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Squatted centre fights eviction

Jimbo | 12.02.2003 10:40

Bricked in at The Wick.

Residents and supporters of The Wick, a large squatted building in Hackny Wick, have barricaded themselves inside to fight an eviction order which was due to be enforced on Monday.

The Wick was cracked last September by local activists who intended to turn it into something along the lines of a social centre. Despite its short life, it has enjoyed some very successful ventures as well as some awesome parties.

Hundreds of people showed up for the screening of "Injustice", a film about deaths in police custody, and many stayed for the subsequent discussion, where several members of the "Movement for Justice" - made up of relatives of some of those killed by the police - addressed the audience as guest speakers.

Other successes included Zapatista night (Film/discussion) and Traveller night, where a film was shown about the resistance of the Romany and Irish travellers to the forced eviction from their site at Woodside.

In view of the continual closures and selling off of community spaces and assets in Hackney, the squatters and supporters of The Wick have undertaken this principled stand. We know they'll take it back; they'll get police backup, smash the doors in and drag us out. Eventually. But we can make it fucking hard, show them and others that we don't just jump aside for the juggernaut of state and capital. Whatever the future is for this place, you can bet it won't be a free space used for the good of the local community again. So if you enjoyed any of those nights at The Wick, or if you just happen to care about this sort of thing enough to put a few hours in, then please come down and show a bit of support. See you there.

Jimbo

Comments

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get up on the roof

12.02.2003 15:25

yes indeed:

the owner turned up on monday at 2:00 with some really dodgy looking baliffs: the owner looked trully impotent holding a little crowbar (palanca) in his hands as a mob of 20 squatters and friends hurled abuse and heckled them from the roof:

no doubt they'll be back with pigs:

in the mean time the house is well barricaded and the partys on the roof:

its a vegan bbq tonite


if you happen bto pass by with a bag of solidarity the hollar and we'll hear ya

no doughnut munching pigs no arse licking journos

wickhed