WORLD WORLDWIDE UK United-Kingdom EUROPE - news journal UPDATE - (en) UK, ACG, Jackdaw: Community vs Gentrification (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

 Queen's Market is a long running street market in East London. For the

last 20 years Newham Council and developers have been trying to build
luxury flats and other nonsense on the site. Campaigners successfully
fought off the last attempt in 2011. Local people have seen how the
council have killed off other street markets in the area and don't want
to happen here. ----  Newham is one of the poorest boroughs in the UK,
with a large black and ethnic minority population. The market provides a
range of cheap goods: a variety of fruit and veg, fish, meat, textiles
and clothing, and other goods.

It is hugely important
to Newham people in
many ways. It is a source
of affordable necessities,
essential in such a deprived
area. Many of these cater
for the different cultural
needs of this diverse area.
Visitors not only come from
other parts of London, but
from as far afield as the
Midlands and even abroad.
The Market provides
employment for traders and
shopkeepers.

  It is crucial as a public
space where people who
are often isolated, such as
those looking after children,
pensioners, and those on
benefits, can
escape isolation.
They can assess
the best bargains,
meet and chat
with traders and
other shoppers,
have a tea or
coffee in a café.

The enforced
isolation of
lockdown
necessitated by
the recent Covid pandemic
highlighted the importance
of regular socialising for
most people, particularly in
a society where the majority
are increasingly atomised,
with work-and-shop-fromhome, the disappearance
of community spaces such
as libraries and pubs. This
socialising is the culture
that the council cannot
or will not recognise:

for them culture is only
ethnic art and music, and
religious festivals such as
Eid, and Diwali. This rich
cultural mix is also one of
the strengths of Friends of
Queens Market the 21 year
old community group made
up of traders, shoppers and
activists, a diverse group
of people who are fighting
to save and improve the
market.

For more info: www.
friendsofqueensmarket.org.uk

https://www.anarchistcommunism.org
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