Homeless man left psychologically ‘wounded’ after losing everything at Town Hall protest camp

A homeless man has been left psychologically “wounded” after his “tent and everything in it” was taken when the council took action at a pro-Palestinian divestment camp last month.

Daemeon, 38, told the Citizen that he has been unable to retrieve any of his belongings and has had to start again “from the ground up”.

He has been sleeping rough for eight months, and had been staying at the protest camp outside Hackney Town Hall for seven weeks – almost the entire time it was in place.

He was initially sleeping on the pavement, but was offered a tent by the campers, who were protesting against the council pension fund’s investments in Israeli arms companies.

“He never asked for anything,” said Lottie, a protester who stayed at the camp a couple nights a week.

“They kept me fed and watered – in exchange, I was the camp security guard,” Daemeon joked.

His alleged eviction took place on the evening of 9 July, following the council’s pension committee meeting, at which chair Cllr Kam Adams announced that divestment would not happen.

Prior to the meeting, the protesters announced that they would wind up the camp that evening, whatever the ruling, and reconsider their tactics.

While the meeting took place, a mass of pro-Palestinian and some pro-Israeli protesters gathered, separated by a wall of police.

“I and some of the other homeless guys staying at the camp had left for the evening to avoid all the noise,” Daemeon explained.

Upon returning, he found “chaos”.

He saw waste enforcement officers going into tents, and when he attempted to retrieve his belongings, he said he was “rushed”.

“They kept telling me to hurry up, hurry up. I grabbed a couple of things, but I lost them again in all the chaos, trying to help other people.”

In his tent, Daemeon had left his phone, Oyster card, bedding and a medley of sentimental items.

He watched on while they were taken away by council waste enforcement officers and security guards.

Lottie said: “When the council workers arrived at the camp, they said they were only taking unaccompanied belongings.

“We explained to them that they’re not ‘unaccompanied’, that we know who they belong to.

“But they told us ‘If they’re not here, then it’s waste’.”

A council spokesperson told the Citizen: “We let the camp dismantle itself and have not removed anyone.

“Anyone present was able to collect their belongings. We have stored belongings for those who weren’t present.

“Waste crews were on hand to clear up any items left behind, which otherwise would have posed a hazard.”

 “We’d had no communication from the council, no notice or warning of their plans,” Lottie said.

“Initially, some police were helping too, but when we questioned the legal grounds for the eviction, they stopped.”

When asked about this, a spokesperson from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) responded: “The MPS was never tasked or asked to work with the council to remove those based at the encampment.

“The MPS was on site to respond to the policing of two separate protest groups – PSC and Enough is Enough. Both groups were undertaking a protest at the venue.

“Officers were at the site until protest groups had dispersed.

“During this time, Hackney Council was also undertaking activity in relation to the protest encampment and, as such, while police were on scene for the protest activity, there were a couple of occasions where police officers walked onto the green area at the front of the Town Hall to prevent a breach of the peace.

“The matter of the encampment is for Hackney Council.”

In a statement, a Hackney Council spokesperson said: “No one was evicted from the camp, which left of its own accord as it announced itself on social media. We are storing belongings that weren’t claimed for people to collect. Our outreach workers are supporting those who are homeless to find accommodation and get support via the Greenhouse Homeless Hub.”

Daemeon and the other rough sleepers and camp members were told their belongings could be retrieved from a depot in London Fields.

They visited the depot, but no-one that the Citizen has spoken with knows anyone who has successfully managed to retrieve anything.

To this accusation, the council responded: “The belongings are being safely stored for those who weren’t present.

“Those wishing to retrieve belongings can contact staff at Hackney Service Centre who will be able to assist.

“We have had direct contact with individuals about collecting their belongings and have provided them with the relevant details in order for them to do so.”

A spokesperson from homelessness charity Streets Kitchen condemned the council’s actions: “We were very disappointed with how Hackney Council dealt with this situation.

“Once again, those experiencing homelessness were let down.

“The council waited until after the protest camp had closed and then immediately and aggressively evicted everyone from the square.

“Tents were ripped out of the ground, and people’s personal belongings were seized.

“This illustrated the disdain with which Hackney Council treats vulnerable people in the borough.

“This was a massively missed opportunity to engage with and support those experiencing homelessness who were welcomed into the camp in a beautiful act of simple solidarity from the Hackney Divest Camp.

“We are still working with most of the people evicted who have lost trust in Hackney’s homeless services.”

Since his eviction from the camp, Daemeon has been given a place at Lea Bridge Hostel through his caseworker at Greenhouse.

The hostel is known as the “cockroach hotel”.

“But it’s more of a cockroach party than a hotel, really,” Daemeon said.

“You don’t get anything at this hostel – no toiletries, no towels, no bedding. I had all that, but it’s gone.”

He continued. “After the camp, I had nothing. I was wounded after the whole thing, I really was. I had to start again from the ground up.

“The campers have been my support system ever since. I’m not sure where I would have been without them.”

Note: This article was amended at 15:00 on Monday 5 August 2024. The original article stated that Hackney Council dismantled the protest camp. This has been removed. The article also stated that Hackney Council evicted someone from the camp, an allegation which it disputes. The article has been amended accordingly.