Skip to content or view screen version

Council's £50,000 attack on volunteer-run social centre

marker | 27.02.2009 19:46 | Culture | Free Spaces | Repression

Press release from The Common Place, for immediate release 7pm 27th Feb 2009

Today Leeds city centre's volunteer-run community space The Common Place lost the court battle to keep its entertainment licence (1). After three problem-free years the licence was withdrawn by Leeds City Council in July 2008 leaving the social centre without its main income. Leeds City Council perceived The Common Place as not being a true members club as we are open to huge variety of events and types of people. This openness had also led to lax procedures when signing non-members in, a condition of the licence.

The Common Place is a space used by many of the most marginalised and vulnerable members of society (2). Carl Gallager of Zermansky and Partners, acting for The Common Place estimates that Leeds City Council have spent in excess of £50 000 bringing this case to court in a attempt to shut down the centre, despite a chorus of support from dozens of groups who use the centre and over 1000 messages of support (3).

Common Place Volunteer Amy Stephenson said, "It beggars belief that despite the deepening recession and the lack of affordable, social city centre venues that the council has spent so much time and effort on the closure of this much-loved resource."

Dom Marsh said, "The Common Place is exactly the sort of place that the council should be encouraging. It provides free space to groups who might struggle to find affordable spaces as well as an amazing gig venue for up-and-coming local performers."

The Common Place Management Committee repeatedly attempted to meet with the Council licensing department to avoid a court case and to reassure them of our status and capability as a members' club. However, this attempt to identify and rectify any perceived problems was rejected outright by the council.

The future of the Common Place is now under serious threat. Without licensed events the ability of the social centre to provide a resource to the people of Leeds is uncertain.

Notes
1) The Common Place is a volunteer run members club and social centre at Wharf Street LS1 - details at www.thecommonplace.org.uk
2) The Common Place is used by groups including the award winning Common Conversation, The Permaculture Association, The United Refugee Organisation, TIDAL (a Leeds-based fair trade association), Theatre Under Fire, St. Anne's Homeless Support, Leeds Domestic Violence Partnership
3) The common place received over 1100 on-line signatures on it's petition and over 30 letters of support from individuals and groups including The Refuge Council, Leeds Metropolitan University Union, Leeds University Union, Church Action on Poverty, Leeds Stepping Out, Ladyfest Leeds, The Healthy Living Network.

marker

Additions

More, from an anonymous source

27.02.2009 23:12

I Wan to be like you
I Wan to be like you

My Attitude
My Attitude

A compassionate man
A compassionate man

I like guns
I like guns

Cops love me
Cops love me

I love cops
I love cops

Somebody being hit on Wan's myspace
Somebody being hit on Wan's myspace

Note the cross, bottom right
Note the cross, bottom right

In context
In context

Animation of somebody being hit in the face
Animation of somebody being hit in the face

Wan posing in riot gear
Wan posing in riot gear

The Common Place can't afford the huge staff training expenses necessary to get an ordinary premises license. Moreover, it is a members club as recognised in law. It seeks to defend these statutory privileges against the recent attacks from Leeds City Council.

Leeds City Council have said that they don't mind what The Common Place does, although they clearly don't 'get' it: They have stated that they were acting on the instructions of West Yorkshire Police.

Beneath this is something even more sinister; we found out that although some of the staff at the licensing department were helpful and sane, there was one particular individual called Wan Malachi who came after us very, very hard indeed. We found out that he was a frustrated ex-forces type who wanted to be a cop. He has links with far-right groups (as evidenced by viewing his myspace page) and enjoys dressing up and posing in riot gear (photos from myspace attached.)

West Yorkshire Police showed very little interest in The Common Place for most of its history as there was never any 'trouble' there (no fights, no drugs, etc.). This all seemed to change when they were told that this was one of the venues that intended to screen "On The Verge," a film about the SmashEDO campaign, last year. Since then they've clearly been on a mission to shut the place down. First they tried to get On The Verge banned by asking Leeds Council, who said that there was no reason the film should not be shown; then they started turning up and harassing the volunteers; finally they 'busted' The Common Place during a fundraiser for Earth First! Action Update.

As if to add insult to injury, they found at the 'bust' that all the licensing requirements were being complied with, but failed to mention that in court when they presented their video evidence entitled, "Operation Capital" choosing instead to present the reactions of a few people who were understandably distressed by having their evening spoiled.

I was there. I heard and saw it all.

Happy Snapper


Comments

Hide the following 10 comments

Get a normal premises licence

27.02.2009 21:02

You can still run a membership scheme for entry alongside that and then be as lax or as strict as you want/need at different times.

MonkeyBot


Spy vs Spy

28.02.2009 14:46

The man....  Wan.Malachi@leeds.gov.uk

Wan.Malachi
mail e-mail: Wan.Malachi@leeds.gov.uk


More Information about this cop-sucker

01.03.2009 08:56

In his previous job as a street warden he was known as 'Mr McGuy', a reference to the nasty screw in the comedy TV series 'Porridge', because he was notoriously sadistic.

Last September this same goon was caught lurking on the socialcentresnetwork mailing list when he forgot to exclude that list from his 'out of office' autoresponder:

 https://lists.riseup.net/www/arc/socialcentrenetwork/2008-09/msg00011.html

* From: (email address removed)
* To:  socialcentrenetwork@lists.riseup.net
* Subject: Re: [socialcentrenetwork] Wan Malachi/CSD/LCC is out of the office.
* Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:11:20 +0100

I've unsubscribed the officer of the leeds licensing department who
had signed up to this list and set his config as 'invisiable' in order
to spy on us.

(name removed)

On 15/09/2008,  Wan.Malachi@leeds.gov.uk wrote:
>
> I will be out of the office starting 12/09/2008 and will not return until
> 22/09/2008.
>
> You may call the Licensing Department on 0113 247 4095 or alternatively you
> can email  entertainment.licensing@leeds.gov.uk
>
>>

Activist Countersurveillance


Wan

01.03.2009 10:14

I remember Wan from his days as some kind of 'Council Street Warden' in Leeds, he used to go around hassling people on the Stop the War stalls etc. He was a particularly unpleasant character. That was back in 2003/4. I remember at the time thinking he was unhinged, I assumed he had been sacked as his bullying, petty and over officious wardening presence on the streets had stopped, seems not sadly.

Hi


He was an odd one

01.03.2009 12:37

As a Street Warden he used to really dislike any protest stalls taking place in Leeds and did his best to stop them. Hardly surprised he doesn't like the Common Place.

Wan***


more Googling of Wan Malachi

01.03.2009 22:28

Chorus of Pain
Chorus of Pain

Kid in riot gear
Kid in riot gear

He certainly seems to be a strange fellow.

Seems like he was in a heavy metal band in the 90s called Chorus of Ruin.
 http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=14018
I think he might be the camp-looking guy on the right.

He is on linkedin described as working in (ahem) "Law Enforcement":
 http://www.linkedin.com/in/wanmalachi
Senior Liaison & Enforcement Officer at Leeds City Council
I'm not registered with linkedin but I think if you are you may see more information.

This website seems to get some results that Google doesn't:
 http://pipl.com/search/?FirstName=Wan&LastName=Malachi&City=&State=&Country=GB&CategoryID=2&Interface=45
Including from the electoral roll at 192.com (you have to pay to see this though).

Where Are You Now profile:
 http://www.wayn.com/waynprofile.html?member_key=4269588
His musical tastes seemed to have mellowed - now it is Morrissey, Kaiser Chiefs and Pink Floyd.
Nickname is "Wantastic69"

His photos are here,
 http://www.wayn.com/waynphotos.html?wci=member&member_key=4269588&ref_id=
Including one of his "lady" and another rather disturbing one that seems to be his son dressed in riot gear, gas mask and holding handcuffs:  http://pictures.wayn.com/photos/main/2772708.jpg

 http://people.icq.com/people/full_details_show.php?uin=198265670&th_type=105
Birthday: 23 Jan 1972

anon


Friend of a friend....

04.03.2009 12:45

His Facebook friend Paul Priest is friend with a couple of acquaintances of the Common Place......or take your time to find more....

nonan


Spotted at 1 in 12 Club

04.04.2009 06:54

This guy 'pictured above' has been spotted at the PAGAN ALTAR show at the 1 in 12 Club Social Center last year. He has also been spotted at a gig in The Manville Arms in Bradford as recently as December 2008. Sources indicate that he is involved in the underground heavy metal scene of West Yorkshire - particularly the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

Luther Blisset


The WanKer

24.06.2009 09:15

He's a rightwing killjoy Wan-Ker who think's he's god.

Hopefully enough dirt can be dug up about his conflict of interest to get him sacked from Leeds council.

DirtyDoggy


Doomed Metal Band

24.06.2009 09:30

 http://www.myspace.com/sinistertales

The WanKer now drums for a doom metal band called Sinister Tales who have a Nazi iron cross as part of their regalia.

Their email address is: sinister.tales@gmail.com



Rolf