Fuck Gentrification - Join the Fuck Parade...Part 3!

[cesare]

 

[littlebabyjesus]

We have generated debate globally by this action. This can only be a good thing.

Fair dos.

 

[ClassWar2015]

Fuck Parade 3 report: “They only call it class war when we fight back!”
October 2, 2015 news


Positive report from Fuck Parade 3, sent in by a random anarchist who was in the mob.

Last Saturday over a thousand people came together at the ‘Fuck Parade’ to resist gentrification and the social cleansing in London’s East End. It was a beautiful expression of feeling put into action.

It kicked off under Shoreditch High Street arches with three or so massive music rigs, fire breathing and buzzing energy. A couple of hundred at first, mostly anarchists, squatters and social housing eviction resistors. The solid bloc continued to grow, as the informal march went through the streets chanting with flares and flash grenades, holding space and blocking roads, picking up more and more local people off the street and out of the estates as it passed. At points the demo was around a thousand people.

As the march hit the famous hipster cereal cafe the windows went in and it got a dose of red paint. The staff got the shutters down but not before a smoke bomb had gone in and the street outside got christened with cornflakes.

On from there a number of upmarket Estate agents got smashed up and kicked in with boots and flying metal street furniture. As riot cops tried to keep up with the bloc and occasionally try to cut it off or snatch people, they were very obviously outnumbered and the crowd weren’t having any of it, with missiles flying, confrontations and very physical scuffles breaking out continuously, leading to a decent amount of pighats flying about…

There was a “hipster cop pig” effigy set alight, bins pulled into the road and put on fire, which was helpfully much exacerbated by the clueless cops who struggled with the burning effigy spreading the fire.

De-arresting was fearless, as at one point almost fifty people swarmed to try and take back one of their own, driving riotcops with shields and batons back off the road.

The bloc held solid for the best part of the demo with police unable to penetrate it, impotent and overwhelmed by numbers they clearly hadn’t anticipated, given the local strength of feeling.

Cop vans with arrestees were surrounded and unable to move, and the rear doors of one van were forced open in an attempt to liberate arrestees, with the crowd demanding “give them back they dont belong to you!”. The cops were properly riled and even began turning on each other when one of the riotcops lost it and started screaming that his colleague was a “fat stupid cunt”.

The solidarity was beautiful as the crowd protected each other, refused police access to blocs, picked each other up if we hit the floor and totally had each others backs. In the middle of what might have looked like total chaos, when an ambulance was seeking to pass the road, the entire crowd simultaniously stopped and waved it through, immediately reforming to retake the road once it had passed.

The crowd went on to split into three or so roaming blocs, each finding its own action and celebrations before diffusing into the night.

Much has subsequently been made in the mainstream press of the hipster wanker cereal cafe getting smashed. But for those who were there that was just one aspect of many, seemingly no more pertinent a target at the time than the Estate agents, which got an even better thrashing but were almost entirely written out of the “official” narrative. Similarly, participants were misrepresented as a bunch of middle class whiteboys, when in fact it was very predominantly working class and diverse in terms of age, gender, race, ability and experience. This rewriting of history and identity is arguably its own type of state/media violence. Either they just dont want to see us, or perhaps we are so invisible to them they can no longer see us at all?

Alongside somesuch pure bollocks made up by the press, there’s predictably been all types of liberal middle class whining in the mainstream media about direct action, the “right” to ineffective protest, and the human right to expensive cereal. The point lost on them all is that the Fuck Parade exists precisely to offend the parasitic classes and class traitors. It is precisely the fact that Fuck Parade has made no apologies for itself and sets its own terms that has so far been its strength.











Fuck Parade 3 report: “They only call it class war when we fight back!” - Rabble

 

[free spirit]

Edit: and here's the Assange link Assange to face extradition

Having read the transcripts of the interviews, seeing as someone leaked them to the web, I can well see why the case was initially dropped, because it stands very little chance of getting a conviction whatever the truth of the matter - I'd expect it would also have been dropped in the UK by the CPS (rightly or wrongly).

you see that 'rightly or wrongly' bit?

ah fuck it, you're not going to get the nuance are you.

 

[cesare]

you see that 'rightly or wrongly' bit?

ah fuck it, you're not going to get the nuance are you.

In English law, there is an evidential presumption that a woman who is not conscious has not consented (s.75 Sexual Offences Act 2003). It is then up to the defendant to prove either that there was in fact consent, or that he had a reasonable belief in consent. Consent to protected sex is not consent to unprotected sex: a conditional “yes”, is in practice a “no” where the conditions are not satisfied.

Applies to your Assange and Evans arguments. Consent.

 

[free spirit]

that's as maybe, but I wasn't actually defending / supporting him, just saying that to me it didn't seem that likely that he'd end up being convicted (rightly or wrongly).

nuance.

eta shall we stop derailing this thread with this shit?

 

[cesare]

that's as maybe, but I wasn't actually defending / supporting him, just saying that to me it didn't seem that likely that he'd end up being convicted (rightly or wrongly).

nuance.

eta shall we stop derailing this thread with this shit?

You decided to construct an argument, in both cases, that the lack of consent wasn't a lack of consent. That's not nuance, that's rape apology. The reason that I'm arguing with you about everything about you, is because you couldn't let it lie with what you'd already posted about support of small business and blaming some of the WC. You had to come back for more this evening. So fuck it, every time you answer me I'll fucking respond.

 

[free spirit]

You decided to construct an argument, in both cases, that the lack of consent wasn't a lack of consent. That's not nuance, that's rape apology. The reason that I'm arguing with you about everything about you, is because you couldn't let it lie with what you'd already posted about support of small business and blaming some of the WC. You had to come back for more this evening. So fuck it, every time you answer me I'll fucking respond.

so because I chose to debate an aspect of gentrification of working class areas that you're uncomfortable with, you thought you'd rake over old irrelevant shit, attempt to paint me as a neoliberal, then when that failed go for rape apologist.

you must have a really shit argument to need to pull this crap to avoid making your case.

 

[cesare]

so because I chose to debate an aspect of gentrification of working class areas that you're uncomfortable with, you thought you'd rake over old irrelevant shit, attempt to paint me as a neoliberal, then when that failed go for rape apologist.

you must have a really shit argument to need to pull this crap to avoid making your case.

No. I'm drawing the comparison with you attacking/blaming the victims.

 

[free spirit]

No. I'm drawing the comparison with you attacking/blaming the victims.

how the fuck are people who made a load of money from selling off formerly publicly owned assets at a significant profit to buy to let landlords classed as 'the victims' in this?

Yes they were just responding to the government's policies, but they aren't the victims in this, the victims are the ones who're now paying far higher rents to rent the same properties from the private landlords who now own over a third of the former council homes sold under right to buy, and I'm definitely not blaming them.

ps the government's just increased the discount to £103,900 for London council houses under right to buy, so anyone using that to buy a council house could then flog it at an instant £100k profit to a BTL landlord (and many have). I don't get why you have an issue with that being described as profiteering.

 

[cesare]

how the fuck are people who made a load of money from selling off formerly publicly owned assets at a significant profit to buy to let landlords classed as 'the victims' in this?

Yes they were just responding to the government's policies, but they aren't the victims in this, the victims are the ones who're now paying far higher rents to rent the same properties from the private landlords who now own over a third of the former council homes sold under right to buy, and I'm definitely not blaming them.

ps the government's just increased the discount to £103,900 for London council houses under right to buy, so anyone using that to buy a council house could then flog it at an instant £100k profit to a BTL landlord (and many have). I don't get why you have an issue with that being described as profiteering.

You haven't even read what Marty had to say, have you. You're so desperate to draw attention to the discount that you miss that 100k off London prices doesn't make these properties within reach anymore. Which is why the councils are doing what Marty said.

Good grief.

 

[pocketscience]

Your point is to make sure that individuals are blamed for state policy
That people's attention is distracted to blaming WC individuals concurrently with making the case for small business owners. So, no. I've got no interest in your apportioning of blame to the WC and those that fight back, and I think you're contemptible.

Anyone buying-in is selling-out. Millions of council homes lost forever. They've betrayed a fair public housing system that had previously done them a good turn, and with it made a pact with the banks and private property marketeers. Surely class traitors, scabs?

"The Working Class? They're no problem. I can buy one half to kill the other half!"

 

[cesare]

Anyone buying-in is selling-out. Millions of council homes lost forever. They've betrayed a fair public housing system that had previously done them a good turn, and with it made a pact with the banks and private property marketeers, Surely class traitors, scabs.

You'd rather blame the people doing it, than the State for encouraging it. I'll look out some info for you tomorrow if I can find it - Lewisham and their problem of not being able to convince people to buy. RTBs dropped so low that they had to re-incentivise it, and iirc Lambeth too.

 

[pocketscience]

You'd rather blame the people doing it, than the State for encouraging it. I'll look out some info for you tomorrow if I can find it - Lewisham and their problem of not being able to convince people to buy. RTBs dropped so low that they had to re-incentivise it, and iirc Lambeth too.

The state encourages and provides incentives for creating small businesses too... Should individuals not be blamed for doing that?

 

[cesare]

The state encourages and provides incentives for creating small businesses too... Should individuals not be blamed for doing that?

*shrug* not comparing apples with apples. Council tenants with small business owners, not really, no.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

*shrug* not comparing apples with apples. Council tenants with small business owners, not really, no.

Dunno what the incentives are nowadays, but back in the day with the enterprise allowance scheme, I knew a few people who concocted various dubious schemes to get onto that and off the dole - getting someone to deposit a grand in your bank account for a day was part of it, irrc. No doubt some people claiming it actually had genuine business plans.

 

[cesare]

Dunno what the incentives are nowadays, but back in the day with the enterprise allowance scheme, I knew a few people who concocted various dubious schemes to get onto that and off the dole - getting someone to deposit a grand in your bank account for a day was part of it, irrc. No doubt some people claiming it actually had genuine business plans.

So what? And there are some people that claim benefits that they're not entitled to as well. In the scheme of things though, it's minimal. Which is why many people reject the BENEFIT SCROUNGER narrative, or indeed GRANTS SCROUNGER narrative too.

 

[free spirit]

You haven't even read what Marty had to say, have you. You're so desperate to draw attention to the discount that you miss that 100k off London prices doesn't make these properties within reach anymore. Which is why the councils are doing what Marty said.

Good grief.

please state your own case, not Marty's. Are you saying that what I've described isn't happening in London, or that you don't see it as a problem / think that those doing it are in no way responsible for the results of their actions?

Because regardless of Marty's post, the stats show that RTB council housing sales have increased to over 1000 per quarter in London since that discount was increased and are at their highest level of any time in the last decade (still well down on the peak).

Social housing sales (including Right to Buy and transfers) - GOV.UK

Not that the tenants who're doing the RTB are the only ones involved, there are obviously the estate agents, banks, btl landlords etc. all leading them on to do it, providing the finance etc etc.

“Over the years, I have seen many of our estates become virtual honey pots for estate agents and landlords,” adds Pat Callaghan, cabinet member for housing in Labour-led Camden – where 36% of the 8,922 leasehold properties are sub-let.

She says estate agents flyer estates, particularly seeking older tenantswho want to move out of the city. They then fund the purchase, allow them to move and the property goes straight into the private rented sector.

“The landlords want to get as much money as they can for the property, so they split it up and let it out, often to a group of students to share,” she says.

Right to Buy to Let | Analysis | Inside Housing

 

[littlebabyjesus]

So what? And there are some people that claim benefits that they're not entitled to as well. In the scheme of things though, it's minimal. Which is why many people reject the BENEFIT SCROUNGER narrative, or indeed GRANTS SCROUNGER narrative too.

You've misunderstood me, I think. afaic good luck to them, take what you can get when you find yourself at the wrong end of the shitty stick.

In the scheme of things, back in the days of mass unemployment in the late 80s, it wasn't really minimal, though. There was a whole bunch of people doing stuff despite being on the dole, not letting being on the dole defeat them. They weren't scroungers. But they also weren't obedient puppies doing what the state told them to do.

 

[cesare]

From your own link, free spirit 12 properties sold in TH 2012-13

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/363937/LT_648.xlsx

 

[cesare]

You've misunderstood me, I think. afaic good luck to them, take what you can get when you find yourself at the wrong end of the shitty stick.

In the scheme of things, back in the days of mass unemployment in the late 80s, it wasn't really minimal, though. There was a whole bunch of people doing stuff despite being on the dole, not letting being on the dole defeat them. They weren't scroungers. But they also weren't obedient puppies doing what the state told them to do.

I don't really see the relevance to what's happening in TH now though.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I don't really see the relevance to what's happening in TH now though.

Fair enough. Not much.

And I'm not claiming that the coco pop twins are some kind of equivalent to this. They're clearly not.

There is a point about how people get coopted into the system, though, whether that's home ownership or starting your own business. I'm certainly not going to have a go at everyone who starts their own business if the alternative is some crap job with a crap boss.

 

[pocketscience]

*shrug* not comparing apples with apples. Council tenants with small business owners, not really, no.

Cheap affordable private housing lost because of gentrification = Bad Ceraels
Cheap affordable public housing lost because of RTB = loads of humming and ahrring well it's the governments fault

Start a small business in an area of gentrification = Scum
Exercise RTB in a gentrified area and by doing so remove an affordable home from the public domain and put it on the private property market = the government held a gun to their working class head to make them do it

 

[pocketscience]

From your own link, free spirit 12 properties sold in TH 2012-13

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/363937/LT_648.xlsx

Maybe there were only 12 left


eta; just looked at the stats - TH averages over 1000 a year since Y2K

 

[littlebabyjesus]

It's stupid to get lost in blaming individuals for making decisions that are clearly good for them, though. I'm not going to have a go at someone for cashing in on the housing boom - 'scrabbling around to pay the bills vs security for the rest of my life and something to give to the kids, who won't otherwise get what I was given', no don't blame people in that position at all.

 

[free spirit]

From your own link, free spirit 12 properties sold in TH 2012-13

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/363937/LT_648.xlsx

86 in 2013-14, not sure why you gave the previous figure.

and Tower Hamlets actually rates at over 50% of RTB former council houses now being btl private rented.

 

[free spirit]

It's stupid to get lost in blaming individuals for making decisions that are clearly good for them, though. I'm not going to have a go at someone for cashing in on the housing boom - 'scrabbling around to pay the bills vs security for the rest of my life and something to give to the kids, who won't otherwise get what I was given', no don't blame people in that position at all.

similar principle to scabbing in a strike situation. What's good for the individual is bad for the wider community and plays into the tories hands in terms of furthering their ideological agenda and transferring public assets into private hands.

 

[cesare]

Cheap affordable private housing lost to gentrification = Bad
Cheap affordable public housing lost to RTB = loads of humming and ahrring well it's the governments fault

Start a small business in an area of gentrification = Scum
Exercise RTB in a gentrified area and by doing so remove an affordable home from the public domain and put it on the private property market = the government held a gun to their working class head to make them do it

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/363937/LT_648.xlsx

Here's the data set of how widespread RTB is in London, and in particular the East End. The main part of the council properties were lost decades ago, and they weren't replaced so they're not really there to sell on the same scale. There are many reasons for them not being replaced and those reasons are summarised in the report that I linked to earlier today called From Right to Buy to Buy to Let. You're blaming people for something that happened decades ago. But RTB decades ago doesn't explain why gentrification/social cleansing has happened with such speed over the past 5 years or so. You're blaming a small section of the WC for something that happened decades ago, and which hasn't directly caused what's happened in the past 5.

 

[cesare]

Maybe there were only 12 left

Well, yes

 

[cesare]

86 in 2013-14, not sure why you gave the previous figure.

and Tower Hamlets actually rates at over 50% of RTB former council houses now being btl private rented.

Wtf are you telling me what I put on the thread fucking days ago and linked to the actual report that John Biggs was talking about, just this morning.