London: Call-out for court solidarity with those arrested at Sweets Way eviction

By: dolph-l - December 14th, 2015  Filed under: News, Press release

JOIN US TO STAND UP AGAINST SOCIAL CLEANSING AND THE CRIMINALISATION OF PEACEFUL PROTEST!

Friday, December 18, 1pm
Willesdon Magistrates Court, (448 High Road, London, NW10 2DZ)

On 23 and 24 of September, the Sweets Way estate was evicted by dozens of High Court bailiffs and 7 vans of London Met police. Nearly a hundred occupiers of dozens of homes were turfed out, as was Mostafa, the last original resident of the estate. Supporters peacefully attempted to stop Mostafa’s eviction, many of whom were arrested. Fifteen now face criminal charges for obstructing High Court Enforcement Officers. [Read More]

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London: Sweets Way Resists, In Support Of Supporting Each Other

By: fawda - October 23rd, 2015  Filed under: Communique, News

In the last week we celebrated the release of the two Sweets Way protesters who have been held on remand since the evictions at Sweets Way on the 23rd and 24th of September. That the magistrates granted bail without the requirement for the two protesters to give their names or any other details is a victory and testament to the moral grounds for resistance against the eviction of the estate.

The campaign has been a tough one for all involved, and it would be wrong to say it has been a picture-perfect example of political resistance the whole time. The campaign is a constantly-evolving thing, and we have all done our best to move with the times as circumstances have changed. With many different groups with different agendas coming to Sweets Way, particularly in the final couple of months, it became difficult to maintain the original image that was portrayed all the way back in February. Certainly there were displays of behaviour that did not sit well with people involved in the campaign or with outside supporters and spectators. [Read More]

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London: Noise demo in solidarity with the Sweets Way prisoners this Saturday – cancelled

By: dolph-l - October 15th, 2015  Filed under: News

Update from Sweets Way Resists 15/10/15: “We can announce that today the 2 protesters were granted bail, and they retain their anonymity! We will therefore not be attending HMP Wormwood Scrubs on Saturday…”

Let’s make some noise for our friends and defenders of the Sweets Way Estate!

During the evictions on the Sweets Way Estate 19 people were arrested. 16 of those were in defence of Mostafa, the last remaining tenant. Despite being a passive resistance, they were arrested for obstructing the high court enforcers. We all believe these arrests were unjust, and 2 of the arrestees have asserted their right to remain anonymous. As a result, the state has incarcerated them, holding them on remand while the police take their time investigating their identities. [Read More]

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London: Sweets Way Resists. Mostafa evicted and prisoner solidarity needed!

By: fawda - September 24th, 2015  Filed under: Communique, News

This morning the violent thugs returned to the estate after yesterday’s brutal Sweetstopia eviction and executed their possession order against Mostafa and his family, the final original residents at Sweets Way. Solidarity actions with those arrested at 6pm.

High Court bailiffs smashed through the window of the room Mostafa was sleeping in, to forcibly remove him from his home today. The eviction leaves the family without a home, unwilling to sign for a property offered by Barnet Homes that he literally can’t get in and out of in his wheelchair. This offer would be enough of an insult, were it not already coming after three years of mistreatment of the family by Barnet Homes. [Read More]

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London: Sweets Way facing estate-wide eviction

By: dolph-l - September 23rd, 2015  Filed under: Communique, News

Support needed at Mostafa’s at 6am Wednesday [24th] for 2nd round of evictions!

After a brutal day, Sweetstopia was evicted, as was the People’s Regeneration Show Home, but Mostafa and the Sweets Way Resists community house remain. We expect bailiffs and police to return tomorrow (Wednesday) morning and need support. Please come to 46 Sweets Way at 6am if you can, to help keep Mostafa in his home! [Read More]

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London: Update from Sweets Way eviction resistance

By: fawda - September 7th, 2015  Filed under: News

There was a second night of clashes between occupiers and security thugs “Dorman & Co” on Saturday night / Sunday morning. One occupier was arrested early on Sunday morning, but released on Sunday afternoon without charge. The situation is tense and occupiers are still expecting a major eviction attempt with riot police that could come any time (from Monday 7 September). More support is welcome.

Meanwhile, Sweets Way campaigners will also accompany Mostafa, the last remaining tenant, to a meeting with the council (Barnet Homes) today at 1PM. See here for details. [Read More]

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London: Sweets Way to the barricades!

By: freedom - September 5th, 2015  Filed under: News
A big showdown is brewing at the Sweets Way estate in Barnet, North London. High court bailiffs and cop reinforcements are preparing to swoop on the estate in a major operation to clear those defending the homes and fighting social cleansing.
Already things have started getting heavy, as a new firm of security thugs (“Dorman & Co”) arrived yesterday and starting attacking people last night.
But the squatters are ready to resist. Numbers are growing, and the heart of the estate is now barricaded off. They are calling for support: get down this weekend to build and reinforce the barricades and prepare for action.
The eviction is expected any time from Monday. Below we post a new call-out from the occupiers. See also thesweetswayresists blog and you can check their twitter account for updates.
 Continue reading →http://wp.me/pIJl9-6OQ
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London: DiY regeneration shows how to solve housing crisis

By: sisulscz - August 31st, 2015  Filed under: essay

We’re told the only solution to the housing crisis is to build more homes. Just whack up enough new build flats and the market will sort itself out and make things a bit more affordable, right? But if you’re a person who’s getting kicked out of a council estate so that it can be flattened and then gentrified, it is in fact the building of houses or yuppy flats that is the cause of your housing crisis, not the solution.
[Read More]

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London: Sweets Way Resists, you win some, you lose some

By: fawda - August 28th, 2015  Filed under: Communique, News

Our community house is now facing imminent eviction, we shut down Barnet Homes for 2 hours, a judge told Barnet Council that they can’t use high court bailiffs against Mostafa, and we were told that ‘no county court bailiffs will touch Sweets Way with a barge pole’!

COMMUNITY HOUSE FACING EVICTION
Thursday began with an early start, prepping for and heading to the courts in Finchley Central in the rain. Our five-month old community occupation was up against a possession order. We knew there was precious little legal defence for our presence in the house, since most judges don’t seem as impressed as us that we have used our occupation to reinforce a powerful community in the face of deliberate attempts to destroy it, but we had to give it a go. [Read More]

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London: Thursday, two key ways to defend Sweets Way

By: fawda - August 26th, 2015  Filed under: Communique, News

We’re fighting in court for our community house at 9am, then doing a lunchtime protest at Barnet Homes to demand decent accommodation for Mostafa and the last family left on Sweets Way. CAN YOU JOIN US?

KEY INFORMATION FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 27:

Sweets Way Resists courtroom solidarity
9am – 12pm
St Marys Court
Regents Park Road, N3
Near Finchley Central tube (Northern Line) [Read More]

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London: Sweets Way Community House Under Threat

By: sisulscz - August 18th, 2015  Filed under: Communique

Sweets Way Resists, one of London’s loudest housing protests, has come under threat, after residents were issued with a possession claim on the campaign’s base, 76 Oakleigh Road North.

The Community House, as number 76 is known, has been a meeting point for evicted families and their supporters for nearly six months. But it is more than that. The Community House is a place of refuge, where parents, and their children, can feel at home amidst a time of great turmoil in their lives. We need your help to prevent this refuge being taken away from the people who so desperately need it.
[Read More]

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London: Bailiffs sent away! Mostafa still at Sweets Way!

By: fawda - August 11th, 2015  Filed under: Communique, News

On Monday, people kept a family from being evicted and pushed a council to reverse the decision that would have left them homeless. But we need to keep up the pressure to keep Mostafa and the family safe.

On Sunday night, many of us didn’t go to sleep. Bailiffs were due at 46 Sweets Way and because we had seen what Mostafa and his family had gone through, and we had seen them failed over and over again by the various systems that are meant to protect them, we knew we needed to prepare with them to stay in their home. [Read More]

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