Powerful Southall Residents Unite in Protest to Highlight the failings of Ealing Council

Southall witnessed a major community uprising yesterday as more than 250 residents gathered outside RISE at Southall Town Hall in a passionate protest against what they describe as a reckless, unassessed, and community ignored decision by Ealing Council.

This was not a routine demonstration.

It was a raw, emotional, explosive outpouring from a community that feels abandoned, with some residents breaking down in tears as they described what daily life in Southall has become.

Southall’s Position:
“We Are NOT Against RISE — We Are Against Being Sacrificed.”
One message echoed throughout the protest:
Residents are NOT against RISE.
Residents are NOT against treatment services.
Residents believe vulnerable people MUST be supported.
Southall has a long and proud history of compassion, community solidarity, and supporting those in need.
The anger is not directed at people seeking help, it is directed at the decision makers who placed a high pressure service in a neighbourhood already overwhelmed by crime.

Without:
Consultation
Impact assessment
Safeguards
Transparency
Any meaningful engagement with residents.

Residents stressed that supporting vulnerable people and protecting the community are not mutually exclusive and Southall deserves both.

Residents delivered harrowing accounts of what they witness every single day, testimonies that paint a picture of a neighbourhood under siege:
People openly smoking crack on residential streets, metres from children.
A mother describing how her arms were held back while her child’s scooter was being stolen in front of her.
Men urinating openly on pavements, alleyways, residential doorsteps and near shopfronts.
Parents forced to walk their children past open drug use, violence, and intimidation during the school run.
A 12‑year‑old boy robbed at knifepoint, the blade held to his throat as his scooter was taken.
Elderly residents saying they are now too afraid to enter Southall Park, where groups of drug users gather daily and in large numbers.

These testimonies were not isolated.
They formed a consistent pattern of fear, humiliation, and deteriorating public safety.
Residents described a neighbourhood where families feel unsafe, children are exposed to violence, and elderly people are effectively trapped indoors.

“Southall Is Already Overloaded.”
Residents emphasised that Southall has been absorbing disproportionate pressure for years:

High levels of street crime.
Persistent anti‑social behaviour.
Drug related activity near schools and shops
Lack of visible enforcement.
Insufficient investment in safety infrastructure.
Repeated decisions made without community consultation.
The relocation of RISE into Southall Town Hall without a full impact assessment is seen as the final straw.
Residents argued that the council has repeatedly failed to recognise the cumulative impact of these pressures, and that placing an additional high needs service in the centre of Southall without safeguards is irresponsible and dangerous.

A powerful speech was delivered by Herpreet Nirwal who asked the question about the RISE relocation at the last full council meeting. A question which Mr Nirwal believes wasnt answered properly.
Speaking with controlled fury and deep love for Southall, Nirwal articulated what many residents have been carrying silently:
That Southall is being treated as a dumping ground for risk.
That decisions are being made about Southall without ever involving the people who live here.
That families are walking their children past drug use and violence.
That elderly residents feel abandoned
That Southall deserves safety AND compassion not one at the expense of the other.

One of the most powerful moments came from a young Southall teenager, who stepped forward and delivered a speech that stunned the crowd into silence.
He spoke about:
Fearing for his safety when walking to school.
Being forced to navigate streets where drug use and violence are visible.
The real risk of grooming, explaining how drug dealers target vulnerable children, offering “protection,” money, or belonging.
The pressure young boys feel when approached by older men involved in criminal activity.
The fear that saying “no” could make them a target.
His message was clear:
Southall’s children are being exposed to dangers no child should ever face. Residents described his speech as “heartbreaking,” “brave,” and “the truth adults don’t want to admit out loud.”

One detail overshadowed everything else:

None of Southall’s elected Labour councillors attended.
Residents described their absence as:
“A public abandonment”
“A slap in the face”
“Proof that Southall is not being listened to”
Their absence was felt sharply, especially as residents stood outside Town Hall crying while recounting violence, drug use, and fear on their own streets.
In stark contrast, Hanwell Broadway councillor Clare Welsby attended, listened, and engaged directly with residents, a gesture widely appreciated.

A Peaceful Uprising; But a Line Has Been Drawn.

Despite the intensity of the testimonies, the protest remained peaceful, organised, and dignified.
But the message was explosive:
Southall will not accept decisions made without consultation, without assessment, and without any regard for the community already living with disproportionate harm.
Residents demanded:
A full impact assessment.
Transparent communication from Ealing Council.
Meaningful consultation with Southall residents.
Immediate safety and enforcement measures.
An end to treating Southall as a convenient solution for borough wide problems.

Southall Has Reached Its Limit. Yesterday was not symbolic, it was not polite, it was not a request.

It was a warning.

Southall has been abandoned for too long.
Residents made it clear: they will not be ignored again.

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