Save Latin Village ®

Private-Public Partnership Treatment of BAME community under Covid-19

 

Thurs 12 March

  • In press conference Boris Johnson PM had announced: “Many families will lose their loved ones before their time” which sent the nation into a state of panic buying which caused food shortages.
  • Deputy Mayor of London Joanne McCartney chaired a meeting with landowner Transport for London (TfL) and with BAME traders and TfL promised they would do everything they could to keep the market going.

 

Mon 16 March

  • Power cut to all BAME traders. There is no natural light in the Latin Village and BAME traders work in the dark while losing perishable food stock during a week of frantic panic buying and food shortages.
  • The OCHR released a statement in relation to the Covid-19 outbreak which stated some may find “emergency powers attractive because it offers shortcuts.”

 

Mon 23 March

  • Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced new measures ordering the closure of non-essential shops which excluded “market stalls which offer essential retail, such as grocery and food” and in relation to restaurants “Exceptions Food delivery and takeaway can remain operational.”
  • Private-public partnership agent advises traders market will remain open as “many report increased sales as Shoppers seeking an alternative to Supermarkets. The shorter supply chain of Market retailers means they are less subject to delivery delays.”
  • Grainger PLC writes to BAME traders drawing attention to their loss of legal appeal against move to Apex House and demolition of Wards Corner site. Grainger PLC advises BAME traders of plans to move BAME traders by the end of the year.

 

Tues 24 March 

  • Private-public partnership agent ordered the closure of the Latin Village which is within Seven Sisters Indoor Market advising, “We have been asked by LB Haringey Public Health Department to advise them of any non-compliance.” Many of the BAME traders sell specialised food products for the Latin American population which is not provided in the main food chainstores.A few days after essential food outlets were eventually ordered to close completely and the BAME traders were still without power BAME traders were treated in a very insensitive manner.
  • BAME traders question actual motive behind the prevention of sales of culturally appropriate food. According to another London market: “the provision of culturally appropriate food is vital to build up peoples’ immune systems and the developers are clearly taking advantage of Covid 19 and it is a dangerous precedent”.
  • According to BAME traders: private-public partnership agent staff said to BAME traders “you no longer have a future here, the electricity is not going to be fixed, you have already lost everything, and you’ll have to adjust to the new rules when you’re moved”.

 

Wed 1 April 

  • Fabian pictured below supported for many years by David Lammy while he filed his race discrimination claim against private-public partnership agent MAM/Quarterbridge was admitted to the intensive care. It was reported in the press that Harvard University research found that workplaces where stress levels are high have worse rates of ­infections. We suspect that all the stress that led up to his admission was not helpful.

 

Thurs 9 April

  • Private-Public partnership agent advised BAME traders to visit Latin Village to collect letters and handover keys.
  • The BAME traders have been under significant stress, discrimination, etc since Quarterbridge/MAM’s appointment in 2015, compounded by COVID-19 and the power cut on the 16th March which left them with no power. The electricity has still not been restored at the time of writing this post.
  • BAME traders are considering that the current COVID-19 crisis is being used as a short cut to achieve private-public partnership development agenda.