Around 20 protesters gathered outside a Lewisham home on Tuesday to prevent the eviction of a single father and his two children by the council. Anthony Brathwaite, 39, a London bus driver, was told by Lewisham Council he had made himself 'intentionally homeless' and faced eviction on September 7. After a protest that day, the council said it would return with bailiffs on September 28.
Protesters from groups including Campaign for Truth & Justice, Catford Against Social Cleansing, London Renters Union and Yes To Fair Redevelopment arrived at 10am, an hour before Lewisham Homes staff and bailiffs were expected. Children as young as seven held handmade signs. Bailiffs arrived at around 12.30pm in white vans and blacked-out cars but were met by an angry crowd. They failed to enter the property after a scuffle and were unable to access the back door, which protesters had barricaded.
Anthony said he has been fighting for a stable home since his marriage breakdown in 2017. He fears eviction will upset his disabled son, who is awaiting assessment for autism and ADHD, and his 10-year-old daughter, who has separation anxiety. The council recognises his son as disabled under the Equality Act 2010 but says a lack of disability benefits means they cannot stay. Anthony had a bidding ticket for three years to show interest in suitable properties, but it was recently removed due to changing circumstances.
The council offered two private rentals, but one was in Greenwich and the other cost £1,300 without bills, exceeding Anthony's budget. He said: 'It’s a conveyor belt of destruction. We are people, we’re not sheep or animals living in a pen.' As MyLondon left, bailiffs were still attempting the eviction and considering calling police, though campaigners stressed it was a civil matter.
A Lewisham Council spokesperson said: 'Like all of London, Lewisham is facing a housing crisis, with over 10,000 households on our housing register.'
