Tag Archives: arrests

Squatting Stats 2015 version 2 released

Original report, “Squatting Statistics 2015” has been updated as Version 2.0 with additional information on:
1] Prosecutions & Convictions for section 144 & “Begging”: Analysis of Ministry of Justice Criminal Justice statistics, released 19 May 2016
2] Crime Related Incidents (CRI): Greater Manchester Police submitted information about “squatting” CRIs in 2015, providing useful background on Alternative Offences, and evidence of vulnerable adults & children squatting.

Squatting & Criminalisation in the Netherlands

On the 11th June 2016, ETC Dee gave a presentation at the DeCentre space in Whitechapel, entitled “Squatting in the Netherlands”. The talk looked at well-known squats & social centres, the 2010 law criminalising squatting and its impact, and finally a history of squatting in the Netherlands. Both the Netherlands and England&Wales have a long squatting history, and both recently had squatting criminalised by their respective right-wing governments. However, there are key differences too: all squatting was criminalised in Holland, and only residential in England&Wales; Holland criminalised squatting two years before England&Wales, and the Dutch government appears more inclined to imprison squatters.

PRESS RELEASE – Squatting Stats 2015: rising homelessness linked to criminalisation of squatting

The latest report, “Squatting Statistics 2015: The link between rising homelessness and the criminalisation of squatting” (May 2016), from Squatters Action for Secure Homes (SQUASH), in partnership with Streets Kitchen, found that 148 people were arrested under section 144 in 2015, bringing the total number of people arrested for the offence to at least 736 since 2012. The criminalisation of squatting in residential properties in England and Wales, through section 144 of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (2011), is leading to the arrest of young homeless people in the hundreds, rising street homelessness and is pushing up residential property prices.

Squatting Spring – 2015

Stories in SQUASH NewsRound: Squatting Spring 2015

– Fight for the Aylesbury
– Sweets Way & Guinness Trust Occupation
– Liverpool Love Activists
– Reclaim Brixton
– Autonomous Nation of Anarchist Libertarians (aka ANAL)
– Elephant & Castle Social Centre
– Brighton Radical Bank
– Peterborough Squatters Autonomy
– Queer Punx @ The Black Cap
– Land Squats – Runnymede Eco-Village & Grow Heathrow
– Global – Ireland & Brazil
– “Homes, Not Jails” & Further Case Studies

“Homes, Not Jails” – SQUASH’s latest report

Squatting in England and Wales has become increasingly more difficult, unstable and uncertain over the last two and a half years, due in so small part to section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (s144 LASPOA) which came into force in September 2012. The new law criminalised squatting in empty residential premises, and made what was a civil matter into a criminal offence, meaning that the police and magistrates were now involved. Two years on, SQUASH has released its latest report “Homes, Not Jails” (April 2015), a 28-month review of the effects of s144 LASPOA using freedom of information data and case studies.

SQUASH NewsRound: Mid-January 2013

The NewsRound will be a fortnightly to monthly post, keeping tabs on articles being posted in MainStream Media (MSM) sources, as well as independent channels (eg IMC, SchNEWS) about squatting, the new law (s.144) and possible new legislation (eg commercial). For the Period: 1st January – 5th February 2013. Contains: Early Day Motion 192, Repeal s144 LASPO Petition, Friern Barnet Library Saved Thanks to Squatting, Curtailing Freedom of Information by Criminalising Squatting, Another Arrest, Attack of the Media Whores, Greece: The Attack on Greek Squats [Villa Amalias et al], Brazil: “This fight will not be done for you, it will be done by you.” , Ireland: “Squatter told he can stay in NAMA ghost estate home”, Lambeth Super Co-op, Property Guardianship company Ad Hoc in Cardiff, Haringey Housing Public Event and Freedom Bookshop Firebombed.

SQUASH NewsRound: January 2013

The NewsRound will be a fortnightly to monthly post, keeping tabs on articles being posted in MainStream Media sources, as well as independent channels about squatting, the new law and possible new legislation. For the Period: 23rd November 2012 – 15th January 2013. Contains: Raids on Squat in Vauxhall, Resistance at Camden Garden Centre, Arrests in Leicester and Brighton, Spanish Locksmiths go on strike, Tory attempts to criminalise commercial, Adrian Nettleton’s Occupy and Explore exhibition, Heygate Estate planning committee meeting, and demonstration at City Hall to demand fair rents.