[tml] SchNEWS 527, SQUAT CAFE RESISTS
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13th January 2006, Issue 527
WAKE UP! WAKE UP! ITS YER HACKNEYED OLD...
SchNEWS
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HACKED OFF - SQUAT CAFE RESISTS HACKNEY COUNCIL SELL-OFF
There's a gold rush afoot in east London, and we're not invited.
Also left in the cold is Sicilian café-owner Tony Platia who,
together with other locals in the borough of Hackney, has recently
re-occupied Francesca's Café, his business of 30 years, after
being booted out last summer. It was one of many premises sold
from under tenants' feet as the Council scrambled to dispose of
their property over the last few years.
Now the shop front has turned frontline, barricaded in the battle
to halt an ongoing stampede of investors and speculators, trailing
a stench of corruption in their wake that would make Robert Mugabe
blush. Tony had right of first refusal and tried to buy his
place - but his cheques somehow kept getting lost in the post
before they reached the Council. You, too, could get a slice of
the real estate pie - if you don't mind furnishing the right
officials with a few back-handers.
Francesca's Cafe, at 34 Broadway Market, E8, was bought in 2003 by
multi-millionaire investor Roger Wratten, in order to build a
block of luxury flats. From his mansion in Kent, Wratten is
currently under investigation by the Inland Revenue for
money laundering and tax evasion. Still, he's managed to buy up a
rash of properties across the borough, including 2 Broadway
Market, until recently the site of Little Georgia, another
popular, local caff. Last August, the very day Wratten was
supposed to sign a lease with the café's live-in manager, Tikka,
he abruptly raised his asking price - three days later, he turned
up early in the morning and turfed her on to the street.
"If we'd been in Sicily," Tony assures us, "none of this would've
happened. I've lost my home, I've lost my business, I've lost
everything. How can I accept that?" Indeed, he didn't take it
lying down. It took 50 cops and 10 bailiffs to evict him the first
time, last July. Since he re-occupied the café on November 27th,
he's tapped a deep vein of local frustration and outrage at the
Council, and Hackney residents have rallied around.
Other ex-Council tenants have come forward with similar stories of
being swindled out of their homes and livelihoods.
Shoppers have donated food, cash and blankets to Francesca's. A
regular face at the café is Betty Shanks, Mayor of Hackney in
1985, who's demanded the Council remove her photo from their walls
in disgust. The occupied café now boasts a 20 foot scaffold tripod
rising from its roof, ready to help the more nimble occupiers
evade the bailiffs.
Wratten Boroughs
The current wave of gentrification that's bringing Wratten such
rich pickings is down to the combination of a local real estate
bonanza, and a cash-strapped council desperate to flog off its
assets. Hackney Council has proved hugely successful, over the
years, at throwing away money on ill-fated management schemes.
Aiming to get out of the red in the second half of the 90s,
Hackney flogged £30 million of its own property, in keeping with a
series of privatisations among London councils at the time.
Nurseries and libraries tumbled to the ground, swimming pools
evaporated, and all manner of voluntary advice and advocacy groups
shut up shop.
But still the council wasted cash. A botched attempt to outsource
social security benefits left it £36 million out of pocket. And
its failed 'Transforming Hackney' programme of institutional
change led to an accounting cock-up which, we're led to believe,
meant that when the auditors arrived in 2001, they found a
financial 'black hole' of £72 million.
>From then on, central government turned the screw, the funding
cuts got deeper, the sell-offs accelerated (See 'Hackney Not 4
Sale' article, SchNEWS of the World). At the same time, with a
still burgeoning London population, newly-extended underground
line and the 2012 London Olympics shimmering lucratively on the
horizon, Hackney's streets began to seem paved with gold.
Broadway Market, oozes the Labour-run council, is now 'home to one
of London's newest farmers markets, and an increasing range of
specialist independent fashion boutiques, galleries, delis and
bistros... a truly dynamic urban environment.' Yet, limping
wretchedly amid financial and administrative chaos, the council
has gone about stripping its assets like a former Eastern Bloc
country circa 1991. In this part of London, rats don't abandon a
sinking ship - they stay on board to hand out the rich spoils to
their mates. And not sharks, but wolves have gathered.
Community Spirit
Up the road from Francesca's at number 71, a Rastafarian named
Spirit has built up his Nutritious Food Gallery since 1993,
selling fresh fish and veg. Like Tony, he tried to buy the
property in December 2001, presenting the council's estate agents
with a deposit cheque for £10,000. Mysteriously, it was later sent
back to him, unused. He turned up at the auction the same day. In
a spectacular coup for Hackney's Equal Opportunities policy, the
only black Rastafarian to have attended the sale was summarily
barred, due to 'concerns' that he may not have been able to pay.
For the time being, Spirit is still trading, but now his place is
owned by Broadway Investments (Hackney) Ltd., run from a PO box in
Nassau in the Bahamas. Since 1997, while it's often proved
impossible for locals to buy out their own places, the
council has been keen to spread a little bit of Hackney all over
the world - selling properties across the borough to companies in
Moscow, South Africa and Dubai. But many, apparently unrelated,
individual companies to have walked off with ex-council stock have
turned out, curiously, to be traceable back to Nassau.
But for all the council's claims to have been seeking 'best
consideration' - that's the highest price, to the you and I - in
respect of the properties they've sold, 'Broadway Investments'
underbid Spirit by £15,000. You don't need to go by Spirit's shop
to catch the whiff of something fishy. The entire debacle of the
Hackney's sell-offs is currently being investigated by Scotland
Yard's Public Sector Fraud Office.
Back at Francesca's last December 21st, Wratten's men turned up
brandishing a court order, and managed to evict the newly-occupied
café. They demolished the roof, stairs and rear wall, before the
Health and Safety Executive turned up and stopped them. On Boxing
day, however, the locals re-squatted the place and, with the help
of some friendly nearby builders, managed to re-build the roof and
walls.
'Occupation by the local community' reads the banner above the
door of Francesca's. 'Against Corrupt developers. We want our café
not yuppie flats!' The pressure is on the council to find a way of
re-possessing Spirit and Tony's properties on their
behalf, come clean about the corrupt sell-offs, and end its
relentless drive toward a brave new bourgeois world of creative
'agencies', and skatewear boutiques, in which beer is only to be
sipped in some infernal, minimalist den of glass and marble.
As SchNEWS went to press, the occupiers of the café at number 34
were expecting an eviction any day. Should bailiffs move in on
Spirit's shop, they've promised to occupy that too. "The support
of community has been brilliant," enthuses Tony; "they've been all
Sicilians here, except without the shotguns."
* http://34broadwaymarket.omweb.org/modules/wakka/HomePage
* http://hackneygetsrippedoff.blogspot.com
PUBLIC MEETING
Monday 16th January 7.30-9.30pm. St Michael's Church Hall, cnr of
Lansdowne Drive & Lavender Grove, Hackney E8.
Come and have your say before Deputy Mayor of Hackney, Jessica
Crowe
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'NUFF RESPECT
Respect to the underage ASBO sin-bin massiveBig up the respec'
agenda - ASBO massive in da house. The Respect agenda - what's it
all about? Could it be an attempt to head off the Tories in the
headlong rush to the right, or nick the name of Gorgeous George
Galloway's personality cult while he's preoccupied in the hot tub
with Dennis Rodman. In fact it's a cobbled together manifesto of
rehashed ideas which exposes the neo-Labour project as the
kneejerk crackdown conservatism it actually is.
Some parts of society are suffering from increasing friction and a
breakdown in any sense of community. So what's to blame for the
collapse in society's good manners? 'Flexible' working conditions?
Low pay? The highest house prices in history?
Alienation and the tedium of life on the treadmill in 21st Century
Britain? Perhaps the fact that a price tag has been put on every
aspect of public life? No, how stupid of us - it's just a
mysterious upsurge in 'anti-social behaviour' caused by bad
parents and lack of proper respect for authority.
Watching this lying warmonger pushing 'respect' is like having an
arsonist trying to sell you a fire extinguisher when your house is
in flames. Something's wrong but you can't quite put your fist on
it.
Despite a bombardment of propaganda about hooded tops and binge
drinking 'Neighbours from Hell' etc etc- it seems that only 17% of
people on the street are 'worried' about anti-social behaviour.
This has been taken by Tony's crew as a mandate for - you guessed
it - extra police and state powers i.e. more CCTV, ASBOs , ABCs
and all the usual death by acronym. ASBOs for kiddies under ten,
on the spot fines for graffiti artists and a clamp down on mobile
phones in school are all on the agenda.
'Course it doesn't matter if any of this actually addresses any
real problems as long it gets the front page of the Daily 'Hate'
Mail.
And no prizes for guessing which income bracket this effort is
targeted at. In fact it looks like Neo-Labour have stuck by their
promise to be tough on the causes of crime - only they reckon the
cause of crime is not poverty but the poor. And in charge of the
project is yet another "Tsar". Is there a reason why New Labour
loves styling its supremos after the autocratic rulers of Imperial
Russia? Perhaps we should be told. Maybe if these Tsars left the
Winter Palace of Westminster and looked at life on an estate they
might learn the real meaning of respect.
Effortlessly sailing past the causes of social breakdown to the
symptoms, the raft (a rudderless vessel heading inexorably
downstream) of new summary powers will extend compulsory parenting
programmes. Despite opposition by 98% of Housing
Associations, the proposals include cuts to housing benefit and
eviction for people not toeing the line. In ASBOland homelessness
is a cure for social breakdown. Problem families will be shoved
into a national network of parenting academies or 'sinbins', which
might bear superficial but irrelevant resemblances to prison
camps.
Image conscious Neo Labour has even produced a logo for the
campaign, featuring two arrows circling each other. It's themed on
recycling: what goes around comes around. If you give respect you
get it back. Perhaps if the politicians showed more respect for
our poorer communities, people would offer respect back.
RESPECT YERSELF!
Meanwhile here's some communities earning real respect for staying
intact despite the corporate onslaught:
* Following a three month struggle, locals in Haringey have
succeeded in saving their local boozer from the clutch of rampant
property developers. The Fountain Pub in West Green Rd, N15 was a
well-used local community facility which ended up facing
demolition to make way for yet more luxury flats. The struggle and
resistance by a united community resulted in Haringey council
being forced to agree that the pub was a valuable community
facility. Residents successfully argued that closing the place
would contravene the Council's own policy on 'Protecting Existing
Community Facilities'. Locals began mobilising their community,
getting hundreds to sign petitions, organised public meetings, ran
leaflet drops and raised the campaign's profile through the local
media.
To contact the Haringey Solidarity Group: www.haringey.org.uk
* Over in Oxford the Jericho Boatyard Campaign has also had a busy
year resisting the potential loss of community space to (oh yes!),
yet more luxury homes. The huge need for sustainable and
affordable living space in Oxford will certainly not be provided
by this Bellway Corporate development or Blair's ASBOs. British
Waterways, the body that is supposed to maintain the UK's canals,
is planning to sell this and other land off. The campaign has seen
some success with the council's refusal to grant planning
permission, but the squatters at the Castlemill Boatyard had their
court hearing last month, and now face
eviction at the end of February with a demand for £2,500 in costs
to boot. For more on the Castlemill Boatyard check
www.portmeadow.org
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SchNEWS in brief
* Newcastle Green Fest crew are asking for anyone with mobile
renewable power or biodiesel generators to contact them, as
they're trying to go 100% renewably-powered at this year's
Greenfestival on May bank holiday
www.newcastlegreenfestival.org.uk
* Do you know Helen Veda (Kazai) last known to be with a
travellers group at Brigg in 1994. Please contact Arani and Co
Solicitors on 0208 893 5000 and ask for Nick, asap.
* Ten years since work started on the Newbury Bypass and guess
what? New research shows that the bypass has fuelled traffic
growth of just under 50%, congestion is as bad in town at rush
hour as it was prior to the bypass opening, and that the new road
has encouraged more traffic. Well worth £100 million plus.
www.roadblock.org.uk
* From the people that bought you the G8 Bikeride 2005 ("pedaling
from London to Scotland") comes the Bicycology Roadshow 2006. The
idea is a roadshow involving workshops, climate change awareness,
bike maintenance, bike-art, sustainable living, cinema, cafe and
street performance, cycling around the country, linking up with
local projects and campaigns to spread the word about all things
bike-related. If you're interested in getting involved email
info@bicycology.co.uk
* 15 young anti-dam activists staged a noisy sit-down demo in
Iceland's Ministry of Industry last Monday. This action is part of
an on-going campaign against Capital's latest earth-rape in the
shape of a number of new hydro-dam projects in the country. Two of
the activists were given suspended sentences and ordered to pay
£6000 in fines and expenses. A huge benefit gig with Bjork was
held in Rekyavik to raise money and interest in this new upsurge
of eco-resistance. www.savingiceland.org
* Smash EDO are having another noise demo on the 18th outside the
factory on Homefarm road, Moulscoombe, from 4 till 6. Bring drums
and stuff that makes noise.
* Fancy spring in the beautiful West of Ireland? A second
environmental direct action camp is planned for March, blocking
Shell's plans to place pipelines from the sea. The camp had total
success last year, stopping all work and intend a repeat
performance. The campaign has massive support in Ireland and is
part of a growing resistance to environmental degradation. Bring
an umbrella.
* 21st January - national demo in London calling for Justice for
British Residents of Guantamano Bay. For details see
www.cageprisoners.com
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POSITIVE SchNEWS
VEG-UCATION?
Forget pukka ponce Jamie Oliver, the Veggies Catering Campaign are
to take on a catering contract, to provide animal friendly
wholesome meals for a Nottingham primary school. Run in
combination with classroom sessions on nutritious cooking, Veggies
is even offering school dinners for the general public! To find
out more check out www.veggies.org.uk
WALKING ON AIR
The Zapatista's are back on the airwaves again on this, their 12th
anniversary (See SchNEWS 250). Hidden away in the Mexican forests,
Radio Insurgente broadcasts weekly programmes on resistance to
global capitalism mixed in with contemporary ranchero for light
relief. Taste online at www.radioinsurgente.org (but it's mostly
in Spanish!)
** Meanwhile, a little closer to home, the insurgent and
independant Radio4A is now 24/7. Hidden away in the concrete
jungles of Brighton, these peeps have been broadcasting sedition
for over ten years now and are on the airwaves at 101.4 FM and
online at www.radio4a.org.uk
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ZION BRAIN
Activists with the International Solidarity Movement were detained
and deported from Israel after attempting to reach a conference on
non-violence in Bethlehem over Christmas. In an interesting twist
the judge deported them partially on the basis "there are reports
of anarchist activity abroad" i.e. political involvement in their
home countries. Given one of those detained is continually spied
upon by the Met's Forward Intelligence Team despite having no
convictions, it begs the question of how much collusion there is
between UK and Israeli intelligence concerning pro-Palestinian and
Peace activists. See
www.palsolidarity.org.uk
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..and finally...
Sick of celebrity Big Brother? Well Hackney council have got
something to keep you glued to the goggle box as you shovel in yer
Turkey Twizzlers. Watching us watching them watching you... lucky
residents in east London will soon be able to spy on their
neighbours via CCTV. In the 'soviet' themed scheme,
curtain-twitchers too lazy to go their windows can turn amateur
secret police by viewing footage from 11 local cameras. Police in
turn will be able to broadcast details of any local suspected ASBO
breakers. If 'successful' the brilliantly named 'Community Safety
Channel' will be extended and offered to 20,000 residents covering
400 spy-cams.
SchNEWS look forward to the day when they install CCTV in Big
Business Boardrooms so we can see how corrupt the buggers are,
engaging in all that extreme anti-social behaviour - but we won't
be holding our collective breath.
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Disclaimer
SchNEWS warns all readers... if you can't hack your community
getting sold off to yuppies - do somethin' abart it innit! Honest!
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What's On? Check out out Party and Protest guide at
www.schnews.org.uk/pap/guide.htm - it's updated every week, has
sections on regular events, local events, protest camps and
more...
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