Cambridge Atos Are Occupied Again.
Cameraboy | 26.05.2011 22:49 | Public sector cuts | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Cambridge
All part of David Cameron's beautiful vision for a fairer and more just 'Big Society', involving asset stripping everything in the public sector, including the Welfare State.
Nope, I don't watch Corrie either...
Not quite what Norman Tebbit meant.
Letting passersby know what's happening.
Redecorated #1
Redecorated #2
Asleep on the job!
Not the cavalry!
What goes up...
...Must be ripped down!
Taking a picture of him taking a picture of me taking a picture of him...
No more pictures please!
Discussing legal technicalites.
However, many people stayed outside for a while, with one person writing messages in a flipchart book, based upon real questions that Atos ask benefits claimants (see picture). There was some more redecorating of the front door and sign outside with some attractive artwork (see pictures) to brighten up this rather grim place and let everyone know walking past what goes inside this building.
Then things took an interesting turn.
Although it seemed to take them a long time to turn up, two police officers eventually appeared in a van, parked down a side road and entered the building, removing a small poster someone had stuck to the outside of a window, then proceeded to take up residence inside themselves.
An even longer period of time elapsed (those of us outside just talking amongst ourselves and handing out flyers to passersby in the meantime), and then two more officers appeared, along with a private security guard (more about him later), and they too all disappeared inside the building.
I did not join the occupation inside so don't know what took place at this point (comments and stories welcome here about this).
A rumour started to circulate outside that the police may be trying to take out an injunction against the activists to prevent them from entering the Hills Road Atos offices, although this didn't seem to be happening at the time, but it became clear that the police inside the building had told the activists to leave, as they all gathered (police included) in the entrance lobby.
After the legal observer had apparently debated legal technicalities with one of the police officers at the front door (I wasn't party to this conversation), all the activists eventually decided to leave the building, but not before the aforementioned security gaurd (of Advance security) decided it would be a good idea to get out his little camera phone and start pointing it at whoever was nearest to him and try to get mugshots, even of people who never even entered the building.
Needless to say, I took a picture of him trying to take a picture of me when he pointed his diminutive camera phone in my direction!
An injunction was never necessary, as this was to be a very shortlived action, only a couple of hours in duration, and it was all over by 6:00pm!
Cameraboy
Homepage:
http://ukuncut.org.uk/