On 29 October a camp was established in Brighton as part of the global “Occupy” movement. The Green council has bowed to police pressure to get rid of the camp and ban similar occupations in the future.

On October 29th a camp was established in Brighton as part of the global 'Occupy' movement. Regular general assemblies have been held since then on issues such as privatisation of social housing, the criminalisation of squatting and repression of traveller communities and has been a constant reminder to the people of Brighton that there is ongoing resistance to the status quo.

Brighton and Hove Green party initially seemed supportive of the camp, with Green MP Caroline Lucas speaking at a general assembly in November about the anti-squatting bill which was going through parliament.

However, after pressure from Sussex Police, the Green-led council, who own the land where the camp is situated, allowed the police to evict the camp under a council byelaw. The pretext used by the council for backtracking on its support for the camp was that when firefighters attended to put out a fire, a firefighter was allegedly assaulted.

Bill Randall, the Green council leader said to the local paper, the Argus:

“We support peaceful protest and most of the people who have taken part in Occupy Brighton have behaved responsibly. However the fire at the site earlier this week, which created a traffic hazard, and the subsequent assault on a firefighter are unnaceptable. The police support us in this view. There can be no guantee that similar incidents would not happen if another camp was established in the city. Therefore if another camp is set up on council-owned land we will immediately seek possesion of the site and move the camp on”

In fact this minor incident has been used by the Green council as a flimsy pretext to justify bowing to police pressure to get rid of the camp and ban similar occupations.