Video of the Save Our Square Rally, 24th October 2020 |
Today's event, filmed by David Gardiner for Forest Radio. |
Video of the Save Our Square Rally, 24th February 2018 |
For comparison here is a glance back to the largest rally organised by Save Our Square, in February 2018, just a few days before the notorious Planning Meeting held by Waltham Forest council in the Assembly Hall beside the Town Hall on Forest Road. At this meeting, in the presence of at least 500 local residents the plans submitted by developers Capital and Regional to acquire (not to say "grab") one third of the open public space of the town square to build more shops and four "monster blocks" of luxury flats were approved without amendment during the interval of about 20 minutes, despite the massive opposition of ten of the twelve speakers at the meeting. It was an eye-opener with regard to the council's high-handed and arrogant disregard for the views of its electorate and the processes of local democracy generally, which have since become its badge. Start here if you're not familiar with this protest against the privatisation of the square and destruction of large numbers of mature trees growing there, which is about to enter its fifth year. Video filmed and edited by John Rogers. |