Save Ridley Road Shopping Village

Traders in the Ridley Road Shopping Village have been fighting eviction for almost a decade. 

They have beaten unlawful eviction notices, planning applications and managed decline. Through it all, they have continued to represent a hub of predominantly black businesses, offering culture and life to underserved communities in Hackney and beyond.   

On 31 March, some traders along with the community peacefully resisted attempts by security to close the market. They now have weeks at most to prepare and finance a court case for their right to stay.  

 A community occupation is helping them keep the space running. 

This community fundraiser will allow traders to take their fate in their own hands, by defending their tenancy rights in court. It will show them that Hackney is behind them and that we believe in their right to exist. It is one essential component of a wider campaign against gentrification, displacement, and contempt for Hackney’s own heritage. 

For almost a decade, Save Ridley Road have said: Ridley Road is the beating heart of Hackney. 

Ridley Road is an eco-system. A threat to one part of the road has knock-on effects for ALL. 

Please donate to this legal defence fundraiser. Every penny counts and will go towards securing the future of the parts of our borough that we value most.

Funds raised will primarily be any legal costs involved in a court defence of traders’ tenancy rights. Secondary expenditures will be on equipment needed to sustain the occupation.