Jill Brown from the London Gypsy and Traveller unit talks about the issue.Recently the land owners planning application was rejecting by the commission and now the travellers have 28 days to appeal it. David McGrath, leader of the Meriden based group RAID (Residents Against Illegal Development) says they won’t tolerate the development and fight till the end.
Footage courtesy Central Tonight and Birmingham Mail
However, there is agreement that not all is made up. A few said that there are a few miscreants who even Gypsies themselves avoid but generalising isn’t fair. Traveller, Margaret Quinn says, “People are right about the litt ering and violence in some cases but those are a hand full and you don’t generalise and stigmatise the entire community.” Anne Burton, who is also a traveller, thinks new age travellers are the reason traditional travellers have a bad name.
Nikki Willis Team leader for Traveller Education Support Services says ethnicity is not the identity of trouble makers.