Russell Brand joins protest over London housing
Actor/comedian RUSSELL BRAND joined protesters outside a court in London on Thursday (02Oct14) to campaign against a local council's plan to evict residents from a social housing estate in the city.
The Get Him to the Greek star teamed up with a group of mothers outside Bow County Court in East London to fight council officials' decision to evict them from their homes so the buildings can be demolished.
Brand tells the BBC, "I disagree with people being cleared off of the Carpenters Estate so they can sell it privately... so that they (the council) can gentrify the area... Everyone on that estate knows each other, people have relationships. The phrase that they're using, the phrase these women have come up with 'social housing not social cleansing' is incredibly germane... this is what's happening now but I think that if we don't get involved, get involved together and collectivise now it's going to be affecting more and more of us until it reaches me, those unsung heroes, international celebrities."
The group, known as Focus E15, won a small victory on Thursday, when council bosses ditched plans to evict them within 24 hours. However, they were only given a five-day extension and now face eviction on 7 October (14). They have vowed to continue fighting the decision.
