Squatting / Free Spaces / Protest Sites – Page 64

New Social Centre Opens / Frome Squatters’ Network

6.07.2008
The new Social Centre in Frome, a short ways south of Bath, is hosting it’s first public event this Thursday – the first meeting of the Frome Squatters’ Network!

The Frome Autonomous Zone

6.07.2008
The new Social Centre in Frome, a short ways south of Bath, is hosting it’s first public event this Thursday – the first meeting of the Frome Squatters’ Network!

The Frome Autonomous Zone
..is a large house on Somerset Road, Frome, which aims to become a fully functioning Social Centre as soon we get our acts together. We can offer meeting and arts spaces and are working on a music room.

The center is at 36, Somerset Road, near the junction with Weymouth Road. Just look for the huge banner and the red and black flag fluttering proudly from the roof!

The Frome Squatters’ Network
…aims to connect with squatters and everyone interested in squatting, in order to create a social, political and practical network for the promotion of squatting in the Frome area. If you’re in the area and looking to squat, drop by – there’s plenty of empties to go round!

The meeting begins at 7pm.

No Cops – No Journos – No Fash

Brighton squatted social centre eviction

88 LONDON ROAD SOCIAL CENTRE EVICTION

At 7am this morning the anarchist social centre at 88 London Road, Brighton was forcibly evicted, despite resistance. The Victorian church had been occupied since the Squatting Days of Action on the 4th and 5th of April. The space was intialy opened as part of a two day international event, committed to creating autonomous spaces and highlighting the importance of squatting and global networking.

Since then, the community at 88 London Road had successively resisted one prior eviction attempt from police. The space was being used as a social centre for grassroots movements, free cafes, workshops and a lot of other possible projects for the benefit of the local community.

Two of the occuping members of 88 were arrested when they prolonged the eviction by climbing to the rafters, clambering into a cargo net and hanging high above the injustice below. The whole eviction was over by midday and the council spent the rest of the afternoon boarding up an amazing space that held so much potential.

we will be back……..

http://www.myspace.com/88londonroadsquat

Wembley Summer Camp Open: Squat The Land, Smash School Privatisation

Teachers, residents and campaigners in Wembley, Brent, North West London, have re-squatted the Wembley Sports Ground and are calling out for people to join them, squat the land and join the largest protest against

Brent local teachers, residents and campaigners have made a call out for people to help squat the land at Wembley Park Sports Ground on Bridge Road, next to Wembley Park underground station, and join the largest and most prominent campaign against the accelerating privatisation of the UK education system, the brain child of ex-prime minister Tony Blair.

People are asked to join the Tent City Occupation or just visit, help build networks, share information and knowledge on non-violent-direct-action, and when the construction workers arrive, which could be as early as this week, help in and execute non-violent-direct-action to halt the project.

On 03 June 2008 Brent Town Council approved the child charity Ark proposal to begin the construction of the privatised Wembley Academy School.

The meeting held by council heads at Brent Town Hall, descended into farce, as the local community, angry that they were ignored during all public consultations with the council and Ark, were threatened with removal from the planning meeting and the Academy planning application decision to be made in secret, which would have been an illegal move on the part of the council.

That planning meeting approved the temporary housing of 200 school pupils in huts while the Ark Academy is built around them over the next two years, putting children in danger on a construction site, cranes overhanging the portacabins and temporary accommodation, just so the money flow from UK taxpayer to the privatised school investor, and the profit, can start by September 2008.

One reason the Wembley Academy opening date was moved forward from September 2009 to 2008 was because local opposition against the Academy and the privatisation of UK education has been so massive in Brent, Ark thought that advancing the school start date would crush the resistance.

Connections are being made with the Battersea Crane Disaster Group, the Construction Safety Campaign and the Pimlico school teachers who are also fighting the privatisation of their school by venture capitalist, and Tory party funder, John Nash and his company Sovereign Capital.

Pimlico school pupils are already being put at risk, as 1050 children are being educated while the school is demolished around them. Cranes are already overhanging their class rooms and construction debris and dust believed to contain asbestos is sweeping across the playground into classrooms.

But this situation, authorised by local and national government, will see 200 children being educated in the middle of a construction site. With the current safety record of UK construction sites, it draws serious concern for the wellbeing of the students.

But another concern is private investment taking over the UK education system, instilling their private, corporate, and religious individual beliefs in the education system.

The Vardy Foundation, set up by Christian fundamentalist Reg Vardy, already has its hands on several UK Academies and has since eradicated evolution from the schools, teaching only creationism.

The Wembley Ark Academy will be run by french/swiss and multimillionaire Arki Busson – long-term friend of Tony Blair – who is known to hold what can only be described as strict Catholic beliefs.

Ark is set to run 12 UK Academy schools, six of which will be opened by September 2008.

As construction work begins and the resistance turns to non-violent-direct-action to halt the project, construction could begin as early as this work, private security and police are expected to be employed to force eviction on the protestors.

The teachers, residents and campaigners of Brent have asked for all to come, squat the land, save the Wembley Sports Ground and surrounding green space for the local community and wildlife, and halt the further gentrification of Wembley.

Bring your mum, your brother, your dog – squat this land, join the protest, make a stand and to say no to the privatisation of UK education. Say no to education for profit. Join the Wembley Park Tent City Occupation.

Make a stand. Say no to privatised education. Get on the Metropolitan Underground line to Wembley Park, bring a tent, bring a friend, and make a stand.

All photos courtesy of freelance journalist Jason N. Parkinson
All Stills (c) Jason N. Parkinson 2008 All Rights Reserved

Tent City Occupation (see here for contact details)

http://www.tentcityoccupation.co.uk/

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Previous coverage

Anti-Academy Teachers Take To The Trees

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/09/380945.html

Wembley Teachers Say No To Privatised Schooling

http://jasonnparkinson.blogspot.com/2008/06/wembley-teachers-say-no-to-privatised.html

200 School Pupils In Huts On A Construction Site

http://jasonnparkinson.blogspot.com/2008/06/200-school-pupils-in-huts-on.html

Save Our Schools 22-minute film available on Reel News issue 13

http://www.reelnews.co.uk/

Coal Gets Left In The Ground A Bit Longer

Activists occupying Bodge House / Lodge House / Prospect Farm (all the same place) to obstruct its destruction for opencast coal extraction had a court victory on Monday.

Harworth Estates (Agricultural Land) Limited, the new greenwash name for the outfit formerly known as Harworth Mining International Limited were sent packing by the judge with a flea in their ear. They couldn’t prove they actually owned the place or had properly ended the farmer’s tenancy. If they do the all homework set by the judge properly, they’ll be allowed to try again on 18th July.

Meantime, the occupation goes on.

pre-Climate Camp street medic training – Leeds- 18-20th July 2008

The UK Action Medics are running a 2 1/2 day street medic training in Leeds during the run-up to Climate Camp. It will be a 20 hour course that will teach you the basics of general First Aid, as well as skills to deal with medical situations specific to direct action, such as dealing with chemical weapons and the police. We will also be offering sections specifically tailored to situations likely to arise at this year’s Climate Camp, such as water safety and public health. The course will involve scenarios and hands-on practice and, although we cannot offer you any official accreditation, the 2 1/2 day training is the minimum standard for membership of the Action Medics, and will equip you for a wide range of situations, from hypothermia to baton wounds.

The training will be on the 18th-20th of July, which is Friday to Saturday. There will be 3 or 4 hours on Friday evening and two full days on Saturday and Sunday. Vegan food will be provided, as well as accommodation if needed – we ask for a donation of £30 to cover costs, although this will be less if we can find a venue for free.

The venue is as yet unconfirmed, but the training will take place in central Leeds, and we can give you directions from the train/bus station. It is essential to book a place so we know how many people are coming – please email medics@climatecamp.org.uk to do this, or with any questions.

The Action Medics will be running a medic space at this year’s Climate Camp. Your help would be welcome – we require that volunteers have either taken:

a) our weekend Action Medics training & CPR training
OR
b) First Aid At Work, with experience of scenarios and CPR training

If you’d like to be involved, please email us at medics@climatecamp.org.uk

www.actionmedics.org.uk

Activists disrupt work at site of opencast coal mine

29.06.2008

Activists yesterday obstructed a steamroller which was being used to set a tarmac ramp designed allow heavy plant machinery access to the fields where UK Coal intend to extract around 1 million tonnes of coal.

Once the steamroller had halted, one activist proceeded to d-lock themselves to the machine.

29.06.2008

Once the steamroller had halted, one activist proceeded to d-lock themselves to the machine.
All remained until the police arrived, which was a considerable time later. However, the spontaneous action clearly delayed their work, as the site foreman spent much time talking to the police etc.

Concerned of Smalley
http://www.earthfirst.org.uk/leaveitintheground/

9th August: Day of Mass Action at the Camp for Climate Action!

JOIN WITH THOUSANDS IN MASS ACTION TO SHUT DOWN KINGSNORTH POWER STATION

CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE – LAND, SEA OR AIR

JOIN WITH THOUSANDS IN MASS ACTION TO SHUT DOWN KINGSNORTH POWER STATION

CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE – LAND, SEA OR AIR

This summer the Camp for Climate Action will be located in Kent near Kingsnorth coal-fired power station, where 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide are pumped into the atmosphere every year. On Saturday August 9th, the camp will culminate in a spectacular mass action to shut down the power station. Why Kingsnorth? While the power station is scheduled for demolition, its owners E.ON are planning to build a brand new coal-fired plant in the same place – a ludicrous response to the climate crisis threatening hundreds of millions of lives around the world. The Camp for Climate Action has other ideas. Beginning on August 9th, we intend to shut down Kingsnorth – permanently!

Those at the camp will be joined by thousands more from across the UK to converge on the power station via land, sea and air. We are organising ourselves into four different groups, each using different tactics. There’s something for everyone (including a group accessible to parents and children).

The ‘Great Rebel Raft Regatta’ (GRRR) will be launching an armada of rafts of every shape and size. From pirate ships to Viking boats, a multitude of different themed rafts are being constructed out of recycled materials and every bit of scrap imaginable (materials will be available at the camp for you to build your own rebel raft – for more info see www.thegrrr.net). Once on the river, rafts will swarm towards Kingsnorth like a giant shoal of disobedient fish, all with a single aim – shut down the climate criminal. Safety is obviously of paramount importance and full safety briefings and equipment will be provided.

If you’re a landlubber, not to worry, you can join the ‘Orange Pod’, who will be putting on their dancing shoes and heading straight for the main entrance in a colourful, musical spectacle. And if you’re more of a fan of wild undergrowth than endless economic growth then the ‘Green Guerrillas’ will be approaching through the surrounding fields and woods, looking for weak points in the perimeter fence – up, under or through.. As for the aerial approach – these plans are strictly under wraps, find out more at the camp!

If you can’t make it to the camp, join us just for the day. Trains run from central London to a pick up point near Kingsnorth every few minutes and take less than an hour. If you have more time, come to the camp the night before, or for the full week (August 4th – 10th) where you can take part in over a hundred workshops and experience sustainable living in action, like 1,500 people did last year.

Times, transportation information and more details about the groups and their meeting points will be available at www.climatecamp.org.uk/massaction

Get involved today! Join our email list to get mass action updates:
http://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/climatecamp

For more information about the camp, visit www.climatecamp.org.uk

Be there on August 9th. Shutting down this power station promises to be a defining moment in the global struggle against climate change!

Anniversary of the first week at Shipley Bodge (& upcoming protest dates)

It has been a week already since climate chaos activists took occupation of a farm house on the site of the UK’s newest open cast site. Here is an update. The possession court case was chucked out of court for the moment – more here. Don’t forget the 14th July noise demo (link to left).

UK Coal have started some preparatory works at the Shipley open cast site. Many Tonnes of concrete has been cast to reinforce the public access road near the squatted site. This is allow 200 tonne machines to travel back and forth without doing damage to the public right of way. (I’ll pause here while you un-flabbergast yourself………)

Meanwhile, further along Bell Lane, telecom engineers were busy with their underground cable detectors. I don’t know why they couldn’t just phone BT and ask where they put them!

Clearly the angry owner of Whitehouse Farm gatehouse (map ref SK41619 44026) is gradually getting knackered from having to keep opening the gate for vehicles on UK Coal business, as he was having fancy new hinges fitted to the gateposts.

The route is still passable on foot or horse, which is just as well. We have confirmed with Derbyshire County Council that the path from Smalley to the gate at Whitehouse Farm is a designated footpath and from there to Shipley Park it is a public bridleway. The Rights of Way Officers at DCC are very keen to hear of any problems members of the public experience when trying to exercise their right to travel freely along this path.

There is no problem with vehicle access from the Shipley Park end, although the gate may be locked on Sundays (please confirm before you travel)

Meanwhile, back at Shipley Bodge…

The new residents have continued to modernise the old farmhouse so it now boasts a loft apartment, new flags and exterior décor. The garden has not been overlooked with nice new fencing, and several tree-houses under construction.

The protesters are in good spirits and well stocked but please keep the supplies coming. People are also needed, for an hour, a day or preferably longer.

Please bring water, timber and food etc.

See http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/20918 for initial occupation report, and contact, map, wish list, access to the site, court papers & a protest.
See http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/20943 for a report of someone’s visit there.

http://www.leaveitintheground.org.uk

Road resistance round-up from the Midwest US

Indiana June 24- Resistance to I-69 has been rapidly heating up in the past month. While the first protest camp set up was quietly evicted in early May, a tree-sit and occupation created in the path of a proposed onramp later that month lasted five weeks.

During that time, participants also built an elaborate ground camp, while simultaneously carrying on intensive organizing with local families threated by the road, culminating in a community picnic in Oakland City attended jointly by landowners and eco-activists. Exciting demonstrations and solidarity actions happened throughout the month – in Bloomington, Louisville, Maryland, and beyond.

Dubbed B-Rad Camp (after Brad Will, an Earth First!er and Indymedia journalist murdered by the Mexican state), the occupation was evicted last Friday, June 20. Five people were arrested around the camp, with the two treesitters being exposed to extreme danger and brutality by the state climbers. Three additional protesters were arrested at a police checkpoint on their way to support those facing eviction.

Solidarity actions were launched almost immediately, and one person was arrested that afternoon at an I-69 planning office in Bloomington. Since then, demos have been called across Indiana, at offices belonging to the Indiana Department of Transportation, contractors, and the Department of Natural Resources, who were responsible for lending climbers to INDOT. Nearly 100 people joined a torch march in Bloomington the following night, leading police to scramble to protect the downtown planning office while people chanted, drummed and shot off fireworks.

A few chants from this demo and others: “They wreck dreams – we wreck roads” “I-69 Shut it down, drive INDOT out of town” “No more roads, no more jails” and “Solidarity means attack – against the road we will fight back” and at the end of the torch march “We will win!”

Since then, local organizers have worked to put together legal support for those now facing charges (none extremely serious), while others have continued to act in response to the eviction. A militant office invasion against Bernardin Lochmueller and Associates (a deeply complicit contractor) in Evansville today ended in confrontations with managers and broken windows.

This account is only a brief summary of some of the more visible actions that have occurred in the past weeks against I-69. Meanwhile, many people have continued with other kinds of exciting opposition efforts, including the Roadblock Report (available on the website), the I-69 Listening Project (a push to create more space to dialogue and share stories across the spectrum of farmers and others resisting), and gardening with landowners along the route, among other experiments to spread and deepen the struggle.

More details and pictures can be found at
www.stopi69.wordpress.com . Pictures at http://stopi69.wordpress.com/photos/

BAA’s parent company, Ferrovial, is responsible for providing much of the funding being used to currently build I-69, through its purchase of the Indiana Toll Road.

News from the battles for free space in Copenhagen

Struggles around free space and squats continue abounds in Copenhagen, Denmark. Not only are there still weekly demos still for the campaign to have a new Youthhouse (Ungdomshuset) but a new extension to the famous squatted Christiania has been occupied with great success. It also looks like the council has given in to pressure from the squatters movement and agreed a new Youth House for the kids!!

69 WEEKS for UNGDOMSHUSET:
69 weeks. At least 1 demo every week. Thursday demo number 69 was obviously symbolic (It was the street number of the Youthhouse) and the demo crew had announced it was going to last 24 hours, going through most parts of Copenhagen with different sorts of activities planned throughout – four meals during the 24 hours, open air cinema, pirate party, blocking traffic, speeches, concerts and happenings.
Initially there was some sceptiscism from both activists and police, but it soon became apparent that people were going to stick it out all 24 hours. The demo moved around Copenhagen, stopping in different locations to give speeches or show political films. At many points there were disagreements with the police following the demo, but the demo always got its way in the end, often stopping for long stretches in main roads blocking traffic. After 21 hours – on Friday around 2 pm – the police had finally had enough of the demo acting autonomously and confined the demo to a square in Vesterbro. This resulted in a big public manifestation on the square with both bands and DJs coming from other parts of the city to play.
After 24 hrs the demo ended in a count down and a big greeting to the activists and the city which had both been upside down for 24 hrs through sun and rain, light and darkness.
PICTURES: http://english.indymedia.dk/publish/show/180

A NEW YOUTH HOUSE COMES SLOWLY INTO BEING:
On Wed June 11th, the last city council meeting before summer, the politicians of the council voted in favor of the agreement on a new Ungdomshus in the buildings of Dortheavej 61. The votes were 38 pro and 13 against. The votes were given after 2 hours of discussion. Activists has promised militant activity in the streets again if this meeting was unable to come to a decision on a YES vote for a new place and an address.
The new house will be in what is now a local culture centre under the council. It will be in two connected buildings, one of which will be split in half. The culture centre will remain in the other half of the building and the city council has agreed to build a new add on to compensate for the space lost to the new Ungdomshus.
The first part of the take over (the smaller building comprising 600 m2) will happen on July 1st. After that the main building will be available for take over on January 1st next year.
There has been very positive contact between the left radical scene and the leaders of the culture centre, who are welcoming the new house.
PICTURE: http://english.indymedia.dk/system/photo/file/111/616161.jpg

CHRISTIANIA EXPANDING!!
The area on Refshalevej right next to Christiania that was squatted on the 31st of May is stil growing and the different houses and constructions are taken shape. Neither the City council or the state approves of the situation but can’t figure out who has the authority to act on the squat since half the road is state property and the other half belongs to the city.
Neither the City council nor the state approves of the situation but can’t figure out who has the authority to act on the squat since half the road is state property and the other half belongs to the city. Apparently ‘the constructors’ on Refshalevej for once are benefiting from the bureaucracy, since nothing will be done to clear the street until the two administrations agrees on who’s doing what,
Meanwhile small houses are being built both on water and on the ground as well as roadblocks to slow down car traffic has been established. Around 28 different projects are currently under construction and ‘the constructors’ invited more people to join in!

PICTURES OF NEW SQUATTED REFSHALEEVEJ:
http://english.indymedia.dk/publish/show/175
http://english.indymedia.dk/publish/show/178

BUT EVICTION NOTICE NOW SERVED
The new area squatted near Christiania – Refshalevej – has been given notice. The eviction date is not finalised but will be up soon.
For some weeks activists have been building in the newly squatted ground just outside Christiania called Refshalevej. Now the builders have been given notice by the city council and the state who have joint ownership over the area. An eviction is said to be pending although no date has yet been officially given.
The activists have stated that they intend to resist the eviction non violently, and that they intend to resquat the area immideaitely following the eviction.

COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE STRUGGLE FOR UNGDOMSHUSET
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ungdomshuset

EVICTION AND RIOTS CHRONOLOGY + PICTURES/VIDEOS
http://www.emoware.org/ungdomshuset.asp
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/03/363973.html

COMPLETE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANIA:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown_Christiania