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Speaker: Mark Presentation: Squatted Social Centers Website:Wombles I have worked with social centres such as the Radical Dairy (Stoke Newington), and Grand Banks (Tufnell Park); the London Social Centres Network (which came out of the Radical Dairy), which includes Use Your Loaf, London Action Resource Centre. I am interested in squatting buildings, not buying them. The idea of Social Centres (SC) is to turn disused buildings into SC, political spaces; rather than go through the beaurocracy. Also to get the community involved, get them interested in self-organisation and DIY culture, rather than consumerism. There is a contentious article doing the rounds which says: “Can’t Rent Yourself out of a Social Relationship; Anarchist SC’s paying rent to a landlord, bills, rates, licensing authorities means that you can’t be in conflict with the capitalist system; its not direct action, not confrontational. We visited SC in Italy. In Milan they were squatting against gentrification and Pirelli, who were knocking down communities and building ugly, faceless buildings. In both Milan and Rome, people were emailing Action Milan and Action Rome about empties. Grand Banks Grand Banks in Tufnell Park. It was decorated by local kids and the toilets were grafittied by them. There were several projects going on there; which were divided into sub-groups, so that when they were evicted, they could carry on. The projects included: Art project; Café selling Zapatista coffee to support EZLN, Radio, Silk-screen and clothes making. These projects facilitated general skill sharing and helped fund the SC. There was a free shop, where people would donate stuff and if someone finds something they want, they can take it; based on the idea of mutual aid. However, the free shop at Ramparts SC in Whitechapel had everything (incl. the rails and shelves) stolen. An Anti-Copywrite Cinema would show a mix of political films and pirated Hollywood Films (before they were out in the cinema); controversial with some but it attracted people would not normally visit the centre. A balance had to be struck between activists stuck in the activist ghetto and getting people to visit the centre. There was free internet access through a wireless network; although this was sometimes down depending on what offices in the area were open. We cooked free vegan food for the school kids, who attended the school opposite the SC. It was especially popular after the council closed the local community centre. A community newsletter was produced from the SC, which was popular with the local community. We held a street party with the kids, to resist the first eviction. The second attempt took place at 4am in the morning, when the building was stormed by the police. However, the police let us get our equipment out. Post Grand Banks The projects are still continuing but they do need to the building to flourish/ survive. SC network wants to build up a database/ list of empties, and organise people around the country and London to squat them. Squats can become “a drop-in bar for drug addicts”. Squats need to clarify their aims. Grand Banks had a no alcohol, no drugs policy. The SC movement is about numbers, and having skills like connecting electricity, gas, and plumbing. Squatting is a way of reclaiming a DIY culture in basic skills. With councils running SC’s, then they will not be able to hold contentious events, otherwise the council will close them down. Squats have freedom. For squatted SC’s, getting into the property market, mortgage repayments, health and safety regulations will stifle the creativity. There is a danger of becoming a glorified café. In Italy, when SC attained legal status, they started getting sanctioned; it took their bite out and sucked them into the system that they were trying to change.	AUDIO
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