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National Squatters Meeting 9-10 February 2008 Leeds

squatters meet | 14.12.2007 11:57 | 2008 Days Of Action For Autonomous Spaces | Free Spaces | World

So we are inviting people involved in all squatted autonomous spaces around the UK to meet and discuss the squatting situation and some preparation for the days of action in April. The idea for this meeting is inspired by the recent international meeting in Dijon.

National Squatters Meeting 9-10 February 2008 Leeds


Some of the ideas of what could be discussed at this meeting are…
• Building a stronger network between the squats/Autonomous spaces throughout the UK.
• Initial planning for the days of action.
• The repression and resistance facing Autonomous spaces in the UK.
• How we can make better use of Autonomous spaces in terms of connecting them to issues such as increased surveillance, housing problems, gentrification and the fundamental issue of who owns and controls our land, space and lives.
• The impact of non squatted Autonomous spaces on the squatting movement.
• Breaking out of the “squatting scene”.
• The impact of drugs on the movement.

This is just some ideas of what could come out of this meeting, obviously there is no set agenda as this is decentralized so we want to make a collective decision about what will be discussed at the start of the meeting.
We feel this could be a really positive weekend; we’d like to see loads of you there. We’ve chosen Leeds as a location even though not all of us live there, because although it might not feel like it to you down south but it’s a central location on this island!
Please get in touch if you’re gonna come along, our e-mail is below. It is important for us to know how many people to expect. Please also get in touch if you want help set up or get involved in any other way… Hope to see you all in February….

squatters meet
- e-mail: squatmeetup@googlemail.com

Comments

Hide the following 9 comments

to debate

20.12.2007 12:35

Be nice to widen stuff/the debate up to land, housing, street living, PFI/ property developers/ speculation, traveller communities ( many around London area being moved on all the time ) , shitty councils, Camelot's pseudo squatting, and squatting in general particularly with regard to mobilisation for the international day of squat action in April. Cardboard city action anyone?

If we are going to be concerned about drugs then ( state-imposed ) poverty should be also on the menu. There has been for a long time a tension between so-called 'lifestyle' squatters and 'poor people' who genuinely need to squat; this feeding into the mainstream perception of squatting/party/drugs/lifestylism.. Whilst drugs may be a problem it is not one exclusive to squatting - tho the effects may be more noticable. There are plenty of arrogant rich people ( some of whom sell drugs to squatters who then go around tatting to pay for them and in the process destroying their buildings and potential future homes ) partying out places and pissing off neighbours and other squatters. They have a safety net that others don't. Is the class issue, though ,not to be spoken about by activists but is often noted in books and newspapers ( not to mention the hippy thing ) ? Surely it is no suprise that some of the business squat social centres have been in rather bourgious areas ( leaving all those empty pubs in Tottenham? ).

dispossessed


Flyer

26.12.2007 12:14

Here's a flyer to print and distribute in your local town, if you can't print them then e-mail us your adress and we'll send em to you, but as we don't have much money if you can do it yourself then please do!

Squat Meet Up
mail e-mail: squatmeetup@googlemail.com


great idea

07.01.2008 21:28

"The idea for this meeting is inspired by the recent international meeting in Dijon"

well despite the presence of three people fromn north america i think i was more european than international - but thats a minor quibble!!

hope the meeting goes well, would be really cool to hear what went on...

solidarity from fortress europe!

squat.net/rotterdam
- Homepage: http://squat.net/rotterdam


There's a lot more going on!

30.01.2008 16:42

I can't come to this for other reasons. If I was free, I'd probably be there, but feeling a bit chawsed about it.

It's billed as a "National Squatters Meeting", but the blurb seems to reflect only a very small and rather ghettoised fringe of squatting. I'm not knocking that fringe as I'm part of it myself, but it is very easy to have a blinkered view and think that the world of idealogically-motivated anarcho squatting is all there is, and that's just not the case. Most squatters have never heard of terms like "social centre" or "autonomous space". If introduced to such a place, some would be excited by what's happening whilst others would head for the door, finding it far too scuzzy for them.

There must be at least 10, and probably more like 20, of the jobs n' babies squatters for every one of the anarcho lifestyle types who're interested in autonomous spaces (which I repeat, I'm not knocking). They're mostly in London and many (though not exclusively) are from Poland, Latvia or Lithuania.

Squatting in England & Wales is predominantly about HOUSING, HOUSING, HOUSING. Autonomous spaces, gigs, social centres, arty-farty enterprises in squats are all very well, but very much not representative of squatting as a whole.

Jim

Jim
mail e-mail: dodgy@umpire.com


Not coming either

03.02.2008 11:35

Sadly the indymedia network have decided to hold their long overdue network meeting on the same weekend in a different city so I'll not be going to the squat meet either although I did go to Dijon and am interested in doing something for the April 11/12 mobilisation.

I was also somewhat dubious to see the meeting presented as a national squat meeting although I find it hard to articulate exactly why.

The Dijon meeting was interesting in that many of the people representing spaces that identified with the description 'squats and autonomous spaces', related in fact to spaces that used to be squats but where now rented. Others pointed out that in Italy, for example, there are many fascist squatters and even fascist squatted social centres. Meanwhile in the UK, most of the social centres we have are rented or purchased and most squatters are not politically motivated.

make of this what you will


another london bod


I take it...

03.02.2008 23:06

...that although your invitation is addressed to those "involved in all squatted autonomous spaces", those (such as myself) who are not squatting *right now* are nonetheless welcome, no?

Sometime sqttr


come along

04.02.2008 23:17

yeah of course people not squatting at the moment are welcome.

emma


hello, is there anybody out there...?

08.02.2008 15:16

i'd like to come, but it's difficult when no-one answers your email. maybe it's too late now.

a b
mail e-mail: oneshot_squatmeetup@ubbi.com


location info

08.02.2008 15:17

hey call this number to get directions
07526261061

emma