Tesco back down on anti-homeless spikes

Activists are declaring victory after a campaign against Tesco forced it to remove anti-homeless spikes from its Regent Street store. A protest today is still going ahead to make sure Tesco keeps its promise and does so quickly.

Today at 6pm protesters will be there with sleeping bags, blankets and similar to send a message that using metal spikes to deter rough sleepers is not OK.

WHEN: Today (Thursday 12 June), 6pm-7pm

WHERE: Tesco Metro, 17-25 Regent Street, London SW1Y 4LR (nearest tube Piccadilly Circus)

Bianca Todd of Left Unity said:

“Tesco had tried to distract from the issues here – now they have been forced to back down. Thousands of people have made their feelings known online and this should be a message to any other company thinking of using anti-homeless spikes.

“The campaign to remove all the anti-homeless spikes from everywhere they have been put in continues. We don’t want to live in a society where public space is covered in spikes. Homeless people are not pigeons.

“Instead of leaving people homeless, they should be housed in one of the 700,000 homes currently lying empty in Britain. Homeless people need homes not spikes.”

For more information contact press@leftunity.org

Notes for editors

1. Left Unity is the new party of the left in Britain. Founded in November 2013, it already has over 2,000 members and 50 branches across the country.

2. Tesco has released the following statement:

“Customers told us they were intimidated by anti-social behaviour outside our Regent Street store and we put studs in place to try and stop it.

These studs have caused concern for some who have interpreted them as an anti-homeless measure so we have decided to remove them to address this concern.

We will find a different solution and hope this clears up any confusion.”