Latest news with #communityprotest
The Herald
5 days ago
- General
- The Herald
Residents in Alexandra stop City Power's disconnection teams
Angry residents of River Park, Alexandra, were quick to react and immediately stopped an operation by City Power to cut illegal electricity connections in the area on Thursday. Commotion erupted as the community came together and stopped the officials from disconnection, demanding they turn the electricity back on and leave. Dillo Moche, 49, is frustrated that City Power randomly cuts off power after having agreed on a date with the community. Moche wanted the operation to start elsewhere, where people steal and do not pay for electricity, including informal settlements which have developed around River Park. 'Out of this entire ward, they chose to cut off the power in River Park only. Alexandra doesn't pay for electricity and there are informal settlements which surround River Park that do not pay at all but rather steal electricity, using cables.' Moche said the community did not mind paying but the problem of disconnection continued. 'We are willing to pay but they will still disconnect the electricity. We had agreed that City Power will come on 9 June and check for those who have bridged electricity so that they can fix the problem and be able to pay the R500 rate, but here they are now to disconnect without notifying us.' Tlaleng Mmoa, 48, who has been living in River Park ever since it was established, admits that there are some illegal connections and that other houses have bypassed meters.
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Landlord dubbed an 'anti-Christ' after he shut down the only village pub wins permission to turn it into a shop
Villagers are furious that an 'anti-Christ' landlord has won permission to turn their only pub into a shop - after they fought a planning battle to stop it becoming a house. Drew Donaldson, owner of the Fox and Hounds in Llanharry, South Wales, gave villagers a 'use it or lose it' ultimatum in before shutting the pub in December 2023 due to rising costs and a lack of customers. But his initial plan to turn the boozer into housing caused uproar as locals claimed village life would be damaged by the plans - and objectors claimed victory when he was denied planning permission for the move. In the wake of their victory, they had hoped to buy the building as a community asset and take over the running of the pub - but Mr Donaldson has now won permission for a change of use into a shop. More than 100 villagers gathered in the village fields for a second time holding a banner titled 'Save the Fox' but their protest did not sway the planning committee. Mr Donaldson, who previously referred to himself as the 'anti-Christ of Llanharry' was supported in his venture by local councillor Barry Stephens. Cllr Stephens said villagers should have done more to support the pub when it was open. He added : 'The Donaldsons worked very hard to try and keep the business running. They added a chip shop and a playground for children. They invested an awful lot of money. 'I heard how it was stated that the pub was supporting groups in the village and was the heart of the community. That was totally false. 'I've been involved in the drinking trade and the catering trade in Llanharry for 14 years. I've seen what happens. The people do not support the pub or the club.' Cllr Stephens also took aim at the protestors who had gathered against Mr Donaldson's plans, saying their group was not a true reflection of the popularity of the area. He said: 'It's great you come along when people have gathered like last weekend with a VE celebration in the park and then a couple of people produce a banner and ask people to get around for the photoshoot, but it's not the true reflection of the village.' Objections to the plan included Llanharry community council and local Labour Senedd member Huw Irranca-Davies MS and Alex Davies-Jones MP. In a joint letter, they said: 'We share the disappointment many residents voiced that this represents another step away from bringing the pub back into use. 'A shop doesn't offer the same social or cultural value as a pub and we'd be disappointed to see the community lose the Fox and Hounds in that role.' Mr Donaldson previously said he was surprised 600 people from the village of 3,500 had joined a Facebook group against the closure. He said: 'You have to ask yourself the question: 'If there are 600 or more people in a group opposing what I'm trying to do, why were those people not supporting the pub when it was open?' 'There were some who'd come down. People would come down once a month and have a beer. That's not enough. 'My costs were going up this whole time. You can't just go on losing money.' 'When you spend 600 quid on a band and you get 16 people and it's Christmas Eve, you've got to ask yourself: 'What am I doing here?' In his initial application to use the land for housing, Mr Donaldson, who is a builder by trade, had hoped to erect two separate four-bedroom homes and to build a third four-bedroom home on the land as well. He had first attempted to list the pub on the market - but said no one was interested in taking it over. Shops in the village had letters objecting to Mr Donaldson's plans on their counters and a cafe has put posters up with the headline: 'Save the Fox & Hounds!' Eifion Edwards, who had printed off letters opposing the plans, said: 'People really care here. We want our pub back. 'It's in a great location, has fantastic potential, and it's an excellent community asset. The reaction from the entire village and the support and momentum we've got is extremely important.' Mike Meredith, a Llanharry resident of more than 60 years, claimed: 'He has been there for years and slowly ran it downhill so it wasn't a surprise when it closed. It was like a liquified agony.' 'We know it's perfectly normal along a high street for two or three pubs to close. That's the way it's going. This is different. 'This is a village and a pub isn't just a pub. It's a meeting place and it's crucial. If you are the local plasterer or plumber you get your business there. That's how it still works here.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Criticism intensifies of Worcester police response to ICE action
WORCESTER — One day after a chaotic scene during an immigration raid by federal agents, some community leaders blasted Worcester police for what they said was excessive use of force. 'The militant police response was egregious and an overuse of force, both federal and local,' said Fred Taylor, president of the Worcester chapter of the NAACP. A packed room at the YWCA of Central Massachusetts on May 9 heard several speakers condemn the May 8 federal raid on Eureka Street. Numerous videos on the internet show federal agents surrounded by angry residents as authorities attempted to detain a woman of Brazilian descent. Worcester police were called in as tensions escalated, and two people were arrested. One, according to reports, was the 16-year-old daughter of the woman taken away by federal agents. The girl is seen on video trying to stop the car that took her mother away. She is then forcibly taken to the ground by police. The other person arrested was Ashley Spring, a Worcester School Committee candidate, who was seen on videos being shoved by police. More: 'That is what we need to hold on to': Protesters find different paths to a common cause Spring was arraigned May 9 in Worcester District Court on several charges, including assault and battery on a police officer. She was released on personal recognizance and is due back in court on June 23. Several speakers during the press conference at the YWCA called on City Manager Eric Batista, Mayor Joseph Petty and the City Council to investigate the raid, especially the response by Worcester police. Petty filed an order on May 9 with the city clerk that asked Batista and Police Chief Paul Saucier to create a written policy on how the city interacts with ICE. At-Large City Councilor Khrystian King, the council's vice chairman, is also in the camp that feels there is a need for an investigation. He told those in attendance that trauma was inflicted on Worcester, and that the raid was an attack on a community of color. King called into question how Worcester police are trained, based on the response at Eureka Street. 'There's a flaw there,' said King, who, like Taylor, said there's a need for a civilian review board to scrutinize the work of local police. King said he didn't have information on whether federal authorities on Eureka Street had a warrant to detain the woman, where she was taken, and where her husband is. Reports indicate he was detained earlier by federal agents. When asked if the city and its police force collaborated with ICE on the Eureka Street raid and whether people put their hands on police and federal agents during the commotion, King said he didn't have any information. He noted he had only seen a snippet of the videos from the scene and planned to watch more of them. Batista and Saucier have stated that the city doesn't work with ICE on detainers and raids and doesn't target the city's immigrant community, but is responsible for ensuring community safety. In response to a Telegram & Gazette inquiry that included how would Worcester police handle future situations of federal agents in Worcester to detain or deport residents, a Police Department spokesman said the incident on Eureka Street is still under investigation, video is being reviewed and further charges might be forthcoming. As for what happens if ICE returns to the city, King said Worcester will 'not cower.' One woman spoke up at the press conference about how the city, especially Batista, must be held accountable for not keeping the community safe during the Eureka Street raid, especially since it's no surprise, she said, of what ICE is trying to do. King responded that accountability is as much of an issue for the City Council as it is for Batista. District 5 City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj can be seen in videos of the Eureka Street incident standing between authorities and the woman targeted for detention. "You do not have an arrest warrant," Haxhiaj can be heard saying. "These are not targets, these are my constituents." At the YWCA press conference, Haxhiaj said the response by the federal government and the Worcester police at Eureka Street was 'completely unacceptable.' 'The message for ICE is get out of our city,' she added. Haxhiaj later told a reporter her job is to protect her constituents, and while she's not sure how she will act if another ICE raid happens in Worcester, she said it's her duty to be involved. 'I feel that as a city councilor, as a mother, as a resident, as a representative, it is appropriate for me to defend my constituents when I see somebody in distress, that is my job to protect them," said Haxhiaj. "And whatever I can do to support my community, I will always step up." Haxhiaj said the city is creating a rapid response network to protect families from federal ICE raids. A hotline operated by the LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts is part of that network. Operators take calls from people who see ICE agents in their neighborhood, and then immediately contact residents who have been trained in emergency response to go to the site of the raid. That's what happened on Eureka Street, said Dálida Rocha, executive director at Neighbor to Neighbor. It oversees the hotline and is part of a network of organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, said Rocha, that trains residents in rapid response. Roughly 100 Worcester residents have been trained, said Rocha, and their role is to document what happens during raids. 'So you are an eyewitness,' said Rocha. 'You're becoming an eyewitness to what's happening. And usually because people's rights are being violated, like the mom's was being violated yesterday.' She continued: 'And people are just being kidnapped and disappearing. So, we need to make sure that the community is bearing witness.' Neighbor to Neighbor is in contact with the office of state Attorney General Andrea Campbell, said Rocha, and information gathered is posted on the organization's website. Angel Flores of Worcester took in the press conference at the YWCA. Flores said he's lived in Worcester for 50 years and has a relative on the Worcester police force. 'My heart breaks,' said Flores of what happened on Eureka Street. He feels federal agents and Worcester police were overly aggressive at the scene. As for how local police should respond if there is another federal raid, Flores said, 'I wish I had the answer.' Contact Henry Schwan at Follow him on X: @henrytelegram. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Criticism intensifies of Worcester police response to ICE action
Telegraph
06-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Residents ‘hug' bowling green in protest against planned flats
Residents near a bowling green have formed a 120-person chain 'hugging' the space as they fight plans to build a block of flats on it. Scores of residents in Mount Florida, Glasgow, are opposing proposals to replace it with 32 apartments. The developer is attempting to turn what it claims is 'brownfield' land into housing. But residents say the grass pitch is the only greenery accessible to them. 'Clinging on' On Saturday, they formed a chain to 'hug' the bowling green and in a protest aimed at showing they were 'clinging' on to it. 'We are clinging on to this green space, desperately trying,' said Nicola Smith, chairman of the Mount Florida Community Trust. She is leading the local resistance to the proposals. 'It's right in the heart of our community, right in front of our eyes,' Ms Smith said. 'It's just very, very sad that it's not available to the community. 'Are you out of your mind to build on that space? It's our only green area. There are other places that could be built on, even within the boundaries of Mount Florida. 'We want access to this. The argument that we didn't have access to it before because it was privately owned, frankly, does not hold water, as it doesn't mean that we can't be entitled to having access to it now.' 'If it's lost, it's lost forever' The green was formerly used by a bowling club which closed because of a shortage of members. In 2020, plans for 40 homes on the site were rejected by planning officials. However, Noah Management and Developments has made a new application for a block of flats which has been recommended for approval by Glasgow city council planning officers. The application, which received 125 letters of support, includes a publicly accessible community space, spanning over half the existing site, as well as a 'community facility'. The local authority received 249 objections to the application. 'If it's lost, it's lost forever,' Ms Smith said. 'Nobody pulls down buildings to reinstate a park, so we are desperately trying to keep this space green. 'When word started to get out that the club was in difficulties, we asked if we could negotiate with them to look into ways to purchase the site. 'But all of those applications were denied. The developer went ahead and bought the site. They knew that there was a strong community wish to keep that space. 'But they pressed ahead and bought it anyway. It was essentially a hostile act against the community because we had demonstrated our need and enthusiasm to keep this space.' 'Much needed housing' Noah Management and Developments was approached for comment. The firm has previously said the apartments would provide ' much needed housing ' which will 'enable the funding and the creation of a significant community open space and community hub occupying 50 per cent of the site, to be gifted at no cost to the local community'. The firm added: 'The former club grounds and clubhouse have now been vacant for over five years and present a risk of continued deterioration and vandalism whilst also encouraging anti-social behaviour on the site.'
