London: Time to defend Sweetstopia!

CAN YOU COME VISIT THIS WEEK?

Shortly after we began our occupation of the estate (news here and here and here), some other occupiers emerged on the scene. At first we had some tensions, but gradually we have come to see eye-to-eye on the need to keep our homes from being destroyed, in spite of any differences.
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London: Sweets Way Resists, our occupation turned 4 months old today…

Today marks 4 months since our occupation began. It seemed like a good time to go down memory lane and have a look at how it all started…
Firstly however we would like to thank amazing Focus E15 Mothers, Barnet Housing Action Group, Our West Hendon, and all the other extraordinary selfless individuals. Their commitment to help people, and pure spirit made it all happen, and they were there through tears and laughter. We would never be able to thank them enough- they are truly inspirational.
We would also like to thank YOU ALL for your amazing support and heartwarming messages.
We are all so grateful for your ongoing support. Please continue to do so, after all, we all need homes… [Read More]

London: Grow Heathrow successfully resists bailiffs

At 10:00 this morning (July 8) the land owner plus 5/6 bailiffs arrived to evict the residents of Grow Heathrow, threatening to break entry. Residents locked themselves to structures and climbed to higher ground. The police arrived, explaining to the bailiffs they were woefully unequipped to enforce an eviction. Indeed they were. Moreover, Inspector David George from the Heathrow Villages Area Police confirmed to us that as no official documentation regarding a warrant for the eviction was presented to Grow Heathrow or the police, the attempt to evict the site was unlawful.
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London: Elephant & Castle pub squatted

[From press] The Elephant & Castle pub at the corner of Newington Causeway and New Kent Road has been occupied by squatters.
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Runnymede Ecovillage (UK): Callout for eviction resistance

Runnymede Eco Village lost the appeal in court yesterday, so now we’re waiting for papers to tell us our eviction date. This site of 24 acres (approx) has been squatted for 3 years [2012 update] and is home to around 40 permanent residents, including families with young children and vulnerable people.

We need your ideas for eviction resistance! We are in a forest, so lots of trees. There is a fence around the site with only three points of entry for us, so expect these to be blocked as soon as we’re off. (security can, sadly, still access the site at the top by the old buildings, and it would be impossible to fence them out).
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Brighton: Radical Bank communique2

So today [open day june 15] was a roaring success!

We hosted various workshops throughout the day from first-aid to digital security. We curated various film exhibitions from local artists and activists. We were able to provide free vegan food all day, and all manner of artwork was created to adorn the space. All in all we received overwhelming support for our ongoing project and with much respect and gratitude we would like to thank everybody for the time and energy devoted, it was truly beautiful to see so many people interacting with the space we have worked so hard to make safe, available and free for everybody to enjoy!
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Brighton: Radical Bank

I am writing on behalf of The Radical Bank of Brighton & Hove. We are a diverse group of people who have come together partly in response to the deprivations of the austerity measures enacted by European governments. We refuse to accept their claims that austerity is necessary, indeed, we understand that it has done nothing to improve economic health. Instead, we recognise that this current economic regime has only resulted in impoverishment and misery; it is a means of weakening the public infrastructures relied on by so many, for the purposes of privatization and profit. We refuse to watch as our future is sold to the highest bidder. In response, we have recently reclaimed an abandoned building on 1 Preston Road, in Brighton, previously used as a bank.
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Camden: Queer punx squat Black Cap

Taken from Gay Star News

‘It’s not exclusively about gay rights or sexuality,’ explains George from the doorstep of his current abode on 171 Camden High Street. ‘For most people it’s about finding a home. We don’t want to be homeless…’

London’s gay scene is still reeling from the shock closure of Camden’s Black Cap – one of the capital’s most iconic gay taverns – in April. So much so, protestors are still holding vigils outside it every Saturday. But the latest chapter in the building’s colorful history could prove the most compelling yet.
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Peterborough Squatters Autonomy Updates

Peterborough Squatters Autonomy (PSA) is a Peterborough Collective of Squatter & Activists working to combat the state and highlight homeless in the city.

Here are some recent updates:
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London: Mayday for the Squatters and Homeless Autonomy

Bailiffs, in almost identical uniform as cops, illegally smashed into Parker Street squat and evicted us yesterday. We had previously managed to defended our selves from security thugs who were trying to force entry and deny access to the building. We had held our own and reclaimed access after a scuffle. Cops were called (not by us) and eventually one bailiff was arrested after assaulting a comrade. However, the cops were more than happy to allow the security thugs to hide their identification even though this is against the law and the legislation was spelled out clearly for them. We thought cops were good at following orders!? During this commotion the wanna be cops bailiffs smashed down doors around the back of the building and illegally stole the building from us. Parker Street building has been restored to an empty building, aka a dust collector. To add insult to injury the bailiffs stole some of our possessions. Our Neal Street, Covent Garden squat was also evicted, earlier in the morning, and the cops arrested one of our SHA comrades, on false charges, resulting in another empty dust collecting building. An addition two SHA comrades were arrested that night, again on false charges, and have now been released as has the former arrestee. [Read More]

Liverpool (UK): Occupiers of Bank of England building turned homeless shelter make demands

We make this document a Statement of Intent regarding the old Bank of England building on Castle Street, Liverpool. The intentions are as follows to feed, cloth and help all those who seek it and for the local community to help resource this project.

We intend to use this building for the community, to inspire a feeling of community, which is lacking.

We do this in direct response to a local council and government who are lacking in their efforts to help those in need and in fact, the local Council and government seem intent on making matters worse for the people by putting more and more austerity measures in place.
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Reclaim Brixton (UK): the mob is rising

Saturday 25th in Brixton was a great day out. Thousands came together, took the streets, attacked a few symbols of state and corporate oppression, and had a full on party in the South London sunshine. It was certainly not a riot or “great insurrekshon” 1980s style, but it was much more than a tame picnic on the lawn.

During the afternoon there were several bursts of activity, as the mob repeatedly surged out from the official “Reclaim Brixton” meeting point at Windrush Square into the A23 main road, blocking the traffic to dance up through town. At various points: [Read More]