News / Barton House
Residents march from Barton House to City Hall
It’s less than two miles as the crow flies from Barton House to City Hall, but for some residents it feels like a world away as they say that their fears and concerns are not being met.
Residents and supporters marched the distance from Barton Hill to College Green on Friday afternoon in an attempt to get their voices heard by the council.
“Justice for Barton House” was the predominant chart as marchers made their way through Lawrence Hill and Old Market towards the city centre.
is needed now More than ever
When they arrived at College Green, protesters walked straight into the lobby of City Hall chanting “Marvin Rees, shame on you.”
Many people on the march were members of ACORN, the community union which Rees previously supported but some of whose members have recently been banned from City Hall following disruption at a council meeting.
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Barton House’s ACORN rep, Fatima Bashir, told Bristol24/7 that the march was taking place due to a lack of communication from the council.
She said: “We have tried everything to be transparent but they have refused so we want them to communicate with us and also meet our demands.”
Bashir, 34, who has lived at Barton House for 12 years, is a masters’ student at UWE studying health technology.
“The community are supporting us and we need to show that we’re not backing down,” she added.
“The council need to fix the internal problems that this building has. They have spent millions on security and a hotel. We don’t want that.
“We want them to fix the internal problems so we can come back in and otherwise to rehouse us.”
Fatima Bashir is the Barton House residents’ rep for Acorn – photo: Martin Booth
A petition backed by ACORN asks for “justice and rehousing” for residents who were evacuated from their homes on November 14.
Other demands include that rent and utility bills must be refunded, and that there should be mental health support for all affected residents, many of who are currently living at the Holiday Inn hotel on Bond Street.
Main photo & video: Martin Booth
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