night, according to Politico, saying: ‘It is the sworn duty of all officers to try to escape.
‘If they cannot escape, then it is their sworn duty to cause the enemy to use an inordinate number of troops to guard them, and their sworn duty to harass the enemy to the best of their ability.’
And theatre impresario Sir Howard Panter warned the industry will suffer ‘significant damage’ if the final lifting of coronavirus lockdown restrictions in England is put on hold.
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