UK Indymedia | Ex Grand Banks evicted!

Eviction in progress at Ex Grand Bank Occupied Social Centre.

This morning at 6 cops in large numbers with bailiffs showed up at the Ex Grand Bank Occupied Social Centre for eviction. Forward Intelligence Team was filming the event and taking photographs of everyone. People are trying to move and secure stuff before leaving the building.

There is going to be an emergency meeting at 7.30pm at Chalk Farm Rd.

Around forty police along with about 30 bailiffs smashed down the front door of the occupied social centre at something like 5.30am this morning.

The small number of people inside were searched and police intelligence teams filmed and photographed peoples notebooks and much of the other paper based material they could find.

Some people have since been allowed briefly back inside to recover some of their possessions inside.

Last week a police surveillance and intimidation operation was reported outside the social centre against a meeting for autonomous and self organised spaces for the european social forum due to be held in london in october.

The occupied social centre had proven to be one of the most successful squatted community projects for some time, providing a vibrant mix of workshops and skills share from screen printing to radio training. It had played host to some world renowned musicians and singers and provided a valuable meeting place for many campaigns.

The recently announced series of six weekly themed evenings in preperation for the Beyond ESF event in October will go ahead - a new venue for the evenings will be announced soon. Ironicaly the first of these evenings was held last saturday on the subject of surveillance and control and included a discussion on police harassment.

See Occupied Social Centre Pages:

http://www.wombles.org.uk/scn/socialcentres.php

Beyond ESF:

http://www.wombles.org.uk/auto/

Autonomous and Self Organised Spaces for the ESF:

http://www.altspaces.net

Agents of the New World Order, defending their own oppressors, brutally evicted the brave resisters to global rape, murder and pillage, at the ex-Grand Banks.

Tufnell Park will be bereft without the occupied social centre. It brought a good-vibe to the area and provided a positive outlet for free expression within the totalitarian fascist regime, formerly known as “Great” Britain, now called Blunkettown where civil rights gets crushed down.

The Grand Banks will remain empty until it can be restored to an exclusive wine bar, where those who tow-the-corporate-line, can pretend to relax, after slaving for the state.

The Autonomous and Self Organised Spaces meeting for the ESF due to be held at grand banks is still going ahead tomorrow (thursday) but has now been moved to LARC:

Thursday 26th August 7.30 pm

LARC - London Action Resource Centre

http://www.londonarc.org
62 Fieldgate Street,
Whitechapel,
London
E1 1ES

Autonomous and Self Organised Spaces for the ESF:

http://www.altspaces.net

If you can translate this article please do so. The URL on the Translation Page is:

http://translations.indymedia.org/Translations/1093515382/index_html

German Translation has been done and postet here:

http://de.indymedia.org/2004/08/90726.shtml

Even if you discount the loss of the community centre, it still strikes me as pretty silly to try to turn the Ex Grand Banks back into a bar. They tried that three times already, and every time they failed. Tufnell Park is adequately served in the booze department by the Boston Arms, the Progress Bar and the Junction Tavern (your choice depends on the girth of your wallet).

How long before the new venture completely fails, and we have another bit of wated real-estate going begging? Start the bidding at 6 months...

eviction

boarding up the front door

Here are some photos from outside Grand Banks on the morning of the eviction, around 8am.

/m

the pictures are later in the day when some people were allowed back to collect personal possessions etc

a quite favourable article has appeared in the Camden New Journal local newspaper, they also gave over some space in their forum section to allow the social centre peeps to give their side of the story.

Beyond the ESF ( Saturday Evening )Events as advertised ashappening at the Grand Banks are still going ahead - just at different autonomous locations -

These are a series of six themed talks, presentations and open discussions leading up to the Beyond ESF cvonference in October.

Saturday 28th August - Social Centres- Social centres and autonomous spaces, including Grand Banks, autonomous lab, St Agnes Place. Presentations, debate, live music, veggie food. Check www.wombles.org.uk for details.

Saturday 4th September - Precarity - the new europe of flexible labour, casualisation, dole resistance.

Saturday 11th Septem,ber - No Borders

Saturday 18th September - Zapatismo - News, fims, and Chiapas Solidarity.

Saturday 25th september - G8 Scotland 2005 - Mobilisation

Working Groups meetings are still going ahead. Radio, Arts etc. keep watching and listening and doing.

The Gorilla Type Bar increases leverage power by over 50%.
Made from high-grade one piece forged steel. Prices starting from around £6.50

Pics of the Classic Security bailiffs at the Banks.

Beyond ESf infonights - NEW VENUE

6 saturday nights of political discussion, films, exhibitions, food, live music & dj’s

Due to Grand Banks eviction, a new venue has been found - see dates below for details.
Saturday 28th August & Saturday 4th September - VENUE: ARCHWAY THEATRE, Archway roundabout, behind methodist church, opp. Archway station.

11th, 18th & 25th September: VENUE tba

........................................................................

sat 21st august to sat 25th september
7PM - late (entry by donation)

a series of 6 themed talks, presentations & open discussions to lead up to the ‘Beyond ESF’ conference in October

*saturday 21st august :: surveillance & control
anti-terrorism laws, ASBOs, ID cards, cctv, surveillance of political activists.

*saturday 28th august :: social centres
VENUE: ARCHWAY THEATRE
social centres & autonomous spaces, including grand banks, autonomous lab, RampART, Use Yer Loaf.
acoustic bands: Figurine & more

*saturday 4th September :: precarious work
VENUE: ARCHWAY THEATRE
the new europe of flexible labour, casualisation, dole resistance..

*saturday 11th September :: no borders
VENUE: tba
detention centres, living ‘illegally’, new EU borders ...

*saturday 18th September :: zapatismo
VENUE: tba
news from chiapas, international solidarity & inspiration, films.

*saturday 25th September :: G8 Scotland 2005
VENUE: tba
What does the G8 do & why should we mobilise against it?

The 3rd European Social Forum takes place in London from 14-17 October 2004. Following on from the previous social forums in Florence and Paris, it will attract tens of thousands of activists from diverse backgrounds under the banner of "Another World is Possible". Though it may be seen as a positive step by some of what has been termed by the media as, 'the anti-globalisation movement', in reality it functions as a place where political parties and social democrats can co-opt and dominate for their own purposes, a new movement against capital. During the past decades, struggles involving millions of people against the regime of capitalism and the state, have shown a rejection of the old leftist aspirations of seizing the state power, and continue to go beyond the limits of those struggles by questioning the very existence of the state and hierarchically organised power. WOMBLES, an anti-authoritarian social struggle initiative, was formed from the inspiration of this movement and continues, with projects like the Occupied Social Centre, to create similar movements here in the UK.

Therefore during the ESF, we will not participate in this act of co-option that has been sponsored by the Mayor of London, and every old communist sect and party. We do, however want to continue the radicalisation that we have seen during the recent mobilisations against the World Trade Organisation, G8, IMF and World Bank summits and call for participation in BEYOND ESF - a self-organised, radically different event which will run through out the ESF days. We are also working with other initiatives as part of the 'Autonomous Spaces During the ESF' to create visibility of other autonomous events.

We invite groups, networks and individuals to join in organising and participating in discussion and direct action around specific themes, in both legal and occupied spaces.

Beyond ESF will be a series of discussions, talks, films & actions, structured around 6 themes, to take place from 14th-17th October, during the days of the ESF.

In the run-up to Beyond ESF, we have planned this series of open discussions, in order to create an open process for people to participate in organising, suggesting workshops and contributing to the ideas that will form the basis of the events we are planning for October.

We also hope to use these events to fundraise for the autonomous spaces, which is why we ask for donations at the door.

For more information:
www.wombles.org.uk
www.altspaces.net

Email:

autospaces@yahoo.co.uk

wombles@hushmail.com

Please be prepared for police surveillance and harassment outside these events.

In response to Mrs. Doubtfire patronising comments about Tufnell Park being "bereft without the occupied social centre", whilst I fully support(ed) the centre, preferring the occupation to another wine bar etc. this kind of holier than thou attitude seriously pisses me off, from chats with my neighbours I suspect quite a few other locals as well.

The idea that local people are incapable of creating a thriving , vibrant and pleasant ciommunity without having the path pointed out by a group of anarchists is rather typical of the 'alternative politicos' in my experience.

I'd welcome the social centre's return but keep your sanctimonious bullshit behind next time.

A Local Tufnell Park Resident.

as to the idiotic comments about choices of 3 existing bars, well we are really 'spoilt' for choice there aren't we, thank heavens for the other end of Brecknock Road!

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25.08.2004 09:22

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Ex Grand Banks evicted!

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Sad Day for Tufnell Park

Change of meeting venue due to eviction

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Just what we need - another winebar

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Ex Grand Banks Events

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Beyond ESf infonights - NEW VENUE

Not Such A Sad Day for Tufnell Park

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