Squatting / Free Spaces / Protest Sites – Page 79

Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh under threat

We have 12 days to submit objections to the planning department.
please circulate widely and respond asap.

The Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh is under threat as the landlord has put in a planning application to turn the space into a flat. ACE is now the only social centre left in scotland.

We have recently reopened after extensive renovations and continue to be a valuable resource

www.autonomous.org.uk for more information on our current activities

We have 12 days to submit objections to the planning department.
please circulate widely and respond asap.

The Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh is under threat as the landlord has put in a planning application to turn the space into a flat. ACE is now the only social centre left in scotland.

We have recently reopened after extensive renovations and continue to be a valuable resource

www.autonomous.org.uk for more information on our current activities

We need as many folk as possible to write to the following address as soon as possible – we have about 12 days left to object.

you can use the template letter below but it carries more weight if it is a personal letter. please also include your name,address and the date:

kirsty.hope@edinburgh.gov.uk
Planning and Strategy Department
for the attention of Kirsty Hope
Waverley Court
Level G2
4 East Market St
Edinburgh EH8 8BG

with this subject stated:

Re Planning Application 07/02348/FUL

17 West Montgomery Place, Edinburgh EH7 5HA

in solidarity
on behalf of ace
——————–

below attached letter

To the Head of Planning and Strategy, City Development Department, City of Edinburgh Council, 1 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh EH1 1ZJ

Re Planning Application 07/02348/FUL

17 West Montgomery Place, Edinburgh EH7 5HA

Dear Sir/ Madam

I wish to object to the application for planning permission to convert the above property into a flat. This would result in the loss of the valuable community facility currently provided in these premises.

I consider that the ACE charity operating in 17 West Montgomery Place provides a very useful resource in this neighbourhood, and serves a real local need.

I understand that the Council’s development policy is to protect local shops, community halls and meeting rooms – I would urge that this policy be adhered to, and that this planning application be refused.

Yours sincerely

SIGNATURE

Any additional comment :

ace@autonomous.org.uk
http://www.autonomous.org.uk

If you could also send a copy of your message to the local councillors for the Leith Walk ward, that would be great.
Here are their details.

Councillor Angela Blacklock (Labour)
angela.blacklock@edinburgh.gov.uk

Councillor Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party)
deidre.brock@edinburgh.gov.uk

Councillor Maggie Chapman (Green Party)
maggie.chapman@edinburgh.gov.uk
as she is on holiday, please also send to
Councillor Alison Johnstone (Green Party)
alison.johnstone@edinburgh.gov.uk

Councillor Louise Lang (Liberal Democrats)
louise.lang@edinburgh.gov.uk

European activist gatherings (Ecotopia, Portugal 4-19 Aug & ASEED international activist camp, Bulgaria, 26-29 July)

You are invited to Ecotopia 2007 – Migrations

This year Ecotopia will take place between 4 – 19 August in Aljezur in the south of Portugal.

Ecotopia is a two-week activist camp and an open event for everyone interested in environmental and social justice issues.

You are invited to Ecotopia 2007 – Migrations

This year Ecotopia will take place between 4 – 19 August in Aljezur in the south of Portugal.

Ecotopia is a two-week activist camp and an open event for everyone interested in environmental and social justice issues.

More info at http://www.ecotopiagathering.org/

International Activist Camp – Bulgaria 2007 July 26th – 29th

In the skirts of Pirin mountain, south-west Bulgaria, about 2.5 kilometers away from an old village, people from Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe will get together to share ideas and strategies for campaigning on environmental and social issues and get inspired by each others’ activities and work.

More info at http://www.aseed.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=381&Itemid=1

First Directions to The Camp for Climate Action 2007…..

The camp dates are drawing nearer and nearer and we’re all desperate to know where it will be… but we’ll just have to wait a little longer!

But what we do know is that if you get yourself to Staines railway station in West London by 10am on Tuesday 14th August, you will be greeted by our friendly welcome team and promptly transported via a magical mystery tour, to the camp! (There will also be lifts to the camp later in the day and throughout the week.)

The camp dates are drawing nearer and nearer and we’re all desperate to know where it will be… but we’ll just have to wait a little longer!

Camp for Climate Action comes to Heathrow this summer.

Aviation is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, and all our efforts to tackle climate change in other sectors are undone by the massive growth in air travel.
Holding the camp at Heathrow aims to highlight the lunacy of the government’s airport expansion plans, target industry giants profiteering from the climate crisis, and raise awareness of the need to fly less.
The camp will also support local residents in their long-term struggle against the building of a third runway and the destruction of their communities.

There will be a day of mass direct action aiming to disrupt the activities of the airport and the aviation industry, but in the interests of public safety there will be no attempt to blockade runways.

Although the location is different, the philosophy of the camp remains the same: to be a place for the burgeoning network of people taking radical action on climate change around the country to come together for a week of low-impact living, education, debate, networking, strategising, celebration, and direct action.
The camp will feature over 100 workshops covering topics such as climate change impacts, carbon offsetting, biofuels, peak oil, permaculture, practical renewables, campaign strategy, skills for direct action, and much more.
Run without leaders by everyone who comes along, it will be a working ecological village using renewable energy, composting waste and sourcing food locally.

It all comes down to us, now. We are the last generation that can do anything about climate change. In 20 or 30 years’ time, should we not change our ways, we’ll be committed to emissions increases that will see forests burn, soils decay, oceans rise, and millions of people die. If we don’t get this issue right, so much else is lost too.

We still have time, but not for long. Make it count.

Why target aviation?

It is the fastest growing source of CO2 emissions.
It has been left out of the first faltering frameworks to control emissions, eg. the Kyoto Protocol and the Climate Bill.
It is the most damaging form of transport.
Unlike the other high emitting sectors (e.g. energy and food production), there is no alternative sustainable technology.

The only way to reduce emissions from aviation is to reduce the number of flights.
And unlike those other sectors, aviation is not a necessity.
There is a major airport expansion programme planned at 21 airports, with increases in capacity equivalent to a new Heathrow every 5 years. This expansion programme locks us into increased emissions, and undoes all our other efforts elsewhere to reduce emissions.

Why target Heathrow?

Nowhere in the UK is there a larger source of CO2 emissions. Most countries emit less greenhouse gases than Heathrow’s planes.

Heathrow is the world’s busiest international airport. It is an iconic global symbol of aviation.
Heathrow is the heart of the UK?s aviation industry.
Heathrow is the central plank of the government’s airport expansion plans. Heathrow has a planned third runway that can be stopped.

The third runway would bulldoze entire villages and destroy communities. There is a big, established, long-term local campaign against Heathrow and BAA that we can join forces with.

There is an opportunity to highlight bias in the corrupt planning process in favour of big business and development.

The presence of Harmondsworth detention centre nearby highlights the plight of environmental refugees and the fact that climate change is fundamentally an issue of social and global injustice.

Camberwell Squatted Centre: Under immediate threat!!! Court & events update

The Camberwell Squatted Centre has seen its court date brought forward to TUESDAY 10th JULY placing the Centre under danger of eviction in the very near future. How can you help?

Camberwell squat flier The Camberwell Squatted Centre has seen its court date brought forward to TUESDAY 10th JULY placing the Centre under danger of eviction in the very near future. How can you help?

Emergency meeting MONDAY 9th JULY at 7.30 pm
Camberwell Squatted Centre
190 Warham St
off Camberwell New Rd
Camberwell SE5
bus 185, 36, 436
tube Oval

We have been in occupation of the building on Warham St since 10th March. Since then we have filled almost every day with events for any and everyone.

Now we are facing the reality that we have always faced, that we will be thrown out of the building we have lovingly restored to life.

So see you in court Mr Property Speculator…

Please check our website for news and also to see how you can keep the spirit of the Camberwell Squatted Centre alive

Black Frog Collective
@
blackfrog@alphabetthreat.co.uk
http://www.56a.org.uk/warham.html

Court update
>>>>>>>>>>>>

Camberwell Squat – owners granted Possession Order

Camberwell Squat Centre | 11.07.2007 01:43 | Free Spaces | Social Struggles | London
Tuesday July 10th, the owners of the building were granted a Possession Order to regain the property. Bailifs could pay a visit any time from Wednesday 11th. Please come along, we plan to stay in the centre for as long as we can…

After two adjournments and much legal shenanniganing the Camberwell Squatted Centre at 192 Warham Street SE5 has entered its final phase…

Twice we have managed to gain adjournments on the grounds that we had a licence to stay in the place granted by Sean Davey and John Desmond, the two characters we had been dealing with from the owners’ side, which had not been properly ended before the case was brought… This time the licence argument was properly tested in a court. We thought we would lose.

Although we were telling the truth and Sean had granted a licence, the other side claimed Sean and John hadn’t done any such thing and anyway even if they had, had no authority to do so, ie they aren’t the owners, only caretakers and builders, not entitled to give us permission to stay…
They gave evidence, we gave evidence. The Judge chose to believe them.

Property being nine tenths of the law, we had expected that this would happen, regardless of the facts in the case. The Judge in fact called us liars, though not in such words. And said they were reliable witnesses. I.e. we were squatters and they businessmen. They want the space to demolish
it, build yuppie flats or whatever money-making scheme they can concoct. Our whole project was about subverting their world-view.

So it goes. When we squatted the building, we expected a short time there; the licence, quickly revoked, gave us hope of longer, but in fact we have strung it out thus far and achieved much, We have had some brilliant events, met and got to know some fine people, explored new ways of being, in a space under our control, not for profit but for fun and with a view to working towards a different world.

We always knew we would be moving on some time – but this is not the end. Every such occupied space is a creation in itself, as well as a stage along a road. The processes we have evolved in running the space, interacting there, as well as the ideas, information, socialising, exchange of ideas and experiences, add up to more than the rickety four walls or the dead hand of property.

Other projects will arise, other spaces will be squatted, all of us who have been through the building will take the four months we have spent there forward in our hearts.

We don’t yet know how long we have before the bailiffs arrive. While we are still there we will carry on having events, using the space, celebrating the time we still have. We hope you will all come by, hang out, help to keep up the amazing atmosphere that has grown up in the place. We do need people to come and hang out in the day, to keep the building secure, in case of early eviction attempts… Do drop by. You have all helped to make this project a living thing.

Check the website or come by the Squat to keep in touch with what’s happening on the eviction front.

Camberwell Versus Death!

EVENTS PLANNED –

Obviously we could be evicted before the later ones here!

WEDNESDAY 11th?FILM NIGHT: THE WORKING CLASS GOES TO HEAVEN?
Lulù is a real hard worker. For this reason he is loved by the masters and hated by his own colleagues. The unions decide agitations against the masters. Lulù doesn’t agree…Classic REFUSAL of WORK movie from Italy!! Subtitles. 7.30pm

THURSDAY 12th:?A talk about the Operation Spanner case of the 1990s, the prosecution and jailing of consenting gay men for their sado-masochistic sex lives and the struggle against their criminalization. Talk by a founder of the Spanner Campaign.

FRIDAY 13TH: Café/Bar, 8 till 1… Is there anyone out there fancies cooking for this…? The usual cooks are a bit tired and all Ramsayed out… Any volunteers email us… It’s not that hard.

SATURDAY 14th
Starbucks Workers Rebel… A film night, talk and social in support of Starbucks workers organising against their evil capitalist bosses in 3 continents. We will be showing the film ’Coffee Sirens’ about Starbucks workers organising, plus talks from people involved in picketing Starbucks here over their attacks on union organisers in the USA and elsewhere. 8pm onwards, plus social after.

SUNDAY 15th
3pm: open meeting to discuss what happens next: Camberwell Squatted Centre is in court on the 20th of July, facing eviction… We will probably lose, after heroic adjournments in the last two court appearances. So what next? For those who want to see another local autonomous social and rebellious space, we’re meeting to work out where to go and how things carry on.

MONDAY 16th
BUILDING MEETING
7pm

TUESDAY 17th
POLISH LESSONS. For the very beginners and very commited. Bring pen and paper. Some homework. 7.30pm
SPANISH LESSONS. For the not so beginners. 7.30pm

WEDNESDAY 18th FILM NIGHT: INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION
Another classic movie from 1970’s Italy!! A disturbing portrait of police power as played out through twisted eroticism and State repression. Subtitles. 7.30pm

THURSDAY 19th Peace Time In Palestine: Illegal occupation. Illegal Confiscation. Humiliation.?The Wall of Shame. International Support. A talk and slideshow by a witness and human rights observer after two months in Palestine (more on http://ana-en.blogspot.com). 7.30pm

Saving Iceland Camp Location

BRINGUR, Mosfellsheiði, South West Iceland. You will go through the flat valley of Mosfellsdalur and as you start climbing up to the moors you will pass the white villa of Gljúfrasteinn. It is the first dirt track on the right after you have passed Gljúfrasteinn. Keep going on the track until you finally see the camp! The track is a bit rough but fine for small cars as long as you drive slowly.

How to get to the camp:

Take bus 15 from Hlemmur to Háholt (the end station).

It goes from Hlemmur 16 min and 46 past every our on weekdays, but 11 and 41 past every our in evenings and weekends.

From Háholt take bus 27 to Laxnes.

It leaves at 12:28, 16:28, 20:08 and 22:08 on weekdays.
8:08, 12:08, 16:08; 20:08 and 22:08 on saturdays.
12:08, 16:08, 20:08 and 22:08 on sundays.

From there you will have to walk on the main road until you see a small road to the right, which will lead you to the camp. There is a small sign and some banner or clothes hanging on the gate.

A bus ticket costs 280 kr. and you should ask for a ticket called “skiptimidi” so you will not have to pay for both buses.

Sumac work-month – get involved!

The Sumac is closed for business throughout the whole of July to do some long overdue maintenance and redecoration!

We are looking for anyone and everyone to get involved – whether you are highly skilled at DIY or just enthusiastic!

The Sumac is closed for business throughout the whole of July to do some long overdue maintenance and redecoration!

We are looking for anyone and everyone to get involved – whether you are highly skilled at DIY or just enthusiastic!

Hopefully people will be working almost every day throughout the month… to find out when people are likely to be there to work with call the centre on 0845 458 9595 or 0115 9608254.

Work-weekends -on the following weekends there will be even more people than normal fixing and painting, as well as hopefully some food and booze for volunteers:

July 7-8th maintenance jobs
July 21st-22nd Decoration preparation and maintenance
July 27th -28th Decoration

If you are from out of town, we can find you somewhere to stay.

Sumac Centre is found at 245 Gladstone St, Forest Fields Nottingham. For directions look at the website.
http://www.sumac.org.uk

PAD Cardiff Social Centre – OPENING

21.06.2007
P.A.D. opening barbeque this Sunday
from 3pm (come earlier if you wanna help)
food, music and all the usual treats, find out more about what’s going on in the pad.

21.06.2007
P.A.D. opening barbeque this Sunday
from 3pm (come earlier if you wanna help)
food, music and all the usual treats, find out more about what’s going on in the pad.
There’s also a work day on friday in the pad from 12noon.

PAD re-launched: a new Social Centre!
118 Clifton Street, Adamsdown, Cardiff has been transformed into a collectively run social centre. The “Peoples’ Autonomous Destination” (PAD) is due to be open in June. It will be a place, independent from government or commercial control, to socialise, meet other like-minded people, share ideas & enjoy food, drink, music & films. Importantly, the PAD will be a place for people to come together & organise around social struggles both locally & globally.

The PAD is run voluntarily so nobody gets paid & nobody makes a profit, everyone involved can have a say in how it functions, with no leaders or hierarchies. Anyone can come along to a meeting to help organise & take part in making decisions about the PAD. The space will be inclusive, open to all individuals, with discrimination not tolerated & diversity respected. For more about upcoming events or to get involved, e-mail thepad@riseup.net or come along to a meeting on Wednesdays at 7:30pm at The PAD itself. Find out more about other social centres: www.socialcentresnetwork.org.uk

http://www.thepad.org.uk

Common Ground Community Garden – EVICTION UPDATE – Resistance successful so far.

Common Ground Community Garden, is a self-managed squatted community project in the heart of Reading. The land and surrounding buildings are council owned, and they have tried to obstruct this initiative every step of the way – and thanks to the spirit of the squatters and our neighbours, they have failed every step of the way.

Today, 20th June, is supposed to be eviction day. The day when the council takes back control of our land, and is able to flog it off to the highest bidder, for development of yet more unnafordable prison block flats. However, so far, its not going according to their plan…

Baillifs showed up early this morning, about 9am. However, activists were allready busy barricading the building that has been our home for the last 9 months and our beautifull squatted garden. Reporters and television cameras showed up, taking interviews from us and our neighbours (so if you are in the Southeast or Thames Valley, check local news services out!). A mixture of activists and local neighbours are holding a picket out the front of the building, and others are sitting in the garden enjoying the sunshine! At this point balliffs have left, and we have won for now. But we are sure they will be back fairly soon with backup, so any help is appreciated.

So long as the baillifs keep their distance, the rest of the day will be enjoyed in the garden with a picnic and acoustic punk rock show later.

EXISTANCE IS RESISTANCE!

P.S. Our solidarity greetings to Brecon eviction resisters! FIGHT THE PIPE!

========================================

01:07
Hi,

Just to give a last quick update, the baillifs stayed well away all day, and the rest of the day has been fantastic!

Quite a lot of local residents have been through during the day, telling us how much they love the garden, use it all the time etc etc.

Some residents have even showed a fair amount of interest in anti-capitalist/anarchist politics, including ex-Labour members who agreed all political parties are the same now and ‘this’ (i.e. direct-action, DIY etc like the garden) IS the alternative now, and a local couple having trouble at work who are now interested in joining IWW!

A couple of local people were among those who stayed in the garden past eviction time, being prepared to face arrest to defend the garden.

This evening the day has been finished off with a public BBQ and absolutely fantastic acoustic punk-rock show. Again, several neighbours stuck around all night having a drink and enjoying the music, and the tunes were amazing. Big thanks to the artists who travelled down to play tonight for free!

Obviously, this project is most likely not going to last much longer (although you never know and we’ll keep fighting!), but all our neighbours are saying they want the squatters to stay and do similar things, and who are we to refuse!? 🙂

Spirits are high,
LA LUCHA SIGUE!

Brecon anti-pipeline camp eviction has begun (& updates Tues/Wed, press releases…)

19th June 2007
Brecon tree camp eviction has begun. Support needed!

Brecon pipeline camp eviction 19th June 2007
Brecon tree camp eviction has begun. Support needed!

The eviction will most likely last a few hours, if you can make it, it would be a great help!

Site phone: 07733190958

===============
IF U CAN GET THERE TAKE A CAMERA, THE EVICTION TEAM IS GOOD OLD NET FROM SWANSEA

===============
update

11:40am

A40 has been closed.

There has been at least one arrest.

================
PRESS RELEASE

THIS MORNING THE EVICTION OF THE BRECON CLIMATE CHANGE CAMP AT PEN PONT BRECON IS GOING ON. THE ROAD HAS BEEN CLOSED BETWEEN SENNY BRIDGE AND BRECON FOR THE EVICTION TO TAKE PLACE. PEOPLE ARE ENTRENCHED IN THE CAMP. TREE HOUSES WILL HAVE TO BE EVICTED BY SPECIALIST CLIMBERS AND TUNNELS BY CAVE SPECIALIST

WE URGE ANYONE WHO CAN TO GET TO BRECON TO PROTECT THE PECEFUL PROTESTORS WHO ARE REFUSING TO MOVE VOLUNTARILY DUE TO THE MASSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION THE 48″ PIPELINE FROM MILFORD HAVEN TO TIRLEY IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE IS CAUSING.

THE RIVERS IN BRECON ARE RUNNING AS RED AS BLOOD DUE TO THE SILTING UP OF THE RIVERS WITH THE RED BRECON SOIL. SEE FOR YOURSELVES THE MASSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CATASTROIPHE THESE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO STOP.

NO FOSSIL FUELS..

TELEPHONE

01639 632286

07790 727 250

================
No Embargo
**
*Pipeline protesters refuse to climb down as eviction starts*

Protestors have refused to climb down from trees on the route of the
controversial high pressure methane gas
(LNG) pipeline in Wales after being given a 10 minute warning by bailiffs to
leave the site or face being arrested.

Protestors have locked themselves together high up in the trees using
bicycle D locks while others have gone down into the tunnels they dug with
food to last for several days in order to delay National Grids multimillion
pound destructive and dangerous project.

One protestor has today said “We are willing to risk arrest as the
consequences of this pipeline will be far more devastating than spending a
night in a police cell. National Grid, as a private company, are putting
shareholder profit before peoples saftety, both locally and more
globally. We are putting ourselves in the way to say this is completely
unacceptable.”

Another protestor, from Bristol Rising Tide said “The Government, National
Grid Plc and other Corporations are continuing to build and profit from
fossil fuel infrastructure despite the clear fact that to prevent
catastrophic climate chaos, carbon emissions must be cut by 90% by 2030. So
it is up to people to take responsibility and take
action and that is why I am here doing what I can to stop this being built.”

The road from Brecon to Sennybridge, which runs past the camp, has been
closed by the police.

Contact:
Bristol Rising Tide: 07917 383517

*Notes to Editor*

Rising Tide is a climate action network dedicated to challenging the root
causes of climate change – the fossil fuel growth based economy. Rising Tide
argues that climate chaos is an issue of social injustice and that the
poorest will suffer most.

This pipeline, 4ft in diameter, will run at 94bar pressure – that is
96kg/cm2. National Grid have no experience of running pipelines at such high
pressure and it is unprecedented in Europe and the US.

In 1999, a family of four were killed in Scotland when a high pressure gas
pipe exploded by their home. Massive corrosion in the pipeline, and a
failure on the part of National Grid/Transco (NG/T) to keep adequate records
on what kind of pipes were being used, led to the explosion. Corrosion has
already been seen on the welds in the South Wales pipeline.

Since privatisation, NG/T have shed thousands of engineering jobs and cut
maintenance work. In 2000 it was revealed that Transco had underspent its
agreed pipeline maintenance and replacement programme
by £358m over the previous two years. This same corporation, accountable to
only its shareholders and board, is now supposedly responsible for the
safety of thousands of people along the route of
this pipe.

300 Construction workers at the Dragon LNMG terminal were recently on strike
over safety concerns on site. One workers was hospitalised and workers were
demanding safer working conditions.

================

brecon eviction update! 14:14

The Eviction continues with two arrests on the ground and people locked on in the tree tops, there are also people underground with substantial supplies! please support these people by donating towards fines etc on the “fight the pipe” website.

if anyone can make it they need the support!

peace love and fuck the pipe, national grid, national eviction team and anyone else involved XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

================

Eviction update…
16:49

There has now been at least 5 arrests, we have no idea who has been arrested yet as they are being kept on site at the moment. There are still people locked-on in trees.

The A40 has now been re-opened but is down to one lane.

RESPECT & LOVE to all those who will be arrested over this.

FUCK YOUR PIPE NATIONAL GRID, FUCK THE GOVERNMENT FOR LETTING THIS STUPID PROJECT HAPPEN, FUCK THE POLICE & EVICTION TEAM.

We stand proud and strong knowing we are defending our beautiful earth that others want to destroy in the name of money.

================

Common Ground Garden – EVICTION RESISTANCE! Wed 20th June, 9.30am, Reading.

// Common Ground Community Garden Eviction Resistance!

// FUCK THE EVICTION, SAVE THE GARDEN!

// WEDNESDAY 20TH JUNE

// Common Ground Community Garden Eviction Resistance!

// FUCK THE EVICTION, SAVE THE GARDEN!

// WEDNESDAY 20TH JUNE

// Meet at 9.30am, in Common Ground Garden, through the alleyway next to the Womens Information Centre, at the bottom of Silver Street, Reading.

They left the land to rot, covered in trash and needles. They hope the buildings will fall down, so they can justify flogging to the highest bidder. They hope to see more unnafordable prison-block apartments. Reading Borough Council call it development, regeneration. We call it gentrification, exclusion. Just profit and power.

The land is ours. We occupied it, we cleared it, we worked it and we made it bloom. We recycled and re-used, and on our squatted land we created sanctuary from the rampant capitalism of Reading. Our friends, family and neighbours chipped in, and through direct-action and self-organisation, we created a community garden in our neighbourhood, Katesgrove. The land is ours? Well, not exactly. The land is nobody’s, because it is everybody’s. And so we called it Common Ground.

On 19th May, we opened the garden to the public. We invited our friends, families and neighbours. Embarassed and scared, the Council tried to stop us. Their court gave them an injunction against us, making it illegal to open the garden. So, we informed our community and re-invited em. Fuck the injunction! 200 people came and enjoyed the garden that day, laughing at the Council and meeting others people who think the same things they do. Even the media told the truth about us.

Then the Council got their injunction extended. They told us it was illegal to open our garden at all and they want ‘their’ land back. They dont understand, it has never been theirs, they were just looking after it for us. And since they don’t do a very good job, we’ve found a better use for it. For ourselves, our neighbours and local workers, for young and old, the garden is open everyday. So, now they say they will take it back by force, and demolish our garden and give it to the rich. Their courts have given them the law, and their thugs will evict us on Wednesday morning – if they can…

For us, existance is resistance – and Common Ground Community Garden exists. Our self-organisation and direct-action exists. On Wednesday and forever, our resistance exists. Demonstrate, barricade, blockade, occupy – we will resist in different ways, because ‘we’ is made of different people, and now hopefully will include one more – you.

In Love n Rage,
Some gardeners.

katesgrovegarden(AT)yahoo.co.uk