squatting archive    |   movement links    |   weed's home page

From: "SchNEWS" (schnews@gn.apc.org)
To: "SchNEWS Subscribers" (schnews@gn.apc.org)
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 12:27:14 +0000
Subject: SchNEWS 201, 15 February 1999
Reply-to: schnews@brighton.co.uk

121 Centre eviction - Brixton (London, UK)

Lambeth Council are not having an easy job with their plans to gentrify Brixton, as squatters have realised that a barricade a day keeps the bailiff at bay. The 121 centre is an 18-year old autonomous squat in the heart of Brixton, open as a bookshop, advice centre, meeting space for radical groups etc. A notice of eviction was served for last Monday, and according to the Inspector of Operations for Brixton police, the bailiffs were expecting to stroll in, remove the door and brick up the space. Oh dear! What they weren't expecting was for 70 anarchists to be dancing in the street at 6.30am to a sound system, behind barricades in the roads, with the warning cry of a WW2 air raid siren blaring from the rooftop. (In fact the fort proved so effective that a number of activists woke up on Valentines morning to find themselves barricaded inside the building , asking passers by if they could borrow a ladder!) Offices in the town hall were later occupied until police came and broke up the party. While local residents were supporting 121, three other squats in the area were evicted that morning. The Lambeth evictor is ruthless, and help is needed in defending the buildings. It doesn't take much… at another squat, open for 10 years as a workshop, bailiffs were greeted by lots of locals sitting in armchairs in the street who told them the house was crammed with people (ahem!). The bailiffs left crying, "but you promised this property would be empty this morning, you people are supposed to be peaceful types!"

Get a copy of the South London Stress!
Contact 121 Railton Road, Brixton London, SE24
tel 0171 978 8214
email mark261@hotmail.com

squatting archive | weed's home page

comments to weed@wussu.com
revised 22 September 2006
URL http://www.wussu.com/squatting/s9902151.htm