Police raid on 21 July 2023 in the Indoor Market leaves Traders intimidated and in shock! Still, traders keep their businesses going in spite of prolonged building works
Read more here:
3 August 23 - "Anger over 'traumatising' police raid at Ridley Road Market" in: Hackney Gazette
2 August 23 - "Anger over 'traumatising' police raid at Ridley Road Market" in: Times Series
27 July 23 - "Ridley Road, Hackney: Mass police raid ‘traumatising’ say traders, as police say ‘cannabis and knives’ seized" - in: London World
26 July 23 - Save Ridley Road's Press Release
Urgent questions after massive police raid on Ridley Road Shopping Village
At 4 p.m., Friday 21 July, police conducted a large raid of Ridley Road Shopping Village, handcuffing and searching traders and customers and confiscating large sums of money. Traders report a minimum of 50 officers were involved in the operation, making it one of the largest to take place on Ridley Road in recent memory. The search of their shops and storage spaces continued for four hours. Police confiscated small quantities of cannabis, but also traders’ phones, laptops and money, including rent money due to the Shopping Village landlord the next day. One trader had a piggy bank of small change that he used to save for holidays confiscated. Arrested traders were given no receipts for money and goods taken by police, and have been told to report back to Stoke Newington Police Station in October. They report that the attending officers stated that Hackney Council has been pushing for the raid ‘since March’.
Concerns about the background to the raid
The police raid comes at an important moment for the Shopping Village. Hackney Council is soon to take over the lease for the ground floor retail units. It is currently debating with traders the terms on which they will rent their shops from the Council. Local campaign groups have raised questions about the timing of the raid and the manner in which it was conducted. Save Ridley Road member Danny Hayward said,
“The suggestion that the Council has been pushing for a major police intervention in the Shopping Village is alarming. This needs to be seen in the context of its attempt to get traders who have been trading there for many years, to give up their existing rights and accept licences with no security of tenure and 250 regulations controlling the conduct of their businesses. At best it is bad timing; at worst it is a form of harassment. The Council need to clarify their role in the raid, and Hackney police need to disclose the terms of their application for a search warrant and provide traders with receipts for all money and goods that have been confiscated.”
One of the traders described their treatment as “intimidating, disrespectful and traumatising”.
26 August 22: Watch 'Ridley Road Shopping Village - Traders fight for their livelihoods'
25 August 22: Ridley Road Shopping Village Traders speak to Diane Abbott MP about current situation with Hackney Council
We are asking for #1 ALL EXISTING TRADERS TO HAVE PRIORITY IN SELECTING UNITS IN REFURBISHED SHOPPING VILLAGE
#2 LEASES AND NOT LICENSES #3 RENTS NOT LINKED TO CPI INDEX. #4 CONSULTATIONS WITH CURRENT TRADERS.
20 August 22: Protest & Solidarity with Ridley Road Shopping Village Traders
OPEN Dalston clearly lays out what has happened so far, published on 17 AUGUST 2022:
Ridley Road Shopping Village traders given 4 days to get out
Ridley Road Shopping Village traders were shocked and dismayed today to learn that their off-shore landlord, Larochette Real Estate Inc., requires them to vacate their shops in the covered market by Saturday 20th August. None of them have anywhere else to continue their businesses, store their stock or earn a living.
READ MORE... on http://opendalston.blogspot.com/
Hackney Gazette reported on 17 AUGUST 2022:
Left in limbo – traders face silence as lease deadline looms
Traders whose leases end on Saturday are fearful of an uncertain future ahead of refurbishment works.
Traders at Ridley Road Shopping Village, Dalston, have previously been told that they will face "no significant disturbance" while the site is refurbished.
Earlier this year they were given notices to leave by August 20 by Larochette Real Estate Inc, with the council, which will ultimately take on the shopping centre, saying they will be given new leases in the units being created.
No new leases have yet appeared.
With work due to begin on Saturday, traders say they do not know what is happening.
READ MORE... on https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/ridley-road-shopping-village-redevelopment-9215228