Monthly Archives: November 2013

Mike Freer MP Constituency Office Occupation

On 22nd November 2013, squat campaigners occupied the forecourt of the Tory Constituency Office in Finchley, London, the office of right-wing politician Mike Freer MP, one of the architects behind Section 144 LASPO. Contains statements from both the occupiers and Mike Freer MP, links to Our Media and Mainstream Media sources.

SQUASH EXCLUSIVE: “Squatting the frontline” by John McDonnell MP

Article by John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, on squatting and Britain’s housing crisis, reproduced from an article in the latest STRIKE! Magazine (Autumn 2013). McDonnell, a staunch supporter of squatting, rips apart the current housing system, the criminalisation of squatting through s144 LASPO and even his fellow Labour MPs who called for the extension of the law to commercial premises. Read more here….

195 Free School: 18th – 24th November

The 195 free school is a week-long series (18th – 24th November 2013) of grassroots events such as presentations, discussions and skill-shares and much more. The event is free and open to all. There events range from queer politics to welding, with a special Housing Day on Thursday 21st November from 12 noon (see the programme below). SQUASH thoroughly recommend this event for anyone interested in squats and squatting, with the chance to hear from voluntary groups working on the frontline of squatting, housing and homelessness, and get the latest updates on legal rights.

SQUASH NewsRound: All Hallows Eve-Guy Fawkes 2013 Special Edition

SQUASH NewsRound: All Hallows Eve-Guy Fawkes 2013 Special Edition: stories in this edition include: 1) Two Years Ago and the Squatting Picnic, 2) Interview from the Park Street Occupation, 3) Ashmount School Occupation, 4) Dissident Island Radio Show, 5) Squatters Win s144 Appeals (Brighton, Wales), 6) “Weatherley is a Coward” Case Continues, 7) Non-Commercial House Remembered, and STRIKE! Now Out

An interview with two ex-squatters

This week the SQUASH Campaign caught up with two ex squatters, Tony Gosling from Bristol, and Eva from London. Here is what was produced. (SQUASH): So… first things first… what made you decide to squat? (Tony): I had to… my landlord turned weird on me & I had to get out fast… I also had no deposit (Eva): I left home when I was 16 and was housed for 4 months in emergency accommodation in a bedsit with a broken lock. Then I was housed in a house for vulnerable women. However the other women living there had mental health […]

Park Street Occupation, Southwark

Housing activists have occupied a property 21 & 23 Park Street, just off Borough market which was owned by Southwark council. The building which has been derelict for ages, basically falling apart with just scaffolding to keep it up, was auctioned with a starting price of £2.3 million and sold for £2.9 million, making it the most expensive council house sold. The occupation is also a challenge to section 114 of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) introduced last September which criminalised squatting in residential properties. Blog includes links to Our Media and Mainstream Media (MSM) articles on the occupation.