Hackney Council taken by local people
publica | 20.05.2001 14:07
A group of about 50 local residents briefly occupied Hackney Town Hall, around 2am Sunday morning and turned it into a temporary autonomous zone. They were supported by up to 300 people and various drummers on the square. The action was directed against Hackney Council’s corrupt business practices that led to its bankruptcy, the selling off of public space and the ongoing gentrification of the borough. It coincided with the closure of the legendary scene pub The Samuel Pepys next door, which is to reopen as a trendy wine bar inside the Hackney Empire within 14 months.
The police appeared on the scene within five to ten minutes after the occupation, using 20 riot police, dogs and pepper spray to push people out of the front entrance. Several people were arrested. The crowd refused to disperse until a protester trapped sitting outside a first floor window agreed to come down.
The action followed a long day of drinking that started at the London Fields Festival.
It was in support of Hackney’s vibrant alternative and squatting culture. The police called the action a waste of taxpayer’s money, which is ironic considering Hackney Council’s own record of wasting millions in tax receipts.
The police appeared on the scene within five to ten minutes after the occupation, using 20 riot police, dogs and pepper spray to push people out of the front entrance. Several people were arrested. The crowd refused to disperse until a protester trapped sitting outside a first floor window agreed to come down.
The action followed a long day of drinking that started at the London Fields Festival.
It was in support of Hackney’s vibrant alternative and squatting culture. The police called the action a waste of taxpayer’s money, which is ironic considering Hackney Council’s own record of wasting millions in tax receipts.
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