Tag Archives: politics

Housing Justice for All! Free Palestine!

#housingcrisis, Focus E15 Campaign, housing struggles, intentional homelessness, racism, , , ,

On Saturday 7 June Focus E15 campaign is joining the Housing Bloc on the People’s
Assembly national demonstration, with a clear message Welfare not Warfare.

Join us!

Since our inception, Focus E15 has sought to draw international links between the struggle
for land and housing in London/Britain and struggles abroad.


Nowhere is this more significant than in the struggle against settler colonialism and Zionism
in Palestine, which has seen Israel’s ongoing genocidal campaign destroy or damage 92% of
homes in the Gaza strip (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, January
2025), as well as bomb hospitals, schools, universities and deliberately murder journalists,
paramedics, doctors, nurses, teachers, target civilians and, since 2 March, block all aid
entering Gaza, including food, water, fuel, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian
law.


Israeli occupation forces have also increased their repression in the West Bank, where over
40,000 people were displaced from their homes in the first two months of 2025 alone, while
house demolitions continue.


As a housing campaign based in Britain—the country responsible for the British Mandate in
Palestine and the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine— we recognise that the
political system that keeps families in Britain in slum housing is the same system that is
funding and arming the genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, through continued
financial, military, and political support for the Israeli state. The same shameless capitalist
and imperialist Labour Party we’ve opposed locally in Newham has revealed its true face in
government.


We cannot fight for housing justice in Britain in isolation, we are internationalists, who fight
racism at home and abroad.


We will continue to raise the Palestinian flag as we have done over the last 12 years. We
encourage all housing campaigners to do so as well.

Together we are stronger.


Victory to the resistance in Palestine – let’s Educate! Agitate! Organise! here in Britain!

Join us on Saturday 7 June, on the housing bloc, details here:
https://www.axethehousingact.org.uk/news/join-the-housing-and-planning-bloc-on-the-
peoples-assembly-demo-7-june/

‘Speak out’ against overcrowding and damp held in Stratford Town hall foyer after campaigners are excluded from council meeting

housing crisis, , , ,

Campaigners accuse Newham Labour council of artificially reducing the capacity of the public gallery to not face criticism on housing or austerity cuts

On the evening of Thursday 27th March, Labour council led by Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz showed its true colours – excluding the public from the full council meeting – a meeting at which they set a budget that will mean millions of pounds of cuts in services in the borough.

Only 20 members of the public were allowed in and only if they had signed in in advance. No one present could tell us when and where this information was shared with the public in advance of the meeting. The reason they gave is that the room was too small.

Given the meeting was held in the main chamber (image below), with a 400 delegates standing/ 400 theatre style capacity (according to the council’s own website) it is laughable that campaigners were given this reason to exclude them from the meeting on account of 66 councilors and others functionaries and only 20 members of the public.

FE15 believes the reality is that Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz is scared of the Newham residents who want to hold her and the council to account. This includes residents who want answers to the housing crisis – damp and mouldy and overcrowded dangerous living conditions; those living in hotel hell as Newham sends families out of borough to hotels such as Barking Hotel. This is Brimstone House, Victoria Street conditions all over again.

Focus E15 campaign was ready with letters for the Mayor and clear messages about local housing. Instead of being able to hand these over in person, they have been emailed to the Mayor.

Having been excluded brave Focus E15 campaigners, including mothers and children, held a speak out in the lobby of the Stratford Old Town Hall.

We intend to return to council meetings until housing justice is done!

Down with Newham Labour Council and their shameful anti-democratic practices!

We will not be silenced

Housing justice for all!