A dozen women are staging a sit-in at a primary school in a row over an advice poster warning about the dangers of female genital mutilation.And where’s this happening? Why, the People’s Republic of Lambeth! Superb!
And no, it’s not a group of mums whinging that the posters are infringing their cultural ishoos, which is what I first thought when I saw the story…
Lambeth Women’s Project is rejecting demands to leave the listed building, part of Stockwell Primary School and Children’s Centre, and is today on the sixth day of its occupation.Oooh, a siege!
Its action comes after relations with school chiefs and Lambeth council broke down over a loan — and accusations that it had left “sexually explicit material” lying around in areas where it could be seen by children.
But the women say the material is actually a police-sponsored poster for services to help London girls at risk of female genital mutilation.
They say they are “astonished” that the council could use the poster against them and claim the town hall told them to highlight the barbaric practice, which carries a 14-year jail sentence.Oh boy! I’m conflicted. Who to root for?
They say the real reason for the eviction is because the council wants to sell the site and convert it into flats.*orders bigger bag of popcorn*
Police had previously been called by the school but left, saying it was a civil matter.I bet they left in a hurry, too!
Relations between the women and the Labour-run council were strained in April when the authority accused them of refusing to repay £10,000 it had sent them in error. They insist the money was promptly handed back.Well, surely they have accounting practices and receipting to resolve any…
Oh. Wait. Labour-run council. I might see the problem.
Could we find that much-used tool of town hall bureaucrats, the unnamed source, to do some poison briefing against them?
Reader, we could:
A council source said: “The group has never abided by the rules. It has risked the safeguarding of the pupils who use the school building and has not paid any service charges. This includes leaving sexually explicit material in areas where pupils can see them.”*places bulk order with Butterkist*
10 comments:
It is always tragic to see the makings of unavoidable conflict between certain groups, Julia. Police must return to do their duty and we can only hope none of their tasers accidentally strike genital regions.
Not keen on popcorn but will try a family size pack for this one.
I hadn't realised that Genital Mutilation was such a problem in London! ... me and my sheltered life eh?
'Police must return and do their duty'. Exactly what duty would that be? Trespass is a civil offence, as the Commisars in the People's Republic of Lambeth have often said, and the Police have no right to forcibly evict them. They can attend to prevent a breach of the peace but that is all their powers allow. An ex-colleague, now in the Mets, told me that genital mutilation is fairly widespread in the areas populated by middle eastern and North African immigrants (legal and illegal) and that some of the local authorities don't fall over themselves in reporting this - possibly because they don't want to disrupt 'cultural practices' and also because quite a few of the council officials are from those parts of the world. Apparently, there does not seem to be any one willing to state whether this child torture and abuse should take precedence over religious or racial practices.
Don't forget the Kai-Ora, Auraura!
Plodnomore
The council don't want just anyone showing kids sexually explicit material, thats the teachers job!
Now an actual Blue-on-Blue between this lot, preferably using a DU round would be good.
Bunny
"the authority accused them of refusing to repay £10,000 it had sent them in error. They insist the money was promptly handed back."
They may have paid it back in the form of rents and council taxes, of course. Which is a pretty prompt way of paying.
"Now an actual Blue-on-Blue between this lot, preferably using a DU round would be good" ...
And if, at the same time, it also takes out a Labour run council by way of collateral damage ..
That works me Bunny .. ;)
I'm lost!
"I hadn't realised that Genital Mutilation was such a problem in London! ... me and my sheltered life eh?"
Ahhh, the benefits of multiculturalism, eh?
I've decided I'm with LWP on this. They signed a 5-lease in 2010 and it relied on agreements with their new landlords.
The landlords (which now happens to be the school next door which wants to expand) have reneged on the deal and are throwing in this rubbish to try to justify what they've done. If LWP haven't paid, then that's a matter for the civil courts or an arbitrator to sort out who owes what to whom.
If the landlords want LWP out they can give them notice that the lease won't be renewed in 2015 and allow them to make arrangements accordingly. Alternatively, they can offer LWP compensation or another building.
A deal is a deal.
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