Law-abiding renters 'forcibly and violently' evicted from home in Waterford over weekend

People Before Profit has released an official statement condemning the actions that took place in Waterford this past weekend which saw law-abiding renters forcibly evicted from their home.

The statement reads:

Waterford People Before Profit activists were present in Queens Terrace on Saturday September 9 to show their support for two workers facing an illegal eviction.

An individual acting on behalf of the landlord along with a group of heavies, violently carried out this eviction, attempting to forcibly remove those inside without a valid eviction notice. Both tenants had no complaints filed against them and were typical, law-abiding renters who were evicted in a "no-fault" scenario.

The Gardaí arrived and proceeded to assist in carrying out the unlawful eviction while refusing to take statements from the tenants. Furthermore, the Gardaí later arrested an activist who had come to support the tenant, citing section 6 of the 1994 Public Order Act, all the while cursing at our members and other activists present at the scene.

People Before Profit Waterford unequivocally condemns the actions of the individual acting on behalf of the landlord, the accompanying group of heavies and the Gardaí in their illegal and forceful eviction of working-class tenants who had simply exercised their rights as tenants and lodged a complaint to the Residential Tenants Boards (RTB).

According to an email from Threshold to the tenants, it was stated that the tenants had "no obligation to move out", confirming the illegality of this eviction.

We extend our full solidarity to the tenants, who now find themselves without a home as a result of this eviction. It is vital for communities to prevent such occurrences in the future, and it is necessary to see tenants organised under organisations such as CATU (Community Action Tenants Union).