Deputy district dickhead (and judge) “Hang ’em” Mills last week gave an enthralling lesson in British justice to supporters of the Squat the Slope occupation, which was in court in Brighton to fight an IPO (the fast track possession claim). The squat has been there for almost a month, fighting a fantastic struggle against the university’s megalomaniac plans to turn all students into consumerbots.
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Brighton: Court update
Brighton, UK: Park Village Social Centre
As a result of the inadequacies of Sussex University, we – the supporters of the Squat the Slope occupation have taken it upon ourselves to begin creating the spaces that we wish to see on our own campus, and we invite all students, staff and university workers to join us! We have squatted the Park Village Social Centre – one of the many buildings doomed to demolition in the construction of West Slope, and we have opened the space as a radical and inclusive learning centre for all. All week we will be hosting radical workshops and events (for more info, find us on Instagram @squattheslope), and welcoming everyone to participate, hosting events and creating the change that they want to see on campus! Moreover, we intend to construct our own model for a student assembly, in order to present this framework to the Sussex University management, in line with our 3rd demand. Presented with the failings of the University management in this era of climate breakdown and social crises, we believe the future of Sussex campus must be taken into student hands.
All power to the students!
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Brighton: Using Space 15 about the squats of London Road
Using Space is a zine about squats, social centres and alternative ways of living
Recent (2020) squats in Brighton on the short stretch of London Road which goes from St. Peters Church up to Preston Circus led me to reflect on this area’s incredibly active radical history. To focus on just one element, let’s walk past the sites of former squats on London Road …
This is a 28 page zine which is presented A4 sized and can be easily printed brochure to make a A5 zine. Download here or at cobblebooks.
UK: Don’t believe the hype. Evictions continue despite moratorium
The ban is a lie. Despite the UK government declaring a “complete ban on evictions” due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in the last 24 hours an autonomous homeless shelter in Brighton and an occupied space in Peckham have been illegally evicted by people claiming to be bailiffs, allegedly with the full support and cooperation of the Sussex and Metropolitan police officers in attendance.
The government’s no evictions claim is really just the abdication of due process and the scant judicial protections formerly afforded to tenants, squatters and the under-class in general.
Get ready. The bailiffs and their bosses are taking the law into their own hands, with the police in full support. [Read More]
Brighton: Another illegal eviction
Yesterday (1 April) the DiY Kodak Collective (previously on S!N) were again illegally evicted from a building. This is the second time in a week. This time it was a squatted basement flat, part of the complex which used to be the Hostelpoint at Pool Valley coach station in central Brighton.
Three men claiming to be the owners came by at noon to threaten violence unless the squatters left by 9am on 2 April. They then came back at 7pm the same day with a sledgehammer and smashed their way in. While they did so, a passerby flagged down a police car. Instead of arresting the angry men brandishing a sledgehammer, the police entered the squat, quoting PACE 17 which is complete nonsense. The legal warning was on the door stating that anyone using force to enter was breaking the law. No-one wanted to stay and wait for more violence to come, so we decided to leave.
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UK: Evictions held over, hotels for the homeless — Covid is upending housing
The legal situation has been changing so rapidly that even full-timers are struggling to keep up, but with the introduction of Practice Direction 51Z it looks like eviction proceedings are finally off the table for now and we have time to take stock of what is now utterly uncharted territory in British housing.
Minutes after I’d finished an article regarding the situation regarding squats and ongoing evictions in Britain the information became outdated, as emergency procedural changes were brought in by the government, in theory protecting everyone, squatters, renters, and the street homeless, from the risks of being out on the streets during this period. Let’s explore what each of these measures might realistically mean.
Up until this moment, the government had promised a three-month breather for mortgage repayments, and then – under pressure – caved and stated that tenants who fail to pay rent will be protected from eviction for the next three months. This does not mean a lot in practice, as the rent still needs to be paid, and agreements for doing so settled on. [Read More]
Brighton: Police and security firm evict people onto the streets in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic
Police and security guards have evicted a squatted homeless shelter, throwing people onto the streets as the coronavirus pandemic takes over the UK. The unbelievable eviction came one day after the government announced that people will be fined for not observing orders to stay at home.
The eviction also took place just before the government announced that it has asked all local authorities to house rough sleepers.
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Brighton: Squatted Night Shelter update
Hello friends,
We’re sorry for being so quiet lately. In case you were wondering, we wanted to let you know that this project is still going. We currently have a building where people are being housed, although, for now at least, we are keeping its location private for the safety of those of us who live there and in the hope of keeping the building for longer.
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Brighton: DIY Kodak Update
Apologies for the delayed update – the past couple of days have been busy! For everyone wondering how the eviction went, we just wanted to let you know that we have managed to find some temporary storage solutions and no one has ended up back out in the streets.
As ever, we fully intend intend to keep this project going and will keep you updated about our next steps.
Watch this space…
With love and solidarity,
The DIY Kodak Collective
Brighton: Direct action to prevent deaths on the streets
A squatted night shelter in Brighton is housing homeless people. The Canary visited the squat and spoke to residents about the project.
Back in December 2019, people in Brighton called an emergency meeting to discuss how to act in solidarity with those facing life on the streets. The initiative was taken by Brighton’s Queer AF anti-fascist alliance and other grassroots groups.
Soon, activists took control of an empty Kodak shop on Brighton’s London Road and began using it to house rough sleepers. This week, the group squatted another unused building: the old Poundstretcher building on London Road.
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Brighton: Don’t despair, organise! DIY Kodak Collective squatted night shelter
London Road in Brighton is a clear example of the austerity crisis in Britain. The road is lined with closed businesses and people in every doorway. On Christmas Eve, a group of community activists opened the doors to a squatted night shelter with a sign that read “Room at the Inn”, inviting rough sleepers to get warm over the Christmas week. The DIY Kodak Collective, named after the photography shop that used to be there, is still holding the shelter weeks later – as well as space for people to sleep, there are daily communal meals, a place to create art and a free shop. The building has become somewhere safe, warm and creative for homeless people to escape the winter weather, socialise and sleep, and, as it is a DIY shelter, people are able to exercise their own autonomy when it comes to using the space.
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Brighton: Squatted Night Shelter
As Brighton becomes more glamorous and sparkles in the shop windows cost like gold, the city is only managing to house the rich and the privileged. There are too many buildings on our streets which have been left empty, dilapidating and neglected by selfish landlords who are apparently blind to the hundreds of people sleeping in bags outside of these doorsteps. Brighton has the second worst amount of homeless to London, and the council cannot seem to do anything about it.
We have scrubbed up + loved up one of these empty buildings to make an emergency shelter for people who would otherwise sleep outside. There is room for 10 people to stay at night and downstairs there is a soup kitchen!
Please spread the word about the space to friends seeking shelter.
Any donations will be accepted gratefully, and here are some photos of the accommodation.
Facebook – DIY Kodak Collective: Squatted Night Shelter
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