Church Violently Evicts Squatters From Cinema
[London] | 30.05.2010 10:22 | London
On Saturday the 29th of May, at 5am around 40 church congregation members broke into the old Carlton Cinema on Essex Road, where a group of around 10 squatters were living. The cinema is owned by Resurrection Manifestation, an evangelical church currently based in Enfield.
The church members, some with their own weapons such as hammers and others picking up anything they could find on the floor woke the occupants up screaming "leave now!" One man was woken up by a strip light being smashed in his face. Another man got glass in his eye from a church member affronting him with a broken bottle. "They sprayed fire extinguishers in our faces and grabbed us by our clothes and threw us around," said one person living in the cinema.
One churchgoer in particular was very aggressive and clearly charged for a fight, shouting 'out now!' and breaking windows. Other congregation members kicked in tents where people were sleeping and said things like "what you're doing is wrong." This seemed a little ironic when they were throwing homeless people onto the street.
One of the strangest things about the siege was that the church had already got court papers for the squat and the date was on the 18th of June. The group had already been in the cinema for one month. Prior to the attack the group had a good relationship with the caretaker of the building, calming his fears about damaging the building by letting the fire brigade look around four times and deem it ok. The caretaker had the telephone number of two of the occupants and called regularly. So it seems like even more of a betrayal to the trust we thought we had built up.
The church has plans to make the cinema into a church as well as a seven-storey block of 44 flats and a new 520-seat basement-banqueting hall. Is this the kind of community we want in Islington? One that uses crazed violence in the name of the lord. ‘If there had been more of us we would have refused to leave the building and resisted.’ Said an occupant, ‘But because there were only 7 of us in at the time we feared for our safety. We are still unsure how they got in.’
[London]
Original article on IMC London:
http://london.indymedia.org/articles/4910
Comments
Hide the following 8 comments
JERICHO!
30.05.2010 10:44
THE GATEKEEPER!
illegal eviction
30.05.2010 11:21
Section 6 Criminal Law Act 1977
As amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
Any entry or attempt to enter into this property without the occupants permission is a criminal offence if any one who is in physical possession is opposed to entry without permission.
Attempts to enter by violence or by threatening violence may result in a sentence of up to six months imprisonment and/or a fine of up to £5,000.
Please contact Advisory Service for Squatters
Address:
Angel Alley, 84b Whitechapel High Street
Whitechapel
London
England
E1 7QX
E-mail:
Telephone: 020-32160099
Fax: 020-3216-0098
Information: Office Hours- Monday to friday 2pm-6pm. Please phone first. From landlines outside of London it is cheaper to ring 0845-644-5814.
Jimmae
e-mail:
advice@squatter.org.uk
Homepage:
http://www.squatter.org.uk/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
Sorry but
30.05.2010 12:20
anon
Violent nutters
30.05.2010 12:31
As was already stated, challenge it as an illegal eviction.
Atheist
put out a call out
30.05.2010 13:08
remember your not alone, and remember that if a few of them get hospitalised it'll send a good message to the rest of the landlords you deal with.
if their good with you, your good with them.
they attack you, their fucking dead men walking.
(-A-)
seriously, if you wanna go the legal route and make abit of money, fine.
but If your not, take it to their fucking homes.
thug
Ugh.
30.05.2010 14:04
Comatus (a Christian and an Anarchist)
Comatus
e-mail:
comatus1649@riseup.net
An observation.
30.05.2010 15:39
As with all things legal, it would be prudent to gain the insight of someone with legal experience in these matters. But, it is reasonable for anybody to go to a planning committee and object.
Not Rumpole
more info on resurrection manifestation
30.05.2010 15:43
riotact