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Brent's Preston library cleared

29.12.11 | Benedicte Page

Library campaigners on watch outside Brent's Preston Library cried "Shame on you" as books and computers were cleared from the building by council workers today (29th December), with police in attendance.

Vans arrived at 9.30am to begin clearing the library of its contents. Local campaigners had been on intermittent vigil outside the library building over the Christmas holiday, with a Christmas tree on display decorated with children's book characters.

"We campaigners are still standing here with our signs, which say, 'Children need to read,' and 'Save our libraries,'" said local campaigner and literary agent Geraldine Cooke, today. "We don't think any library should be closed."

Fellow campaigner Samantha Warrington told the Harrow Observer: "We have put an application in to the Supreme Court so while that is happening Brent should not be taking any further action to decommission the libraries. We are trying to obstruct the way but the police are moving us. I feel that Brent Council is showing contempt to the legal process and the community who have shown how much they need their local library by doing this."

Protestors are "on watch" today outside Kensal Rise Library, now the last remaining closed Brent library which still has its books in place.  

Brent council had undertaken not to clear the libraries, or board them up further, until after judgment was given in the Court of Appeal about the lawfulness of the closures. Judgment was given in the council's favour shortly before Christmas. Lawyers acting for the campaigners have now approached the Supreme Court for leave to bring a last appeal against the closures.

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By Confused

Why are they closing libraries?
Is it because people don't use them?

Fri, 30/12/2011 - 12:53
By Jim O'Neil

"Library campaigners on watch outside Brent's Preston Library cried "Shame on you" as books and computers were cleared from the building by council workers today (29th December), with police in attendance"

Shame can be a powerful tool in itself - perhaps some of the campaigners could photograph every single person working to close/clear/whatever Kensal Rise and make sure that a complete Rogues Gallery of those people, many of whom probably work for the Council and also live in the area, of course, is widely published and distributed.

It's also a shame that there are very few village stocks still standing, possibly no pillories at all, so we will have to make do with printed copies or electronic media.

Fri, 30/12/2011 - 20:26

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