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From: webmaster@schnews.org.uk
Subject: SchNEWS 383, Friday 29th November, 2002
Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2002 21:52:24 -0000
URL: http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news383.htm
Riot Police attack A-Spire squat - Leeds (Yorkshire)
Late last Saturday night, 100 tooled up riot cops used a battering ram to gain access to a building and randomly sprayed people with CS gas. So what provoked such a heavy police response? Er, a party in Leeds at the A-Spire squatted social centre. Once again the dance-police have been out in force, executing a pre-planned operation against unlicensed fun. Fortunately no one was injured in the panic, thanks to safety procedures put in place by the organisers, but 20 people were arrested and 4 have been charged with affray.
The A-Spire squat had been used for housing homeless people, hosting workshops, talks, film shows, a vegan café and children's area. SchNEWS reckons that Leeds Council and local police didn't like that the A-Spire crew had been providing free space, outside the confines of consumer culture.
As SchNEWS went to press on Thursday, it became apparent just how far Leeds Council and police will go to protect their new yuppy-friendly image. On Thursday afternoon, police apparently stormed two squatted buildings connected to the long-running Leeds housing co-op, Cornerstone. When alarmed activists arrived on the scene, they found both buildings boarded up and many of the squatters missing.
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