Campaigners blocked private security from shutting the indoor Shopping Village on 31 March
By Judy Cox
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Wednesday 08 April 2026
Save Ridley Road (Pic: Save Ridley Road on facebook)
The fight is on to save Ridley Road Market in Dalston, east London.
Campaigners blocked private security from shutting the indoor Shopping Village on 31 March.
They faced down the security for an hour, then occupied the building. Security had to leave as the crowd celebrated. Police were called to the confrontation but dismissed it as a civil matter.
Campaigners are determined to keep the occupation going. Local MP Diane Abbott joined them on Saturday to give them her support.
She told Socialist Worker, “It is important to support the campaign. “These people are fighting not just for their livelihoods but against the gentrification of Hackney and the driving out of the original residents.”
Green Party mayoral candidate Zoe Garbett has been involved in the fight to save the market for years. She told Socialist Worker, “The shopping village is important to the market.
“There’s an eco-system in the market between the shopping village, the shops and the street market.”
The north end of Ridley Road Shopping Village has been labelled as a “development opportunity site” in a Hackney Council report.
Danny, who has been an active member of the campaign for eight years, told Socialist Worker about the next steps.
He said, “We are making sure that the building is secure, so people can come down and support the campaign. You can come for a few hours, or stay overnight.
“We are putting pressure on the landlord to meet the traders’ demands for secure tenancies and to recognise existing tenancies. And we want affordable rent.
“The other dimension is Hackney Council. The council offered to take over the lease in 2022 and refurbish the building.
“The landlord wants to kick everyone out and have a ‘reset’. Any regeneration has to be in the interests of people who are already here.
“We want the community to own its own assets.”
The Shopping Village is owned by Larochette Real Estate, an offshore private developer based in the British Virgin Islands.