Bailiffs and Police attempt to evict squat near Trafalgar Square

[shaman75]

Squatters took over an old Natwest Building on Charing Cross Road on Saturday morning.

They intended to hold a Christmas dinner for the homeless, but after news coverage in the Guardian et al. yesterday, this morning bailiffs and police arrived without any prior notice to evict them.

Two are still perched on the outside of a balcony, whilst tourists pass by the homeless and activists who have been turfed out.

Activists are claiming on facebook that the bailiffs have gained an eviction order in a secret court and that the date is for 29 December anyway.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...ts-protesters-central-london-trafalgar-square

 

[shaman75]

Apparently a judge has deemed the eviction illegal and they can go back in

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1527646467519737&id=1500718110212573&fref=nf

 

[tufty79]

^^ Excellent news

 

[shaman75]

Protesters on the street were suggesting that the building is now owned by a company (Greencap Ltd) based in tax haven, with a valuation of £10.

 

[shaman75]

The guy on the balcony is 'Danny Freeman', who occupied Churchill's statue for about 24 hours in October during the Occupy Democracy protest in Parliament Square

 

[Pickman's model]

The guy on the balcony is 'Danny Freeman', who occupied Churchill's statue for about 24 hours in October during the Occupy Democracy protest in Parliament Square

how'd he get into the statue?

 

[shaman75]

how'd he get into the statue?

Teleportation

 

[shaman75]

Announcement made to the crowd that there is nothing to prevent re-entry http://bambuser.com/v/5173080

 

[FridgeMagnet]

how'd he get into the statue?

It's much bigger on the inside.

 

[shaman75]

 

[shaman75]

 

[laptop]

I'm still a bit amazed that they can break a protest squat, call the Guardian - and get prominent coverage immediately.

There is no "underground" any more

 

[shaman75]

Debates continuing

http://bambuser.com/v/5173294

 

[Gramsci]

A few photos I took around 1pm. Did start thread on protest etc forum. Sorry for confusion did not see this thread. Some photos I took about 1.30pm before eviction was deemed out of order.

 

[Gramsci]

When I went past around 1pm there was a ridiculous amount of police vans etc around Charing Cross road.

Its a peaceful group of anarchists ffs.

The police come down heavy on political events in central London.

The police should never have done this. The paperwork for the eviction was chucked out by Judge later on.

 

[twentythreedom]

Good luck to them in their struggles

 

[Dogsauce]

The money spent on unnecessarily policing stuff like this could house and feed a fair few people. Society is the wrong way up.

 

[shaman75]

Love Activists currently reporting Police say they need their own bailiff to attend to secure access to the building...

The police have decided that the court order does not apply to them and have instead ran us around for the past several hours, currently they are insisting that we require our own bailiff in order to secure entry to the building.

I propose we forget about holding the Christmas dinner in the building and instead invite the homeless population for a meal on the road infront, or outside parliament, instead...

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1527696770848040&id=1500718110212573

 

[William of Walworth]

My knowledge of this was until now entirely Guardian-dependent, so far, but thanks (massive loads!) for those updates and pics, Gramsci

Are you involved yourself, shaman75 ?

 

[William of Walworth]

Graun article about all this today, for those who can be arsed

ETA : link posted already in post 1 of this thread, but whatevs (on Xmas Eve )

 

[shaman75]

My knowledge of this was until now entirely Guardian-dependent, so far, but thanks (massive loads!) for those updates and pics, Gramsci

Are you involved yourself, shaman75 ?

Nope. Just a 'citizen photographer/ journalist' following stuff I'm interested in.

I'd quite like to pop along to take some pics from the roof though. 8)

 

[shaman75]

Looks like most of the police have fecked off after arresting the two who were on the balcony and telling activists need a High Court Bailiff to gain entry. On Xmas Eve...

http://bambuser.com/v/5173384

 

[kenny g]

http://www.hceoa.org.uk/members/authorised-members-directory.html Looks like it would take a few days though:-

http://www.burlingtongroup.co.uk/high-court-enforcement/possession-order-enforcement/

 

[William of Walworth]

http://www.hceoa.org.uk/members/authorised-members-directory.html Looks like it would take a few days though:-

http://www.burlingtongroup.co.uk/high-court-enforcement/possession-order-enforcement/

OK, but none of that is actually happening up in Central London right now (over Xmas) is it?

 

[shaman75]

Looks like some people have got back in http://bambuser.com/v/5173563

 

[shaman75]

Ok. It might be that they have been speaking with security in the courtyard for a few hours.

 

[shaman75]

there's a live feed going here, but seems to be audio only http://bambuser.com/v/5173685

 

[shaman75]

Decent report http://indyrikki.wordpress.com/2014/12/25/love-activists-how-the-law-can-bend-and-sway/

 

[shaman75]

Just heard on the livestream that another Judge has been chucked some cash to over-rule the orders of the Judge who amended the original order. ie saying they now cant go in.

http://bambuser.com/v/5173685#t=4495s

 

[free spirit]

sneaky fucks, persuading the pair off the balcony because they'd got the court order, only to nick them, get them out of the building, then use the fact they no longer had possession of the building to refuse them entry withour bailiffs to enforce the court order.

Doesn't surprise me at all mind.

Hope they get a church hall or something opening up for them instead, or ideally that they had a plan b site in mind all along as a backup.