SPACE INVADED!
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED…..IT WAS ACE!

Manchester Space Invaders landed on Thursday night…. Dodgy TV [ http://dodgytv.blip.tv/] kicked off the weekend with films about squatting (including the OK cafe) and a tribute to Free party stalwart Charlie.This was followed by a late night opening at the new social centre. Intrepid invaders then took to the skies for a night of audacious banner hanging around the city to promote the weekend and No Borders - [ http://april-12.blogspot.com/]

Friday night was the opening bands night at the squat, with everything from punk to folk, via electro randomness. This was a fundraiser for the Basement Social Centre; which lives on through the collective despite being temporarily shut down.
[  http://mcraz.wordpress.com] | [  http://thebasement.clearerchannel.org/new/ ]

On Saturday the Manchester space invaders took to the streets to reclaim some ‘public’ spaces…The family funday was a success despite being somewhat overshadowed by the corporate presence of the Manchester swimathon in Cathedral Gardens. The space invaders supported the teenagers who are constantly moved on and targeted by police for assemblying in ‘public’ spaces. With a range of music, from bike soundsystems to a folk and samba band, space invaders hung out in the sunshine with the I bike MCR art parade. They made banners, painted faces, did tai qi..and were entertained by a magician!

In the evening, up to 200 squatters and No Borders activists held an unauthorised demonstration in the city centre. Accompanied by a samba band and two soundsystems mounted on bike trailers, they marched from Victoria Station into the Northern Quarter, along Market Street and Kings Street, through Spinningfields into Castlefield.

The event, called by the group Manchester No Borders, [ http://manchesternoborders.org.uk ] called for the defence of squatted spaces and the freedom of movement for all. Squats and autonomous spaces face a hard time from the authorities. Yet, for many people, especially some migrant communities, they are the only alternative to homelessness.

The demonstration highlighted the ridiculousness of hundreds of houses standing empty, while many of us face extortionate rents, mortgage repayments or eviction threats.

At the end of the march in Castlefields, the protesters succeeded in taking symbolic action against the redevelopment of the area, occupying an old pub and having a celebration of autonomous spaces. The redevelopment of Jackson’s Wharf into a block of flats was recently fought off by local opposition; but in many parts of the city the battle has been less successful.

After the demonstration some space invaders took off to a party in an old furniture warehouse in Ardwick, but this was sadly busted by the police and shut down after a couple of hours..


GET INVOLVED!

The home of Manchester Space Invaders in Moss Side is a beautiful building, an old church/Youth Offenders Institute, 135 Chichester Rd South, Moss Side (next to Kath Locke centre). We are in court this Thurs…we need your help!
Do you have any good legal advice? Space that we could store equipment in? Transport?

We want to keep this project going..and occupy another building..

putting on an event? Would you like to help in the vegan cafe? Got an art installation you want to show? Film screening? need somewhere to have a band practise? Any other random ideas that require a social space to work?
Call 07526256932, or email  manchesterspaceinvaders@yahoo.co.uk