#occupy London....

[butchersapron]

Well done on breaking the impasse whoever this is.

 

[claphamboy]

I wonder if there is anyone on this forum who'd know how to find the whereabouts of any other unoccupied bank buildings there may be in London and elsewhere...

The only former bank buildings around here have already been occupied by chain pubs and one, ironically, by a betting office.

 

[claphamboy]

Building being called the 'Bank of Ideas'.

 

[butchersapron]

What a horrible smug name. Never mind.

 

[claphamboy]

Oh, come on, it's a bit amusing and it'll get media attention.

 

[butchersapron]

Sounds like some crap BBC2 find a kid a shit job program.

 

[shaman75]

Website up http://www.bankofideas.org.uk/events/

 

[claphamboy]

The activists plan to set up a "bank of ideas" there tomorrow and open the disused offices and meeting rooms to "those who have lost their nurseries, community centres and youth clubs due to savage Government spending cuts".


A programme of events has been drawn up, including talks from Palestinian activists and comedy by Josie Long, they said.


They described the move as a "public repossession", which they carried out overnight last night when a dozen of them gained access and secured the building.
They now had a "legal claim" on the space, they said.


Occupy London supporter Jack Holburn said: "While over 9,000 families were kicked out of their homes in the last three months for failing to keep up mortgage payments - mostly due to the recession caused by the banks - UBS and other financial giants are sitting on massive abandoned properties.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/occupy-protesters-take-over-ubs-building-6264307.html

 

[butchersapron]

Good move but - without being overly critical - it's houses not empty business properties that are the problem. The impasse is broken though.

 

[butchersapron]

Possibility of holding building for the cold months? Anyone?

 

[8ball]

Good move but - without being overly critical - it's houses not empty business properties that are the problem. The impasse is broken though.

Not sure moving into and occupying the empty third homes of banking executives is something that would generate good PR just yet...

 

[claphamboy]

Good move but - without being overly critical - it's houses not empty business properties that are the problem. The impasse is broken though.

Agreed, but from a campaign/media whore point of view occupying this building, rather than a few empty houses, is as you say, a good move.

 

[maldwyn]

Possibility of holding building for the cold months? Anyone?

I should think there's already a power supply and It would be warmer than Finsbury Square which is spitting distance.

Today it's 15c with an expected low of 9c

 

[Onket]

Well done on breaking the impasse whoever this is.

What a horrible smug name. Never mind.

Agree x2

 

[shaman75]

Pretty sure the building is right opposite another UBS occupied building incidentally, so their staff will be able to see them every day from their office windows.

 

[Dan U]

i hope it gets raved to fuck on eviction weekend.

its got a auditorium and stuff, sounds perfect.

 

[Onket]

i hope it gets raved to fuck on eviction weekend.

its got a auditorium and stuff, sounds perfect.

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

good move imo (and good timing too, all things considered), be interesting to see how this develops.

 

[Pickman's model]

Building being called the 'Bank of Ideas'.

i suspect the hand of tower hamlets council in the name, just another fucking ideas store

 

[Barking_Mad]

heh

After one activist read out their press release about the new occupation, there was a brief Q&A. What did we learn? Well, according to regular camp spokesman Ronan McNern, the building will be "a space for political discussion", hosting this weekend's conference of UK Occupy movements.

To prevent their squatters' rights being undermined, the space will not be open officially to the public, just "guests and friends". But as one activist, Peter Phoenix, said with a smile: "We do have a lot of friends." In other words, turn up and you'll be let in.

They say they want to avoid confrontation with police and have contacted the UBS subsidiary which owns the building to see if they can some to some sort of agreement over its use. Perhaps to little surprise they've heard nothing as yet.

And why UBS? Well, in the main I just think it's a good, useable space in a convenient location. The activists are repeating allegations aired in some UK papers a few years back that UBS's purchase of a package of controversial mortgages called secured appreciation mortgages, mainly sold to older homeowners in the UK in the late 90s, has made the bank a profit of near £1bn at the expense of said pensioners. Nothing illegal has ever been alleged in this, and it wasn't UBS who initially sold the mortgages.

McNern said: "UBS is representative of the sort of bank which is not acting in the public interest. This is a public repossession of their empty building."

 

[Barking_Mad]

photos here: http://www.demotix.com/news/930220/occupy-london-repossess-derelict-ubs-building-city

 

[treelover]

'Hello. Am looking for passionate protesters to take part in a ch4 comedy pilot. Must be London based (or close by) and available next Tuesday and Thursday. If you'd like more info please email roberta.warwick-thom@endemoluk.com - thanks '

Oh dear, recuperation begins...

its endemol as well...

 

[Barking_Mad]

'Hello. Am looking for passionate protesters to take part in a ch4 comedy pilot. Must be London based (or close by) and available next Tuesday and Thursday. If you'd like more info please email roberta.warwick-thom@endemoluk.com - thanks '

Oh dear, recuperation begins...

its endemol as well...

And the correct response to Roberta Warwick is....

 

[treelover]

'http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/column...y-leeds-anti-capitalism-camp-115875-23569796/'

Good Paul Routledge article in the Mirror

 

[Brainaddict]

I suspect, like some people here, some of those setting this up might have wanted to see more substantive political discussion at the occupations. Maybe they also questioned the long term viability of a 'camp' and some of the dynamics developing there - like some people here.

But they didn't sit around complaining about it. They joined in, and created a new front in the occupation. I think it's a great move.

Criticism is good - but it's better if you're prepared to do something about it. *looks pointedly at some of the posters on here*

 

[elbows]

UBS HQ across the street have put their blinds down

http://twitpic.com/7ftwgg

 

[sunnysidedown]

an interesting show of strength as the winter draws in.

 

[DotCommunist]

I suspect, like some people here, some of those setting this up might have wanted to see more substantive political discussion at the occupations. Maybe they also questioned the long term viability of a 'camp' and some of the dynamics developing there - like some people here.

But they didn't sit around complaining about it. They joined in, and created a new front in the occupation. I think it's a great move.

Criticism is good - but it's better if you're prepared to do something about it. *looks pointedly at some of the posters on here*

wag that finger any harder and it'll fall off

 

[Brainaddict]

wag that finger any harder and it'll fall off

I know, I thought that as I wrote it, then thought, fuck it, I don't mind looking like a dick in order to point out other people are being dicks

 

[DotCommunist]

UBS HQ across the street have put their blinds down

http://twitpic.com/7ftwgg

lol- the occupy lot should set up the old plastic cups and string telephone as a link to the workers at the hq