While I am completely against violence in any form I feel that what Lewisham Councillors witnessed at a public meeting regarding the eviction of campaigners from the Old Tidemill Wildlife Garden was a reflection of the anger felt by people because of the continuing developments and gentrification of the area which is alienating and marginalising local people.

When people try to peacefully and legitimately put a counter point of view or argument they are ignored and bypassed.

I personally witnessed the massive amount of powerful and possibly violent force that was brought to bear to evict these campaigners. Lines of security guards and police brought in to face down a small group of rightly angry people.

So what is it all for? To provide homes for the homeless, to get rough sleepers off the streets, to enable the very low paid to get their own home? I doubt that these issues will be solved in any real sense. The official line is that there  there will be some social housing when in fact the majority should all be social housing to meet the housing needs of local people. 

I am sorry that the Mayor was forced to face the demonstrators but at the end of the day this betrayal of local people is happening on his watch and I believe that it was his responsibility to face up to his accusers. 

He needs to answer the question as to why he is pursuing a capitalist approach in such a socially deprived borough as Lewisham. I wonder what the UN investigator Philip Alston would make of Lewisham's situation.

Of course what is happening locally is just a reflection of what is happening nationally where the need for profit comes a long way before the needs of people. This should not be repeated in a so-called Labour borough. 

Lyn May, Deptford