Activists in London have a tradition of reclaiming abandoned buildings, sometimes to use them as social centers, sometimes for definite periods of mobilization. On the last weekend in May, the latest such center was opened, but this time with a very singular focus.
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London: Palestine Place
A Future for the Occupy Movement? Occupy Our Homes in the US, And People Before Profit in South London
As the Occupy movement signals its reappearance, many observers have been wondering where its focus will be. In fact, even before the coordinated wave of evictions of Occupy camps across the US last November, and the later eviction of Occupy London outside St. Paul’s Cathedral, questions had been raised about where the movement should direct its attentions next, and empty property had arisen as a regular focus.
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London: SQUASH Picnic Attendees facing SOCPA Charges
The following piece has been written by Ashleigh Marsh, one of five currently being prosecuted under SOCPA legislation for her role is taking part at a picnic and sleep-out on the 31st October 2011, in order to visually show the effect that the criminalisation of squatting would have on between 20-50,000 people in England and Wales, ie having to sleep rough. Ashleigh is active in her community, for example working to get a new skateboard park built for local people in Woolwich, one of most deprived areas in London. SQUASH fully support Ashleigh and all the defendants as they face disproportinate charges, from Monday 23rd April, under the draconian and anti-democratic SOCPA law. This is Ashleigh’s story…
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London: 100 police illegally evict social centre
One of London’s largest and most active social centres was evicted Friday morning by around 100 police from the Territorial Support Group. According to reports, occupants were rudely awakened by an unruly mob of riot police breaking the inner door to their sleeping area. As no legal process had been initiated, an old warrant for the building was used as a pretext for the eviction. Occupants were in shock with the latest move by the authorities which allegedly defies nearly all the basic rights for every person to justice, as well as contravening Section 6 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.
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London: Roof top defiance
Early Friday morning, police and bailiffs turned up to evict a row of squatted houses in Dalston lane, but luckily the anti eviction squad was out, in numbers, this time with over 60 people blocking the road and lining the rooftop.
London: Student centre branded terrorist
London students who occupied a space in the run-up to the November 30th public sector strike were under the jurisdiction of the Met’s SO15 Counter Terrorism Command, FITwatch have learned today.
Bloomsbury Social Centre [now evicted] – which aimed to be a “hub of organising for students, workers and residents in the Bloomsbury area” – held regular reading groups, served food, provided a silent study space and workers rights info evenings. SO15 (Counter Terrorism Command) was born in 2006, when SO12 (Special Branch) and SO13 (Anti-Terrorist Branch) were merged. It claims to be committed to “ensure[ing] that London remains a hostile environment for terrorists.” and also polices so-called ‘domestic extremists’
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Occupy London publicly repossesses empty nine-storey building in the Barbican
Occupy London this morning (21/01/12) publicly repossessed Roman House, an abandoned nine-storey office building in the Barbican in the City of London which previously housed companies from the financial service industries. [1] The Occupy London campaigners – part of the global movement for social and economic justice and real democracy – stated that they intend to occupy the building – their fifth occupation – until such time as the City of London Corporation publishes full details of its City Cash Accounts. This is a request that Occupy London has consistently asked off the Corporation, so that it can become a more transparent public body like every other public body in the country. [2] [3]
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London: OffMarket Project Coming To An End
It is with mixed feelings that we announce the end of the offMarket project. We took disused buildings and try to turn them into open resources for the wider community. We started the project with a big collective. Now there are only a few people left in the collective and we can’t carry it anymore as everyone is becoming increasingly tired. We doubt that we will open a new space in the future, but one can never say never.
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London: Occupy liberates abandoned Old St magistrate court
As the LSX occupation prepares to present its case at the High Court yesterday, members of Occupy London alongside a group of military veterans – Occupy Veterans – have liberated a disused court house in London’s East End. The opening of Occupy London’s fourth occupation, will see the movement conducting “trials of the one per cent” in an abandoned magistrate’s court building which has lain empty since 1996, despite its prime location and grade II listing. [1]
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London: Social Centre Raided
The Peckham Social Centre has been going for two months now and has held fundraisers and community events. It’s a squatted space with attempts to make a deal with the owners and has become a hub of activity in South London with the space lovingly transformed into a functioning social centre from a derelict warehouse.
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Occupy London ‘repossesses’ multi-million pound bank offices
First building for the economic justice campaigners as they occupy third space in borough of Hackney, alongside existing spaces in the City of London and borough of Islington.
The new ‘Bank of Ideas’ will open to public this Saturday. Offices and meeting rooms will be available for those that have lost their nurseries, community centres and youth clubs due to savage Government spending cuts.
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London: Defend Grow Heathrow
On Thursday 17th November 2011 Transition Heathrow’s squatted community garden project ‘Grow Heathrow’ will be heading back to court. Despite no support from the local community, the local council and the local MP, the owners of the land at Grow Heathrow are going ahead with a third attempt to remove us from the site.
They trashed the land.
They were evicted by the council.
We cleared 30 tonnes of their rubbish.
We planted vegetables, fixed bikes and provided community space.
They want to evict us.
We want to stop them. [Read More]
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