1. Brent Council locks the public out of Council meeting in response to Counihan family protests Counihan campaign supporters arrived at the public meeting of Brent Council meeting on 19-11 to be greeted by crash barriers, hired security guards and the police in attendance, all to keep our supporters out of a public session of Brent Council. Brent Housing’s latest advice to the family of five children who were all born in Brent , is that they should go and live in an empty field in the West of Ireland and that Anthony Counihan should commute from Galway to his work as a bus driver in Cricklewood. The Counihan campaign are calling on Brent Council to reinstate Housing Benefit for the Counihans to assist them with social housing and to set a budget which meets the needs of local people in Brent and to not impose a further £100 million of cuts in Brent. Brent had turned the Town Hall into a people free zone in response to our previous protest when we had sung “ You can’t kick this family out of Brent “. Counihan supporters had intended a silent protest holding up posters but we and other campaigners from Brent Fightback were denied entry to the public session of Brent Council . Sarah Counihan aged 15 handed this letter to Muhammed Butt leader of Brent Council after being forcibly prevented from attending the council meeting. “I think it’s very unjust that myself and my immediate family were not allowed into the meeting. (Apologies for the writing my hand is cold!) Our plan for tonight's meeting was to sit in silence. The meeting was disrupted last week as we are never listened to. We have rights to ask to be put on the agenda and we are always denied this We have stayed out in the cold trying to get to talk to you or a councillor. Our emails are still being ignored and this is not right. We have an Early Day Motion submitted by John McDonnell, because we feel it’s hard to be listened to by Brent council, so we had to go the extra mile to he heard. Thank you for reading. A response would mean a lot, as we would feel we have gotten some where. Many thanks, Sarah Counihan-Sanchez” 2. Great Support for the Counihan Campaign at benefit night in Prince Of Wales, Kilburn Park The people of Kilburn showed their support for the Counihan Campaign on Friday 23-11 at a benefit in the Prince Of Wales, Kilburn Park where we raised £259 for the campaign. The entertainment was organised by Sarah Counihan, 15 the Queen’s Park Community School band played two great sets Lucia Sanchez danced two jigs and Carol and Donna did a great job on the raffle. We certainly have some talented young people in Kilburn and it was a lovely night at the Prince Of Wales. 3. Future Counihan Campaign Events Sat 1/12/12 1pm - Demonstration on Kilburn High Road to South Kilburn Estate. Housing for the Counihans! No cuts in Brent! Assemble Kilburn Tube 1pm. All supporters and organisations welcome . Thursday 6th December 6.30 pm- Counihan Campaign Public meeting at 55 Chichester Road, Kilburn, London NW6 5QW. All welcome.I attach the new leaflet for our events on the 1st and 6th http://www.scribd.com/doc/114270652/Counihan-6th-Dec-Leaflet We are on Facebook: Counihan Battlebus You can support the Counihan Family Campaign by making a Paypal donation at http://tinyurl.com/counihan-donate Jim McIntyre 07958 157392 -- Regards Jim