Tuesday's morning eviction of Clifton Mansions, a block of flats in Brixton's Coldharbour Lane, signaled the end to one of the longest lasting community of squatters in the neighbourhood. The residents in the 22 flats that had been occupied since the early 1990's were made homeless in the latest operation of further gentrification of central Brixton that involved police in riot gear, a police helicopter hovering over the area, the fire brigade and bailiffs.

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The eviction of Clifton Mansions signals the end of an era for Brixton. Clifton Mansions was not the only squat in the area, and it will not be the last one, but it definitely represented one of the last bastions of resistance to the ongoing gentrification of central Brixton.

As the squatters of Clifton Mansions stated: "now Lambeth Council will pay Camelot, a private company, to provide “live-in guardians” to occupy Clifton Mansions, whilst the squatters have been providing a free guardian service for years. Why make people homeless and then pay a multinational company to occupy their homes? Eventually Lambeth wants to sell Clifton Mansions to property developers, further reducing Lambeth's social housing stock in central Brixton. Clifton Mansions will be turned into luxury flats priced well beyond the means of the local community."

The building now remains lifeless and ready to be put on the market. As one of the tumbles in London Indymedia states: "This used to be a home to people, now it's an asset".

See tumblepics of Clifton Mansions 24 hours after the eviction: 1 | 2 | 3