This is an open letter to everyone, who has been excited, disappointed, confused, concerned, etc about what is happening with the physical space that will become the Cuts Cafe. My name is Peter, I am a member of the space team who have been working day and night for the past two weeks in order to try and find a building that meets the criteria of size, accessibility, location, and security. In the last fourteen days we have scouted around forty buildings in areas such as Elephant and Castle, The City of London, Holborn, and Mayfair; opened and internally expected around 10, and fully squatted and prepared 2; most of us have slept less than 4 hours in every 24.
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London: Cuts Cafe
London: Hobo Hilton
Around 50 activists have occupied a disused BT building in High Holborn in Central London, and renamed it the HOBO HILTON. It is billed as a free space open platform for education, creativity, revolutionary work groups and activities.
Lots of fotos at http://www.demotix.com/news/1484395/hobo-hilton-opens-its-doors-central-london#media-1484208
UK: The First Squatter Is Jailed
This afternoon, on my way back from a disturbing bike ride around Mayfair, where money is almost literally oozing out of every orifice of those who find it easier than ever to enrich themselves at the expense of society as a whole, I arrived back at Charing Cross, to catch the train back to south east London, where I was confronted by the front page of the Evening Standard announcing, “London Squatter First to Be Jailed,” which threw me into an angry depression.
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London: Successful eviction resistance
The forces of darkness descended on the peaceful, commercial Hackney property this morning in order to carry out their wrong doing. They were met, however, by a rather large crowd who stood their ground and defended the fact that everyone has a right to a home. The 20 occupants of Dove Row remain in their home despite the wishes of capitalist property developers. Viva la resistance – homes for all!!
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London: Friern Barnet Library Reclaimed
On the 5th of September Occupiers and members of the local community in North London reclaimed the Friern Barnet Library after it had its doors closed in April by the council this year due to public sector cuts. The library is now declared liberated, occupied and reopened to the public. Although today the council served an eviction notice. [Read More]
Brighton: First arrests under squatban
The first known arrests over the new squatting law happened today.
Three squatters occupying a commercial property in Brighton, who were using the upstairs residential area as an un-lived in social centre, were arrested after a seven hour standoff. The two rooftop occupiers vanished into thin air!
There are also unconfirmed reports of arrests in Somerset.
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Birmingham: Homeless campaigners squat council house
Birmingham Tenants & Homeless Action Group have occupied an abandoned council house with the intention of handing it over to a homeless person. They’ve contacted the council and demanded that they put the property back into use as low cost social housing and then do the same with the other nearly 12,000 empty properties around the city. Otherwise they have said that despite changes to the law on squatting they will continue with occupations of the other empty properties with the intention of handing them over to the homeless. With 11,924 empty properties, the highest rate of homelessness in the country and an estimate by city planners that Birmingham is currently short of 11,000 affordable homes, putting the abandoned houses back into use is the only logical step
London: Yet another unlawful eviction
With hours left before squatting in a residential property became illegal; a Territorial support group backing up enforcement officers smashed their way into a residential property in Dalston yesterday and unlawfully evicted the building of its many residents.
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UK: Legal challenge to new squatting law
This post is by Leigh Day & Co legal firm who are coordinating the legal challenge and was originally posted on their blog here…
A mother of four from Wales is taking legal action challenging the new anti-squatting legislation, coming into force today (1 September 2012), in a bid to stay in the house she has lived in for 11 years with her children.
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England & Wales: Fuck the fucking fuckers
It looks like the squatban will come in on September1 (here’s pretty incontrovertible evidence).
This is .. surprising since there was a silence for a while.
This is … exciting because now there’s going to be some action.
This is … sad because people are probably going to lose their homes and derelict buildings reclaimed for housing are now going to be returned to emptiness.
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Bristol: Illegal eviction
There has been an illegal eviction tonight by Avon & Somerset police of 66 Queen Square, a former Building Society, in Bristol City Centre – several people are resisting on the roof overnight – support is needed tonight and tomorrow – including food, water, rope and clothing.
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Brighton: Mass Squatting Action, October 13th
We will resist the squatting ban by any means necessary.
The Squatter’s Network of Brighton is calling for a Mass Squatting Action on October 13th to resist the new anti-squatting laws. This act is draconian, unworkable, an attack on our way of living and some of the most vulnerable in our society. We will not take it lying down.
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Radar Online Agenda
