OVER 1,000 people took to the streets in a loud and colourful march at the weekend to protest against social cleansing.

Groups, including housing campaign Focus E15 and Sisters Uncut, marched and rallied in Stratford, east London, on Saturday over Newham Council’s evictions and moving council tenants further out of the capital.

Exactly 1,000 balloons were released outside Carpenter’s Estate to mark the number of people left homeless by the Labour-run local authority since it prioritised the Olympic Games over residents.

The estate, earmarked for demolition, has been empty for 11 years. The campaigners also marked the second anniversary of Focus E15’s campaign.

Ayesha Taylor, a Focus E15 campaigner from Hackney, told the Star that three tower blocks — with a combined total of 400 flats — on the estate, near the stadium, stand empty.

But the council refuses to let anyone on the long housing waiting list rent them.

Newham Council refurbished multiple floors of flats to let BBC crews use them during the 2012 Games, but has claimed the blocks are too expensive to renovate.

Ms Taylor added: “It’s pretty disgusting that they [the council] are telling people that there is nowhere left for them to live.

“It’s devastating to see families ripped away from their communities and support networks and, without them, people’s mental health becomes more fragile and their lives more precarious.

“It’s a very frightening situation, one that we see the effects of every week during our Saturday street stall campaigning sessions.”

Janelle Brown, from feminist group Sisters Uncut, said the Tory government’s austerity ideology is “cutting off all avenues” for women leaving abusive relationships by imposing housing benefit caps.

She added: “Social housing is a lifeline for those who cannot afford deposits and sky-high rents. The shortage of social housing is a real barrier for women escaping domestic violence and emotional, or financial, abuse. Social housing saves lives and we want to see more of it.”

A survey of 1,500 people by homelessness charity St Mungos found that around 35 per cent of women had slept rough after leaving an abusive relationship.