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Illegal Eviction in Cotham: What Happened

Dirty Squatter | 26.08.2010 23:22

Members of the public were treated to the full force of the Avon & Somerset Police Force as they moved in to illegally evict a group of squatters from 54 Fremantle Road in Cotham on 26th of August. 20 police officers, mobile CCTV, 2 dog units, armed response units, helicopter, undercover officers and CID were present at the eviction which took place in the early afternoon.
Police arrived at the premises around midday and began throwing around false accusations of criminal damage, despite any evidence and two earlier visits where occupiers were told by the police that it was to be treated as a civil matter.

Soon a 30 strong group of supporters gathered around to witness the blatant abuse of state power. They offered the police well-needed legal advice which was blindly ignored by the pigs. It didn't take them long to bring out the battering ram and jaws of life and start attacking the door – causing MORE criminal damage than they'd accused the occupiers of committing!

Even though there was only an impromptu barricade, the felt the need to almost bring down the porch, and endanger people who loud and clearly stated that they were behind the door.

Occupiers resisted the illegal eviction with members of the household trying to cool the situation by dousing the officers with fire extinguishers and at one point launching a frozen food package at the hungry pigs! Unluckily there was a window between the pig and it's food, which shattered in the face of the hopeful and starving.

After busting down the door (and half of the wall) officers flooded into the building to find the building empty – seems that we are still faster and slyer than them! Which is not difficult when you consider the average IQ of most police officers.

It seems pigs still can't fly properly! A police helicopter turned up on the scene to track the movements of the escapees but instead wasted it's £5,000 take off cost on pointless hovering. The timely arrival of the FIT team served to do nothing but annoy the people protesting outside, as all the action had already happened at this point. Better late than never!

Police Dogs were moved in to disperse the large crowd that was now gathering around the building but it seemed one of the dogs had a serious pork deficiency in it's diet and decided to snack down on it's handler!

Unfortunately two of the occupiers were arrested at tazer-point after the police smashed their way into the basement (after admitting on camera that they had no legal right to enter). We wouldn't be surprised if this evidence was lost during the court case that is sure to follow. Luckily the two arrestees were released from Trinity Road police station later that night after being charged with burglary and criminal damage (this is despite having their window smashed in and all their possessions seized by the filth!).

I don't know about you, but we've never heard of burglars breaking into a building then living there for several months and filling it with all their precious items!

Overall it was a useless and rather unsuccessful display of power on behalf of the police – no matter how many times you evict us we'll just squat ten more!

Dirty Squatter
- Original article on IMC Bristol: http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/693281