Downing St petition to make unauthorised traveller pitches illegal

[OhEsEcks]

I don't think it's a big deal with travellers, perhaps I've never been on the receiving end of some of their shenanigans, but they are not exactly shooting up holidaymakers or murdering cartoonists are they.

They rocked up in Ballymena several years ago and were drinking in a pub and got into a bit of a barney with people they shouldn't have. Some "representatives" went down to the camp later that night and told them that if they weren't gone by morning they'd come back and raise the camp to the ground. They were gone the next morning.

I know a few prison officers and Maghaberry HMP was full of them. Feuding families. They'll blast their relations to death at a wedding. They've got itchy trigger fingers. And there was a story a couple of years back about two feuding families chasing each other through the middle of (I think it was Belfast from what I remember) hanging out the car windows firing shotguns at each other like the wild west stage coach scenes. Though I can't find the link to that one.

They are, put simply, scum.

Edit: And if any of you have seen the film "Knuckle" about the ***** fighting.... you know the ginger one? Beat his wife to death.

The main focus of the film was violent feuding between the McDonagh, Nevin, and Joyce traveller families, and it was released to critical acclaim.

Edit 2: Some more links.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-new...itten-off-in-barbaric-pub-brawl-31414754.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...vans-cause-havoc-setting-camp-leafy-park.html
http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/priest-hailed-hero-after-halting-6144158
http://www.independent.ie/irish-new...attacks-continue-industry-chief-31406069.html

Travellers went into this pub, assaulted customers, the staff, took over the bar, wrecked the place and they had to send in the riot squad.

Here's another fun one: http://www.independent.ie/irish-new...ash-dispute-with-traveller-gang-31397880.html
Mass brawl: http://www.independent.ie/irish-new...-row-spills-into-housing-estate-31391650.html
A good old ***** confirmation: www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/crime/gardai-assaulted-bottles-chairs-thrown-6067409
ANother day light brawl: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/blood-on-the-streets-as-bitter-dublin-feud-grows-31375138.html
Child rape: http://www.sundayworld.com/news/cri...-travelling-community-charged-with-child-rape
Destroying a rivals house: http://www.sundayworld.com/news/crimedesk/video-laughing-thugs-raze-rivals-house

 

[Longbow]

I have, I was asking you a question - what is the issue?

Then you're going to have to re-ask it because I'm not sure what you're asking. Are you asking why there should be a distinction between John Doe walking on public land, and John Doe setting up camp on public land?

 

[dowie]

No I was talking about private land- if you re-read the posts - it was in reference to trespassing on private land a few posts up not the OP which is about public land. I'm suggesting that the police should be able to move people on immediately when trespassing on private land and/or being able to charge people who refuse to move on.

 

[borich_planner]

This thread belongs on daily fail..

I deal with Travellers a lot in my job (town planner for LPA) and this petition is not going to achieve anything.

 

[platinum87]

I don't own any land, but if i did, i would use poison to kill whoever people decided to trespass and refused to leave.

Does not matter if its 10 people, or half a million people who decide to host a music festival

 

[Dj_Jestar]

Ok sweetie, just be sure to wash your hands when you're done so you don't get any of that nasty wasty poison in your fish-finger sandwiches. xx

 

[Angilion]

You are aware that what you just typed is complete and utter bull **** aren't you?

They might not be. Some people do believe a weird melange of pretend law that often contradicts itself. They're usually known as "freemen of the land". Or various less than complimentary terms.

The most obvious contradiction, obviously, is the belief that laws made by a government don't apply to them and laws made by a government do apply to them. They call the latter "common law". Maybe some of them resolve that contradiction by believing that English common law was written by a god or gods or aliens or something or maybe they have some sort of cut-off point in time (because common law is generally just implementations of older laws) or maybe they just decide that they or whatever guru they revere get to choose which laws apply to them and which don't.

It's all rubbish, but it's skillfully flavoured with rituals, conspiracy and superficially plausible misapplications of genuine legal principles. Which makes it something that can be sold to the desperate and gullible.

Here's some information on it:

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Freeman_on_the_land

 

[bloodiedathame]

This thread belongs on daily fail..

I deal with Travellers a lot in my job (town planner for LPA) and this petition is not going to achieve anything.

Because travellers are so ****ed up?

 

[scorza]

Wow - given the lack of coverage of this petition in the mainstream media (aka Daily Fail ) I was expecting maybe a thousand signatures by this point. Instead we're almost half way to getting a response from the government. Keep up the good work chaps

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Because travellers are so ****ed up?

Because they know the local authorities haven't got the will not the means to enforce the law.

 

[new boy]

Signed

 

[Yaayuh!]

I've met some nice travellers, working ones that don't cause issues in the neighbourhood. Well, some of the young ones may do but boy do they get a telling off at home!
They have their own allocated site though.

However, illegal travellers sites can hold some despicable specimens.

 

[Belly]

And there was a story a couple of years back about two feuding families chasing each other through the middle of (I think it was Belfast from what I remember) hanging out the car windows firing shotguns at each other like the wild west stage coach scenes.

If I remember correctly it reminds me of normal Saturday night's out in the some of the areas of West Belfast where I had the misfortune to "visit" in the '60s,70s & 80s ie: Clonard, Ballymurphy, Lower Falls, Springfield etc. I'm NOT sure it was shotguns though, more like AK47s and RPGs.

 

[Efour]

petition to make unauthorised traveller pitches illegal

Sounds sensible enough ? If someone hasn't given you permission to be on their land then you should be moved off it. What am i missing ?

 

[Amp34]

It seems the petition is to make trespass a criminal offence, which is essentially fundamentally changing part of common law IIRC. If that is the case then there is no way I'm signing that petition...

 

[Housey]

Farmers always trump ******. Lots of stories of ****** getting a proper shoeing by farmers

 

[borich_planner]

Because they know the local authorities haven't got the will not the means to enforce the law.

LPA does not deal with travellers on private land. It would be a civil issue between land owner and the travellers. again people here not understanding the facts..

 

[valve90210]

In my town we had a group move in and set up camp in a car park in the middle of town, think they were there for about a week before they were moved on!!