Resist the eviction of a community squatting initiative 12PM on THURSDAY 3rd of DECEMBER. They are calling for as many people as possible to assemble at our place from Wednesday night onwards. Numbers mean victory!
Community Squatting Project Under Threat
What’s Happening?:
The community squatting project has come under yet another attack from
Hackney Council and the Police, this time in the form of an Anti-Social
Behaviour Closure Order. These orders, usually used to evict crack houses
from communities, give the police powers to evict property by force and to
make it a criminal offence to return to the building.
As some of you may be aware, squatting in this country is not a criminal
offence. If the owners of the property (in this case, Hackney Council)
want to evict squatters it is seen as a dispute between two private
parties and they must get a court order through the civil courts.
The community squatting project on green lanes was opened spectacularly a
month or so ago, when a large group of people descended upon a partially
empty block of flats and collectively occupied, defended, fixed up and
finally allocated housing to those in the group who needed it. Many of the
people there were first-time squatters, including a migrant family (with a
newborn baby) who had been denied social housing.
Hackney council are keen to stamp out this kind of organised squatting.
The legal route is not open to us here – the courts have said they cannot
hear an appeal against the closure order until after Thursday (when the
eviction is due to take place). The only way for us to defend this project
and our ability to take similar action in the future, is through good old
fashioned force of numbers. See you there.
They are to be evicted 12PM on THURSDAY 3rd of DECEMBER and are calling for
as many people as possible to assemble at our place from Wednesday night
onwards.
ADDRESS: Lemsford Court, Brownswood Road, N4 2XN
DIRECTIONS
The Community Squatting Project is just opposite the gates of Clissold
Park on Green Lanes (Stoke Newington/Finsbury Park area). It is a large
block of flats with a grey steel door to the left. Enter through this
door.