Members of the public order police unit arrived on the scene after tyres and tree branches were set alight in the middle of the road in Genesis Street, at the stop street leading into Rosedale.
Emotions were running high with protesters loudly airing their disdain about an eviction notice served on them on Friday by the George Municipality. The notice stated that they were living illegally on erf 52 in the Rosedale transition camp and had to be off the land by 21 July.
Efforts by Sergt Clive Papers to stop children from rolling still more tyres onto the fire were in vain.
Councillor Henry Jones arrived on the scene at about 09:20 and explained that the municipality is providing housing to applicants according to the waiting list on which 17 000 people are registered.
He said 500 people are living in the transition camp in Rosedale legally. The persons who received notices to move off the land, are apparently family members and some others. They are occupying 24 empty plots in the camp illegally.
He said the legal residents comprise 80 people over the age of 60 who suffer from medical conditions, who were identified as priority citizens, and the other 420 are from the housing waiting list.
Jones requested that a delegation from the disgruntled community be at the municipality at 16:00 this afternoon for discussions with the mayor.
After he had finished his message, police warned over a megaphone that everyone had 10 minutes to leave the scene, and the fire truck was brought closer. The crowd thinned out unwillingly and the police eventually used the fire hose only to clean the road.
Watch a video below now.
The man who was pointed out as the squatters' spokesperson, Jefferey September said there are about 30 people who live on the plots. He said they had nowhere else to go and felt that the municipality should provide alternative accommodation if they have to leave erf 52.
Some of the protesters told the George Herald that they are originally from different areas in George and have been on erf 52 for about a year. One man said he was from Cape Town and came to George because his family has a business here.
Two GO GEORGE buses parked at the side of the road and were delayed for more than two hours. However, residents from Rosedale were allowed to pass the scene on foot.
The buses were only let through once the police had cleaned the road with water from the fire truck.
Police on the scene.
* Following the protest action today, the George Municipality has announced that all GO GEORGE services to Rosedale are temporarily suspended until further notice.
ARTICLE AND VIDEO: ALIDA DE BEER, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
PHOTOS: HENRICA VELDMAN, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
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