rampART has been evicted !!! We will take it back !!!

[Massimo]

 last update :

rampART has been evicted !!! We will take it back !!!
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/03/424626.html

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/filkaler/3348891393/

The rampART is one of a number of autonomous spaces around London
<http://londonscn.wordpress.com> .

During the G20 demonstration members of the Rampart Collective, people
from London Housing Action Now network
<http://londonhousingactionnow.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/the-peoples-bailout-take-back-the-housing/>
and others
(there was also an international call in this list) decided to call for
a Housing and social spaces block during G20 summit : 
http://therampart.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/housing-and-social-spaces-block-during-g20-summit/

Rampart was also visited in the  Blog of the “House Magic” show, called
“Occupations and Properties”
http://occuprop.blogspot.com/2009/02/my-dear-edifice-roaming-london.html
http://www.reclaiming-spaces.org/events/archives/257

Last week, see email below, an "illegal eviction attempt" of the Social
Centre was avoided and the building was taken back !
>From that moment heavy police/security guards presence is on site.  Also
part of the buildings around Rampart are being demolished
as we speak, leaving the people that still live and use Rampart
litterally "under siege" .

No one knows if this is "pure coincidence" (sure!) or  is part of a
wider strategy of repression towards the G20 meeting in London.

More infos about what can you do for help and send solidarity to Rampart
will be posted here....
In the meantime please forward this information to your lists / contacts...

If you want to contact Rampart :    rampart at mutualaid.org

M.


> Hi all,
>
> last week there was an illegal eviction attempt at rampART, in a
> worrying sign of the wave of police
> repression in view of the protests against the G20 meeting in London.
> rampART has in fact hosted
> different debates and meetings about the upcoming summit, and has
> become the increasing
> target of police intimidation.
>
> Here you find some photos of the failed eviction attempt
> http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/03/424020.html
>
> and below a description of what happened.
>
> cheers,
>
> p.
> -----------------------------------------
> Thursday 12th March 2009 there was an eviction attempt by owners at
> Rampart. It was a long battle but we are now back in full occupancy of
> the building. A big thank you to all those who came out in support. We
> want to have as many people in the building as we can in order to
> discourage another eviction attempt and we are calling out for your
> help with this.
>
> Briefly what happened, there had been a fire the night before in the
> building next door to Rampart. Yesterday at 11.30am, two suited men
> impersonating fire brigade inspectors demanded to be allowed in to
> inspect the building for fire damage. They were allowed in to be
> accompanied around the building. Upon entering the building three
> security guards appeared and followed after them. The two men, who
> were in fact agents acting on behalf of the owners, and the guards
> told the Rampart member and guest present to leave but they refused. A
> police officer arrived at the doorway and threatened the Rampart
> member and guest with arrest for having crossed a crime scene (the
> street had been cordoned off due to the fire) and for breach of the
> peace if they did not leave. The member and guest again refused to
> leave. Finally the security guards AND the police officer violently
> forced both of them out of the building.
>
> One security guard remained inside with the door padlocked on a chain
> whilst another stood in front of the door. Little did they know that
> there was still people inside the building as they hadn’t checked it
> properly before securing it. More police and security guards arrived
> and the guards started checking the other buildings in the street. The
> member of Rampart did a call-out for support, and people started
> arriving soon afterwards.
>
> Gradually at first, but quickly amassing to a number of over 40
> people, our supporters put pressure on the police and security guards
> to let us back into the building. Our occupants still inside the
> building acted quickly, allowing others into the building through an
> alternative entrance, and barricaded the sole occupying security guard
> in on the ground floor! The Rampart now heavily out-weighed the owners
> in their occupancy of the building in numbers and in space secured. A
> black flag very quickly appeared out of a window on the top floor,
> with other banners hanging out of windows on the middle floor soon
> after.
>
> At no point were legal papers shown, despite our frequent requests to
> see them. The owners successfully gained a repossession order way back
> in 3rd January 2008, but this has since expired and for them to
> legally attempt an eviction they would need to get it reissued through
> the courts.
>
> A two hour stand-off ensued with constant pressure from our supporters
> outside on the police and agents, and eventually the agents decided to
> pull out their ‘man inside’ leaving the Rampart collective back in
> full occupancy of the building.
>
> What can be determined from this is:
>
>    * That it was a planned ambush by the agents under pretence of
> impersonating fire inspectors.
>    * That at the time of the forced removal from the building there
> was no bailiff present and no legal papers were ever shown.
>    * That the police officer attempted to use his powers and also
> physically assisted the removal of the Rampart member and their guest
> from their place of occupance.
>
> ** There could be another eviction attempt soon, so we are calling out
> for supporters to add to the occupancy of the building and for people
> to send us phone numbers for our eviction alert phone tree. If the
> Rampart is to be available up to the G20 we need supporters to help us
> right now. **
>
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