The Open Place: London's newest anti-social centre?
ftp | 07.03.2012 09:51 | Free Spaces
On Friday 02/03, Londoners were invited to the opening of the 'Open Place', a "radical social centre" at 27 Acre Lane, SW4. They were promised " three films (not sure which ones yet but they'll be good) and a social evening with some grub and home made wine and beer."
On Sunday, 'Peckham squatter commented that the number didn't work, and that several people had attempted to find the centre and failed. Ian couldn't understand how that happened, as apparently "plenty" did find the place and a good night was had by all.
This morning, another another post appeared, saying that the library was now open, and that "our new tea room will also be open from tomorrow afternoon with tea, coffee, buns and sandwiches".
Again the same number was given and again the number is "not recognised". The email given in the first post was theopenplace@riseup.org, but riseup.org shows up as a domain that is for sale. 27 Acre Lane shows up as being in SW2 and part of a building that is 21 - 27 Acre Lane. There is no such email at riseup.net. The only web presence for The Open Place is the two posts to Indymedia.
It thus appears that there is no such place as the Open Place, and that the posts are disinformation. The posts have been hidden, and will remain hidden until such time as the information can be verified.
There have been similar posts in the past, including an invented convergence centre for DSEi, and more recently a bogus fundraiser for 'Dale Farm & Traveller Solidarity Network' at the Socialist Party GB premises in Clapham.
Readers are thus advised to make checks before attending events published on Indymedia sites, as it appears that bogus events are being posted to the sites.
ftp
Comments
Hide the following 5 comments
Always verify things on open newswires
07.03.2012 12:35
Always try and sort the wheat from the chaff when reading the newswire. There are trolls roaming the newswire 24/7, and we need to collectively challenge them and give them the boot. The readership of this site is increasing and so are the trolls. Stay alert comrades!
contributer
Errrr: email
08.03.2012 12:02
Shelter of Crime
a tragic mistake?
09.03.2012 11:52
The phone number is not recognised.
The only place where this "radical social centre" is advertised is on Indymedia.
No-one has yet contacted us to give a correct email or phone number.
ftp
Why should they contact you
10.03.2012 10:06
Perhaps they have other things to do, setting up a Social Centre takes time, they may not have the online access that others do.
Just a thought
@ Just a thought
13.03.2012 08:52
You will be delighted to hear that someone from 'The Open Place' did indeed find time to use the net, and left another fictitious claim, which was auto-hidden by a regex filter, and still relying on the false telephone number. The "radical social centre" has however offered a new email address.
Try emailing theopenplace@gmail.com and you get this message:
Despite the auto-hiding of the post, a comment was left afterwards saying "I best this gets hidden" even though it aready was....
ftp