The Hackney Social Centre was evicted May 16, 2008, after two unsuccessful eviction attempts in April. Many of the people living at the Social Centre have returned to their countries, and many are still in London, involved in different projects. The Social Centre was a brief but valuable experiment in active resistance and active defense of a large autonomous space in Hackney.

The Hackney space has a little bit of money left from the vegan cafes and from donations from the different groups that hosted events in the building. All of this money is going to fund direct action activies in London and abroad. Last month, £300 was given to comrades in Vancouver, organizing militant direct action resistance to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. In Hackney, squats and low-income housing are directly threatened by the Olympic re-development plans. The militancy of the Canadian activists is....inspirational.
URGENT UPDATE! The Hackney Social Centre is still under **THREAT OF EVICTION!** In March, the building's owners were given a Warrant of Possession by the courts. The Social Centre's scheduled eviction was successfully resisted on Monday 21 April by over 60 people - both inside and outside the building. Bailiffs are now expected to return to the building at any time.

Sunday, 24 February 2008

Creative happenings at the social centre



Hey all! This week's bursting with creativity at the Social Centre! This Monday (as every week) we have a Grafitti workshop from 7pm-9pm (bring paint, brushes, cardboard, tape, any tools and supplies and ideas you have! we have some things ready for you, but the more the better!) - any ways of visual expression within our space welcome.

Then on Tuesday there's a Benefit dinner and Jam Session for Titnore Woods (the protest camp near Brighton which had its solar panels stolen last week!)
and (weekly) language lessons (if You want to share some language skills or learn a language - even have a taste of it - come). This week we have Spanish (ab. 6 pm), English (6.30), Hungarian and Gaelic (between 7 and 8), including Polish (or Slavic) trad. cooking lesson (3.30-6 pm).

Wednesday we have 'to do' day when everyone who wants to help out with day to day jobs in the social centre can come and ...do that (in cheerful, communal way) - 2-6 pm ('to do' contact # 077 689 111 67).


Friday follows with TONGUES ON FIRE!:

- SkipMistress Cafe invites - if you want to be a part of it (make Your own delicious food or just help out) give a shout (# 077 689 111 67)
/it is donations based cafe and all the proceedings go usually for the Soc. Cntr. maintenance/

- and Open Mic night (bring poetry! instruments! friends!). That night we'll also open our Photoexhibition of International Squats! (bring your own). Everyday this week we'll be collecting photos for the exhibition - bring your pictures of squats new and old, from far and wide, anyday from 5pm-9pm. All photos will be included and on display in the cafe!

Finally, Saturday we'll be gathering for a 24 hour playwriting festival! The theme is RESISTANCE! and in a 24-hr play/song/poem-writing marathon we'll compile a series of one-act plays, ballads, poems, etc. into a zine and get ready to perform them at a later date (TBA).
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1 comment:

woodenspoon said...

well done you. Really glad to see derelict space being used. My only bugbear with squatted spaces though - people always think it's OK to smoke which really puts me off coming with my little boy. Is the new hackney space a smoke free zone?

27 February 2008 at 07:50

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