Squatters in Mornington Crescent successfully resisted a second eviction attempt on Wednesday [previously on S!N]. In another show of strength and solidarity by London squatters, thirty to forty people turned out against the bailiffs. Banners were dropped opposing the Housing Bill and evictions ‘from London to Calais’ after the recent squat eviction in the French city. Security contractors Clearway Services arrived prematurely to secure the building but were quickly forced back into their van. ‘There’s who-knows how many of them here,’ a contractor reported to his manager, before driving off with the pigs not so far behind.
[Read More]
London: Another Eviction Resistance at the squatted Hope and Anchor
London: Interviews and highlights from Grow Heathrow’s 6th birthday party
London’s most famous eco-squat, Grow Heathrow, celebrates 6 years of inspired resistance. We go along to the party and talk to activists there about their struggles, their successes and our shared future.
Grassroots Takeover radio show: https://soundcloud.com/grassroots-takeover/happy-birthday-grow-heathrow
source: Occupy London http://occupylondon.org.uk/listen-here-to-interviews-and-highlights-from-grow-heathrows-6th-birthday-party/
UK: 6 reasons to support your local squats
Squatting has always been a direct solution to housing need, providing homeless people with immediate free housing that they can have some control over. Squatting has changed over the decades, from taking over entire empty streets neglected by councils in the 1970s to now moving into empty business premises before developers manage to tear them down and throw up yuppie flats in their place.
Changes in the law and attitudes (particularly from property owners who are taking a much greater interest in their empty properties these days), as well as the hyper-gentrification of inner-city neighbourhoods have made it much harder to squat at a time when there is greatest housing need. Solidarity with your local squatters is more important than ever. Here are some of the reasons to support your local squat – and the growth of the wider housing movement – and how to get involved:
[Read More]
London: Pop-up social centre closes
Housing activists occupied the prime property – next to Harrods – to build support for the Kill the Housing Bill demonstration on Sunday 13 March, which saw up to 10,000 people take to the streets in central London.
Radical Housing Network, a network of grassroots housing campaigns, used the empty building – known as “Our House” – to host a community-led week-long programme of workshops, talks and performance in response to London’s housing crisis and its effect on communities. The week of action was reported by the Independent newspaper among others.
[Read More]
London: Occupied community centre in Kensington
Welcome to the OUR HOUSE Pop Up Community Centre!
We have occupied a building in the heart of the most expensive part of London to host a community-led occupation in protest at the Tories Housing Bill, the housing crisis and to highlight the insanity of empty properties when thousands are homeless.
This was a pop-up shop — now it’s a pop-up squat.
* 221 Brompton Road SW3 2EJ * OUR HOUSE *
[Read More]
Forest of Dean: Yorkley Court under attack
Yorkley Court was violently attacked yesterday morning (10/3/16). Previously on S!N
Mainstream media reports an eviction, but here are statements from the group:
16.00 11/3/16
We need more people to reoccupy Yorkley Court. We are facing some thuggish violence on the ground. This is an opportunity to show that people cannot be squashed by money and corruption. Although events yesterday were bad, we have a strong chance to hold onto the land if people try.
We hope that members of the local community will be able to come and give input into how you want the land to be used and defended. Please do not fear them.
[Read More]
London: Squatters of London Action Paper (SLAP!), 2nd edition
Squatters of London Action Paper is a London freesheet for squat news, actions, history and events. Paper copies soon available at Freedom Bookshop in Whitechapel and 56a Infoshop in Elephant and Castle.
SLAP, 2nd edition (page 1, page 2)
Contact: squatterslap [at] riseup [dot] net [Read More]
London: New squatters’ newspaper SLAP released – Interview
Last week a new squatter newspaper, Squatters of London Action Paper (SLAP), debuted online and today physical copies have started to emerge in squats and radical bookshops. Freedom caught up with a few of the authors to discuss the newspaper and squatting in London.
What is SLAP and what is it trying to achieve?
T: There’s been empty space for a squatting publication for a while now. It gives the illusion that there is less squatting activity in London – but this is not the case. SLAP is there to say: ‘There is still radical squatting activity going on in London. Occupations and resistances are happening all the time.’
A: There are loads of anarchist papers but not about squatting even though squatters are always on the front line of the fight for housing, free parties, against fash, whatever. So now there is. Also most of them are proper boring, you fall asleep trying to read them. So we wanted to do something that was a laugh. [Read More]
London: Squatters of London Action Paper (SLAP!), 1st edition
Squatters of London Action Paper is a new London freesheet for squat news, actions, history and events. Paper copies soon available at Freedom Bookshop in Whitechapel and 56a Infoshop in Elephant and Castle.
SLAP, 1st edition (page 1, page 2)
Contact: squatterslap [at] riseup [dot] net [Read More]
London: Eviction Resistance Success at the Hope and Anchor Pub
‘I’m going to call Billy Bragg.’ Despite the promise of one local supporter, the singing socialist did not show at the successful eviction resistance at the Hope and Anchor pub in Mornington Crescent two days ago – but many did. A small mob turned out to resist an eviction by county court bailiffs of squat crew Squatters and Homeless Autonomy, who had occupied the building just before its planned regeneration.
The building, owned by multi-millionaire Oliver Bengough, was initially intended for a mixture of upmarket flats and commercial space. But many in the area believe it will end as extension to Koko – the pricey “independent” music venue next door. This example of gentrification is among many others in Camden. Pubs that served the former working-class population are closed as their customers are priced-out, bought-up or evicted. [Read More]
London: Grow Heathrow’s 6th Birthday, 4-6th March
On March 1st 2010, Transition Heathrow members swooped on an abandoned market garden site in Sipson; one of the villages to be completely tarmacked to make way for a third runway at Heathrow.
6 years later, and Grow Heathrow is still here.
This weekend we’re celebrating this hub of social activity and resistance against Heathrow’s 3rd runway, and the hundreds of you who have made this happen over 6 years.
Come and celebrate with us!
Friday 4th March
3 – 5pm: The Beauty is in the Struggle: Come along to the Sipson mural. Add your hand prints to the many celebrating the beauty that lies in the struggle of Sipson Village. Outside the Zayani restaurant UB7 0HU.
Open Mic Night: Join us in the evening for vegan cuisine and music. Bring your instruments! [Read More]
“London 2016: the terrain of struggle in our city” – Aylesbury Estate and some seeds of resistance
By Some London Foxes.
This is a small contribution towards mapping the terrain of social conflict in London today.
First, it identifies some big themes in how London is being reshaped, looking at: London’s key role as a “global hub” for international finance capital; how this feeds into patterns of power and development in the city; and the effect on the ground in terms of two kinds of “social cleansing” – cleaning out undesirable people, and sanitising the social environment that remains.
Second, it surveys recent resistance and rebellion to this pattern of control including the short-lived “grassroots housing movement” of last winter, the confrontational Aylesbury Estate occupation, anti-raids mini-riots, and some riotous street parties. [Read More]
Radar Online Agenda
