No. 8 Autum n '94

Magazine for Assorted Itinerants

A ct Up • Exodus - Jah in Luton • Exclusive - Land Ownership • Criminal Justice Act-ors • Illegal Cities of the World Contents Act up

3. The State it’s In 23. The Jewel in the Mud Award the polical scenario words of wisdom in times of crisis 5. News Shorts 24. D IY in the Sticks and other busy ness new paths in the country 12 Actors of Parliament 26. G et on your L and situation comedy land ownership in Britain 14. News of the Skews 28. You've been Quango'd the British media and the second CJB rally housing associations are big business 16. Consultation Exorcise 30. Westmaladminister what the police say the gerrymanders of Westminster 17. The Trouble with Words 34. International Squatters lip-service from the D oE illegal cities and pirate urbanisation 18. R oad W ars 38. In T h e N e t nationwide road protests information revolution 20. The Triumph of Love Over Pain 40. Introducing Exodus the answer is alwaysyes the battles, the raves, the regeneration 22. Hackneyed Hypocrisy 53. L etters hot air in the city 54. C ontacts

INFORMATION IS YOUR WEAPON

The fundamental agent of change independent, affiliated to no autonomy must be made by Mailing List in this society is education. When organisations and having no individuals themselves: no-one people become aware o f the political backing, we are free to will do this for us. We are To receive SQUALL mechanisms of our present do this. responsible for our own society and its inherent hypocrisy ignorance; we are all ignorant - it’s regularly, subscribe to our they will be empowered to work No Flag, Badge or curable. mailing list. As a guide, £2 per towards a better society. Only Religion. Squall’s power comes copy will cover costs. Much when people become aware of from our awareness of, and active of SQUALL goes out for free their own prejudices will they Squall's priorities lie in involvement in, the issues (not or a donation to those who the disappearing concepts of observers out for a commission) become empowered to effectively cannot afford it. If you can demand a prejudice-free world. justice, tolerance and peace. It and the respect we obtain from To this end, information stands for the eradication o f fear, our readers and contributors. afford to send in an extra should be accessible to all and, ignorance and prejudice - This magazine needs donation to keep SQUALL more than that, should be free ultimately the levers that are used money - it has to be said. Every operating this way please do from the propaganda inherent in and abused by those who desire issue we go into debt and spend so - we do not survive from an increasingly corrupt media, control. We are not reactionary the following months begging. If subscriptions alone but also driven to distraction by market nor are we radical: simply you like what we're doing and can on benefits and larger forces. common-sense people who live help us - please get in contact. donations from individual Squall is concerned to the issues we write about and In Peace and Sedition, redress the false stereotypes cannot believe the state that 20th The Eds. readers. created and used by the media century western-derived politics If you are one of those and Government for the aims of: is in. who cannot afford to subscribe a) selling units / making money The whole structure of to the magazine simply send Cover Pic: Operation Snapshot b) consolidating the power base society needs a serious overhaul an A4 SAE with about 50p in monitoring events at the Mass o f the establishment but change must come from stamps and you will receive a c) forcing political agendas for community. We need Trespass on Twyford Down in the purposes o f a) and b). empowerment, and the first steps July o f this year. Photo: ^ copy. All cheques and POs Being politically towards greater responsibility and payable to:

Much respect & without whom: Photography: SQUALL Andrea Latham, ASS, Tony Allen, Tim M, Laney Smith, N ikki All pictures Spawls, Rosy, Ben Schneider, Debbie A llen, Jim Paton, Sicco, Steve c /o 2 St Paul’s Rd, Kennedy, Zoe, Ruby, Chloe Ronaldson, Kes, Tribal Energy, C H A R London N12QN and Tinker. by Nick Cobbing.

Written & Produced by CoMotion. Printed on recycled paper. Open copyright for non-profit making use only. The state it's in Travels in a political Arena

he Criminal Justice Bill is House of Lords is often reluctant implementable shortly after the about to resume its to force obstructions to Bill becomes an act, via a statutory passage through government legislation with instrument from the Home parliament after a long excessive vigour; aware that its Secretary. Tsummer recess. The Home constitutional power is a weak one. It is important to remember Secretary, Michael Howard, had The fact that the Government have that the public order sections of the hoped to walk into the Tory Party booked only four weeks to finish CJB put the onus of enactment on conference in early October, the bill off, is a testament to their the police. Implementation of the trumpeting the imposition of the confidence that any opposition will Bill, therefore, is initially likely to CJB as law. He was thwarted be easily overcome. As a result it be the subject of regional however, by unexpected looks likely that the CJB will variation. For instance, a Chief amendments to the Bill voted for become an act before the Houses Inspector in the Bedfordshire by the House of Lords before the of Parliament rises again, two Police force has said that he wants recess. These amendments to the weeks before the Queen’s speech to avoid using the Bill (see clauses on penal institutions for on November 16th. 'Exodus, the battles' - page 42 & young offenders, criminal injuries Most of the public order 'Consultation Exorcise' - page 16). compensation and the removal of sections of the Bill will become Parliamentary opposition to local authority duty to provide law immediately upon the seal of the Bill has basically consisted of a caravan sites for gypsys, will be royal assent. These include clauses few principled back-benchers and the subject of further Commons’ 56 (trespass), 58 (banning raves), concerned peers, fighting the cause debate commencing on 19/20th of 60 (travelling to raves), 63 of civil liberties. The Labour Party October. (protesters’ trespass), 64 (removal executive failed to lend any Parliament sits again in of protesters), 65 (trespassory support to their own MP’s over the October for a four week period in assemblies), 66 (sanctions against Bill, with the Lords’ amendments order to finish off last year's attendance of assembly), 72 proving to be the only fruits of a legislative programme. This (sanctions against camping), 73/4 very weak parliamentary includes the Deregulation Bill and (removal of campers) and 75 opposition. As such, this period of the Scottish Local Government (repeal of local authority duty British political history will go Bill, as well as the amended towards gypsys). down as a triumph of media­ clauses of the CJB. Besides the The clauses imposing pandering over social concern. The specific Lords’ amendments, the criminal sanctions against mental and physical welfare of CJB has been passed by both squatters require changes to the people, particularly those who houses and will not be the subject rules of court, determined and have not fared well in economic of further parliamentary debate issued by the Lord Chancellor’s Britain, is an issue that is the before becoming an act. Department. The nature of these subject of much lip-service but When the Bill goes back to changes is still the subject of the seemingly little genuine political the Commons in October, it is second of two consultation papers interest. unlikely that the Government will and their final draft is not due until Traditionally, Conservative simply accept the amendments to next February. This means that government has represented the the Bill, particularly the one Interim Possession Orders and ex- economic face of Britain, whilst delaying the repeal of the Caravan parte court procedures cannot be Labour have championed social Sites Act until 1999. If the implemented against squatters affairs. Whilst it is important to Government do not accept the until at least February. However, have both sides represented, the amendments, they will send the the nightmare clauses allowing balance has tipped alarmingly Bill back to the Lords. In theory, violent entry against occupants of toward personal, profit-motivated this yo-yoing could go on property do not depend on these politics. Whilst Tony Blair may indefinitely but, in reality, the court rule changes and will be describe himself as a Christian- Continued The State It’s in socialist, both the Christian and the NEW NINE-WORD ‘RIGHT TO politics is swinging further away socialist part of that definition from the reality of need. seem vestigial to his aspirations. SILENCE’ CAUTION IN FULL The quality of life for the The nipple without the milk. It was increasing number of people undoubtedly his decision that led ‘forced out’ by current politics will the Labour Party to officially depend on how much the voice of abstain in the vote on the Criminal British people render the political Justice Bill. chess players redundant. Beggars, At a press conference held single mothers, squatters, recently in the Houses of travellers, homeless people, youth Parliament, back-bench MP Peter and the unemployed are all pawns Hain (Lab. Neath) said that if the nonchalantly sacrificed to the Shut up chummy. Labour Party fails to stand up and hysterical politics of the media- You’re obviously guilty fight for civil liberties being and you’re nicked . pander. In the face of such eroded by the CJB, then it has no dishonesty, the demands for more future as a political party. Now integrity must grow. that public opposition to the Bill One thing is sure, any new has become media-visible, some form of compassionate, caring, members of the Labour Party are causes they consider to be integral socially responsible politics is attempting to ‘bandwagon the to their party’s position in the unlikely to arise in Westminster of outcry’, suggesting that the Party political spectrum. Forty three its own accord. It must be did everything possible to stop the labour back-bench MPs did vote seriously and forcefully suggested Bill becoming law (see ‘Actors of against the Bill, but they did so by those, not so embroiled in the Parliament’, page 12). unsupported by their own front compassionless chess match; those It does have to be said that bench, rendering their opposition who heed, rather than ignore, the within the Labour Party there are ineffective. In the quest for the need that hammers upon on still those who work away for the perfect media image, the power in the door. juxta POSING The Eight Richest “We should not allow the national Politicians debate to be driven by the agendas of a tiny minority. We don’t see Figures shown are in millions. pressure groups for what they are; one dimensional. Other countries are more alert to the self-seeking Paul Channon £190 Margaret Thatcher £75 nature o f lobby group arguments. Mark Lennox-Boyd £145 Alan Clark £33 - MICHAEL PORTILLO (from Tim Sainsbury £115 Jeffrey Archer £32.5 speech given in Southampton - Jan 1994) Michael Heseltine £108 Shirley Porter £31

“I do not believe that Labour’s policy All are amongst the top 500 richest people in Britain should be determined by lobby and allpaid an average of less than 10% income tax lastyear, groups o f whatever sort. You never satisfy people. People don’t want due to monies being held in trusts and overseas invest­ the half-inch. What they want is the ments (Source BusinessAge Aug. 94). yard and then when you’ve gone It would be interesting to know just how much prop­ that yard they want five yards as well. ” erty and acreage those figures represent.

- TONY BLAIR (from interview in New Statesman - July 1994)

4 News Shorts & Other 'Busyness Oxford Evictions ON August 1st, a protest inside, as well as 3 bystanders demanding the 9 people be TV. A public meeting called against the CJB and the waste outside. A neighbour released. Officers then turned two days later was well- of empty properties in Oxford photographing the raid was a fire extinguisher on them attended and a fund was set was brutally suppressed by also assaulted. and forced them outside, up to help pay for any ensuing an ‘out of control’ Thames The police claimed where they were charged by fines. A week later a Valley police. they were told there had been another 30 cops in riot gear! demonstration also attracted Local people had a ‘break-in’, even though There was no advance 200 people to the town centre. occupied a disused cinema they had visited the property warning issued to the crowd, Although the police did all and the empty East Avenue the previous night and had and people were clubbed to they could to disrupt the demo House in an attempt to been informed of its legal the ground before they could they were unable to do much reclaim them for use as a squatted status. The get away. Another eight were with so many Saturday community centre and as occupiers had also informed arrested. shoppers watching. housing, and so asserted their the local media of the Due to the fact that a For an update and right to peaceful occupation. situation. Small World video team were news of future actions in the They had only been there for Around 50 supporters present, pictures of police Oxford area contact Oxford 24 hours when police in riot of those arrested then brutality were beamed to Freedom Network, Box A, gear smashed their way in occupied the lobby of St. millions of homes via BBC 111 Magdalen Rd, Oxford, and arrested the 6 people Aldgate’s police station, South East, Central and Sky OX4 1RQ.

Homeless Cruelty

THE Big Tissue recently in shopping centres treat their carried the story of a dogs well because they get a homeless man who lost his lot of public sympathy and dog. When he phoned the get money for the dogs. We RSPCA to ask if they had do keep a close eye on them,” found it he was told that they she said. She could not be had not, and even if they had clear about specific policy they would not return a dog on returning dogs to homeless to a homeless person. owners: “We do a home Intrigued as to whether this check. If the home is not was individual prejudice or suitable then we would not RSPCA policy, Squall rang return the dog.” She would the RSPCA head office in not say more but repeated the Sussex. Mrs Geard of the phrase “if the home is not Information Department suitable...” several times. admitted that the association Presumably, not having a generally finds that homeless home at all is ‘not suitable’. people treat their dogs very Would a dog about to be put well. down in an overcrowded “The youngsters that RSPCA kennel see it this have dogs and stand around way? Probably not eh?

will be ‘persuaded and Empties advised’ that they ought to do something with them. Filled ‘Practical help’ will be BRISTO L City Council offered by the council, who has just announced plans to wish to stop the waste of good bring back into use the housing and house the city’s estimated 6,000 empty homeless. Apparently, properties in the city. Owners compulsory purchase will who have left their buildings only be used in exceptional empty for more than a year circumstances. Shame!

5 News Shorts & Other Busyness

speak to them. Protest Squats Whilst the building Hackney was occupied, the squatters on the increase used a telephone box outside the building. Someone Homeless SQU A TTIN G in areas visitors to the quickly set up reported to BT that the call outside of London appears to community centre and cafe. box was “being used as a Acquittal be on the increase. Ironically, The Citizen's Charter toilet”. BT said it received lots responsible for this rise in the definitely wasn't in evidence of similar complaints. number of squatted properties when the Rugby Civil Rights Although the squatters were E L O IS E Parrack, the is the Criminal Justice Bill, no Defence Network squatted a not directly accused, they say young woman whose wrist less, which has provoked building belonging to Rugby the implication was clear. was broken during her arrest protest occupations across the NHS Trust on August 14th. These allegations are flatly at the incident following the country. About 50 people were denied by RCRDN, who made Hackney Homeless Peoples’ In July, a church hall involved in the occupation of it clear to SQUALL that they Festival in May (see Squall in Swansea was occupied as a two adjoining Georgian know what to use a telephone 7), has been acquitted. She response to the CJB. In houses, which had not been box for. The phone was was charged with affray, Blackburn, one man locked fully used by the Trust for two padlocked until the squatters accused of throwing a beer himself into a bank vault years. The houses have at least were evicted on September bottle and attempting to kick following the eviction of 20 rooms and parking space 7th. As they were sitting a police officer. Ms Parrack squatters on September 5th. for 18 vehicles and the outside the buildings on that claimed that she merely asked When, also in September, a squatters outlined plans to turn day, a BT engineer arrived to where someone who had disused courthouse in Brighton the building into a community remove the lock. been arrested was being was occupied, the CJB was centre. They repeatedly The RCRDN now faces taken. The police officer then 'put on trial' and found attempted to negotiate with the court costs but protesters plan allegedly grabbed her and seriously wanting by all the NHS Trust but no-one would further actions against the bill. threw her against a police van, breaking her wrist. Ms Parrack now intends to sue the police for the injuries she sustained. She and her Private Roads Go Ahead solicitor, Desmond O’Reilly, were delighted with the IN August the Government “The Government are buying onto local roads, as drivers outcome and send thanks to finally gave the go ahead for roads on hire purchase.” attempt to avoid the tolls. The those who answered the the construction of ‘shadow’ The Government has Committee advocate an appeal for witnesses in Squall increase in fuel duty as the toll roads in Britain. also affirmed its commitment 7 (see letters, page 54). Construction companies will to 'straight' motorway tolls most feasible way of financing Hackney Community pay for and build roads and within the next four years. motorway improvements. Defence Association will then be paid by Technology currently being In response to the (HCDA) heard from 30 government according to the investigated to facilitate select committee's fears, witnesses following the number of vehicles using the charging motorists, includes transport industry festival. Of the people they road. satellite tracking, microwave representatives believe that the know were arrested, two have The first four schemes beacons and smart cards. suggested 1.5p per mile toll been acquitted of assaulting are the M1-A1 Yorkshire link Companies grouped (£1.70 for a car to travel from police officers; one acquitted road bypassing Leeds; the into 29 consortia are being London to Bristol) is not of threatening behaviour and widening of the A1 between considered to install and excessive and will prevent the one was bound over for Alconbury and Peterborough; operate the technology feared diversion of motorists bypasses and widening along programme and they represent onto smaller, local roads. threatening behaviour. Six the A419/A417 trunk road interests from Europe, the Far In Portugal, at the people, charged with violent between Swindon and East and North America. beginning of September, riot disorder, have yet to go to Gloucester; and the A69 GEC-Marconi, IBM and police were sent in to quell court. One man, who was not Haltwhistle bypass. Texas Instruments are angry road-users protesting arrested, is suing the police John Watts, the understood to be among the against increases in road tolls. for assault. Several of those transport minister responsible, major players. Meanwhile, The acquitted also plan to sue the called the scheme “an However, it would Lords' Committee on the police. HCDA are still keen important step in creating a appear that the Government European Communities is to hear from anyone with private sector road operating will face major opposition backing a European information about this industry”. from the all-party Commission recommendation incident, or the arrests outside All four ventures are parliamentary transport select to increase the weight of lorries Hackney Town hall on expected to cost £380 million. committee, who have allowed on British roads from August 30th. Andrew Pharaoh of the British dismissed the plans as simply the present 38 tonnes on five HCDA can be Road Federation commented: leading to traffic diversions axles to 44 tonnes on six axles contacted on 071 249 0193.

6 N e ws Shorts & Other Busyness Travellers "Too Friendly to Slander" M ORE evidence that the by the general public," he carry on finding their way in travellers including those at media are not interested in wrote. "They have been seen life by following their own Tinkers Bubble. Under the any revelations on the road as young trouble-makers who instincts and by refusing to pretence of offering to Damascus, even if it comes do nothing but travel around conform to society.” recording facilities, the Sun from their own ranks, came Britain’s countryside causing Needless to say the reporter hung around for a recently from The Sun. havoc and unrest. I planned “exclusive” never few weeks, looking for Reporter Damien discovered that nothing could made it into the ‘newspaper’, anything he could find along Lazarus was sent to Bath in be further from the truth.” consigned as it was to deputy the sex, drugs and rock’n’roll disguise, with instructions to He goes on to describe editor, Neil Wallis’s line. However, much to the “expose New Age travellers as “caring wastepaper basket (not disappointment of The Sun’s Travellers”. Upon his return, individuals” who “are recycled). drooling editorial team, the Damien's 2,000 word article helping to bring about (their) The Sun also sent a reporter pulled himself off proved not to be the “We idealistic dream by looking reporter to Somerset in order the job after finding Simon expose workshy, drug-crazed after Britain... They do to dig some dirt on Simon Ashdown and his band “too good-for-nothings” angle his everything they can to Ashdown, son of the Liberal friendly” to slander. editors were looking for. preserve our green fields and Democrat leader Paddy According to sources, “For years, New Age trees”. He concludes: “They Ashdown. Simon plays in an The Sun has decided not to Travellers have been will continue to live with and indie band and is known to send any one else to tarnished with a sense of hate protect the earth and will hang around with local Damascus for the time-being.

Global Profiteers Crescent Evicted A new study published on companies from setting their PARK Crescent in Stoke going to stay tonight." August 31st by the United own agendas in terms of jobs, Newington, London was finally The building had been Nations, has found that the industrial relations and evicted on August 24th, making squatted for over 12 years. Most world economy is training. over 40 people homeless. of the squatters left before the increasingly becoming The world’s largest Home to the running of eviction but Hackney Council, dominated by private 100 multi-nationals held the Hackney Homeless the police and Scorpion business concerns. $3,400 billion in assets by Peoples’ Festival, the listed Security were clearly expecting Trans National the end of 1992 and Victorian building contains 37 a fight and arrived in large Companies (TNCs) now controlled approximately flats. It has been bought by numbers. Injunctions served on account for one third of one third of all foreign direct New Islington and Hackney the ‘Hackney 7’ (see global output and this figure investment. Housing Association who plan 'Hackney'ed Hypocrisy', page is rising. The report added that to renovate and build new 22) banning them from certain According to the potential expansion of TNCs houses on the site behind it. buildings in Hackney included World Investment Report had been aided by the signing One ex-resident told SQUALL the Crescent. from the United Nations of the Uruguay Round of Gatt that NIHHA were not interested Squatters described the Conference on Trade and trade talks, the North in coming to any arrangement operation as “a complete over­ Development, trade unions American Free Trade with the squatters, despite reaction”. There is now an eight and governments are Agreement and by other having no immediate plans to foot fence surrounding the becoming increasingly regional and bilateral trade start work on the flats. Michelle, building with 24 hour security impotent, or reluctant, to treaties. who has a five year old son and dogs protecting it. (See prevent the largest of these said: "God knows where we're Letters, Page 53.)

Tommorrow's Slums In a recent interview, attempt to cut costs rather than Professor Valerie Khan, one meet growing needs, as Ms THE Joseph Rowntree together. of the authors of the report, Khan acknowledged: “The Foundation has revealed that Since local authorities said that the Government now Government would say, well two thirds of Housing stopped building, Housing has no minimum standard for we want as many units as we Association-built houses are Associations build virtually all quality and housing possibly can, but that’s of a poorer standard than they rented housing for people on associations have to compete precisely the sort of argument were 30 years ago. One third lower incomes. The with each other for low costs that was made in the 1960s of new homes recorded in a prospective occupiers of these in building each unit: the when we built a lot of things survey do not have enough homes are homeless people cheaper the building the more that we’ve now had to pull room for everyone who lives who have no choice in what likely they are to get a grant. down.” there to sit down for a meal they accept. This is clearly an

7 News Shorts & Other Busyness People on Welfare "Too Comfortable"

W HEN Jonathan Aitkin, benefit, a local authority rent reasonable level of return for rent officers are agreeing to Chief Secretary to the officer would inspect the the purposes of housing pay for and what landlords are Treasury, recently claimed property and determine the benefit. The huge disparities charging, it is difficult to see that people drawing benefit level of benefit according to which are emerging underline how Aitkin can stand by his were living “too comfortably”, how much they consider a the total inability of the private seriously flawed assessment. announcing his intention to particular property should be rented sector to meet housing However, no one is under the cut housing benefit, the phrase rented out for. If the rent officer need,” said Will Tuckley, an illusion that Aitkin’s ‘seriously out of touch’ considers that a landlord is ALA housing officer. theorising is anything more seemed too mild. charging more than the However, the than a feebly weaved In 1988, the property is worth, the tenant Government, hell bent on argument, attempting to Government introduced a has to either pay the difference allowing the private rented smooth the public’s reception housing act that deregulated or find somewhere else. But sector free reign, does not of more government cuts in rents; removing the official where else? agree with his assessment. The welfare spending. ceiling on the rent chargable With dramatic reason why rents are rising, Aitkin's predecessor at by landlords and sending the increases in the rent that according to Jonathan Aitkin, the Treasury, Michael Portillo, greedy private rented sector private landlords are charging, is because landlords charge had already suggested that he into exorbitancy. As a result the gap between rent officers’ large amounts knowing that might introduce a standard “rents have been rising faster assessments and the actual cost housing benefit will pay for it. ceiling limit on housing in the UK than in any other is increasing. According to the “If you look closely, you find benefit, regardless of the level European country except Association of London that quite a lot of people on of market rent. It now looks as Greece,” according to John Authorities (ALA), 72% of housing benefit are living in if Jonathan Aitkin is to Perry, Policy Director of the rents examined by rent officers houses which are too big for establish benefit capping as a Institute of Housing. And yet in Brent were considered too them, there is a question of national policy. the Government still insist that high, 69% in Haringey, 68% whether landlords are pushing As ‘free’ market greed the stimulation of the private in Enfield, and 53% in up rents in the private sector continues to force up rents, rented sector is the solution to Waltham Forest. In a quarter particularly, just to meet the the gap between homeless Britain’s housing crisis. of cases in the boroughs of level of housing benefit and people and affordable housing What makes this Enfield, Kensington and not to meet the level of real will widen dramatically. position difficult for the Chelsea, Redbridge and market price.” Aitkin himself has two houses, Government to justify, as it Westminster, the gap between Translated, Aitkin is for him to further suggest that attempts to cut public the landlord’s rent and the rent saying that ‘ free ’ market greed even having a spare room, spending, is the fact that the officers assessment, was more is not responsible for rent rises, which most housing benefit cost to the country of housing than £2,000 a year. but that the payment of claimants have never had in benefit has doubled over the “Either the rent housing benefit is. Therefore, their life, is “too comfortable” last six years, partly due to officers are totally out of touch according to Aitkin’s needs no further comment. increases in homelessness and with the realities of the market, astounding logic, it's a good The phrase ‘seriously partly due to the rapid rent or some of them think they are idea if he cuts it. out-of-touch’ is becoming a rises following the 1988 Act. still in the business of setting a In the light of the cliche. Up until now, when a fair rent. In fact they are reported discrepancies tenant applied for housing actually determining a between what local authority

8 News Shorts & Other Busyness

responsibilities and that their compliance is rigorously Traveller Benefit Census tested.” An Employment “THE last census in April communities. Previously on the movement and resting Service spokeswoman said 1994 showed the number of leaked Benefit Agency places of travellers have also this latest census was the fifth travellers registered in our documents have clearly provided police with the in two years and contains a offices had fallen to 1,273. requested that local DSS target at which to aim category description of This is the lowest number offices single out “New Age harassment and illegal travellers, aiming to make recorded so far and almost Travellers” to be “scrutinised evictions. them recognisable by local 400 less than a similar period carefully”. The leaked DSS offices. The criteria in 1993,” claims a leaked The information memorandum continues: include distinctive clothes, internal memorandum from gathered is being sent to the “This develops the tendency hairstyles, and living the Department of Department of Employment found in the census last April conditions (caravans, Employment, dated and is also available to the for travellers to settle, more converted buses and September 7th 1994. police. The combination of or less permanently, in one benders). The memorandum, this information and that area. This may be due to the Not content to wait sent to Employment Service gathered by the police under strategy employed by the for the Criminal Justice Bill business managers round the Operation Snapshot, have police this year or simply a to come into force, the country, is requesting another provided authorities with the change in travellers’ Government are eradicating census on new travellers opportunity to culturally lifestyles. Whatever the case, travellers quietly and in ways claiming benefit, in order to cleanse this country of it does give the Employment that pass unnoticed even by gather further information to travellers, by making it as Service increased civil rights campaigners; be used to put even more difficult as possible for them opportunity to make sure that busy as they are fighting the pressure on travelling to claim benefit. Information new age travellers meet their Bill and all its works. Water Waste Traveller Surveillance

PRIVATISATION of of the company's customers INFORMATION The following Britain’s public assets is had a say. If the venture fails, leaking out from the police’s statistics, collated into a leading to increasing no doubt they will be called Operation Snapshot police report, have been seen unaccountability, as foretold in to pick up the bill.” computer surveillance of by SQUALL. by many observers. Over a million Welsh travellers, has shown Avon and Somerset: 29 sites Welsh Water, householders contribute Hampshire to have the with 198 vehicles and 87 Britain’s second most about £100 a year each, just highest number of traveller caravans. expensive water company, under half their average bill, sites in the country, whilst Hampshire: 47 sites with is planning to diversify from to the company’s £146 Devon and Cornwall have 229 vehicles and 121 its water supply business into million profits. This cash, the highest concentration of caravans. Britain’s road-building which one might expect to travellers’ vehicles. Sixty D orset: 8 sites with 27 programme. Welsh Water be invested in maintenance, seven per cent of Britain’s vehicles and 7 caravans. has been heavily criticized cleaning up water supplies new travellers are Devon and Cornwall: 24 after being named as a and bringing costs down, is concentrated in the South­ sites with 333 vehicles and member of a consortium set going to be invested in west. 89 caravans. The extent of up to bid to build privately- clearing vast tracks of Gloucestershire: 23 sites information now being held with 104 vehicles and 52 financed toll roads. countryside for roads. on a national computer bank caravans. The consortium Meanwhile, and as is evidence of the alarming Wiltshire: 11 sites with 43 includes John Laing and Welsh Water put in its bid, lengths to which authorities vehicles and 9 caravans. Tarmac construction groups the sewers in Ruthin, North are now going to target Thames Valley: 8 sites with as well as French toll road Wales, cracked and filled the harassment of travelling 69 vehicles and 38 caravans. operator, Transroute. All are river Clywd with raw sewage communities. bidding under the name ’UK killing all the trout Highways pic' for the first downstream. In a separate four schemes announced by incident the National Rivers the DoT early in August. (See Authority has recently Private Roads Go Ahead, announced its intention to page 6) prosecute Welsh Water for Ron Davis, the the heavy pollution of the shadow Welsh Secretary, beach at Saundersfoot. condemned the move: “None

9 News Shorts & Other Busyness Violent Eviction Arsonists Jailed TWO men have been jailed involving violence.” He added: for their part in an arson attack “the only regret is those on M11 protesters living in the responsible for hiring you are chestnut tree on George’s not before the court.” Green, Wanstead, on 2nd The identity of those December last year. Martin ultimately responsible remains Courtney and John Roe were a mystery. Protesters, police part of a nine-man gang and even the owner of the club recruited at a club in Southend, where the arsonists were hired, Essex, for up to £100 each, to have their theories but no-one, intimidate and remove it seems, has enough hard protesters. As reported in evidence to press charges or Squall 6, the men crept up on open an enquiry. protesters, poured petrol Consequently, the paymaster around the base of the tree and may never be publicly outed. a nearby bender before setting One protester, who told fire to it. Courtney and Roe SQUALL that a number of were sentenced to two and half vehicles' windscreens were and three and half years smashed shortly before the respectively. Seven of the 9 attack on the tree, said: "We man gang escaped. Those who get done for tiny little things - put up the money have not damaging a piece of string and There have been few festivals and demonstrations this been identified. moving a fence post while summer that have not included the cycle-powered miracle Passing sentence at the major assaults get ignored. of the Rinky Dink sound system. When the PA broke down in Old Bailey on September 5th, "There should be a Trafalgar Square at the CJB rally on July 24th, a comet of cogs Judge Kenneth Richardson major enquiry. The little fish and children swept in and saved the day. In the 'necessity breeds said: “The reason why no are taking the rap. You can't ingenuity' stakes, Rinky Dink are serious goers. sentence other than prison can get justice in this country." be justified lies in the fact that The M11 protesters are both of you were part of a gang continuing to gather evidence hired to scare away persons in the hope of opening a public involved in lawful protest and inquiry. Beggars in Desperate scare them away with methods Need

DoE to Sue Department’s special project A recent report published by problem and three fifths had team want to check their CRISIS has shown no educational qualifications. Big Issue Ed names against computer categorically that John Eighty per cent had been in records of those signing on, Major’s attack on the work at some time during their THE Department of in order to catch out those “nuisance” of beggars on the lives and 20% had formerly Employment is threatening to working over the prescribed streets, is further evidence of been in the armed forces. sue John Bird, Editor of The number of hours that this government’s complete The average income Big Issue, for not revealing unemployed people can spend lack of compassion. for a beggar according to the the names of the 700 people in paid employment, before The report entitled 'We report, was between £10-£20, that sell the magazine on the losing their entitlement to Are Human Too. A Study of although one person in the streets of British cities. benefit. People Who Beg' surveyed sample of 145 earned £200 in For the 145 beggars in central London a week. The tabloid homeless people that and found that “the vast newspapers dealt with the stand on street corners majority of beggars are report in the way expected of selling the mag, the 35p leading a hand to mouth bleak them, with headlines such as they make on each issue existence”. Eighty per cent of “Outrage over the Beggars can obviously be a vital those surveyed were making £200 a week" in the income for keeping homeless, one in three had a Daily Mail 14/9/94. Shock body and soul together. history of mental problems, horror - distortion and brownie However, fraud of which 17% had spent some points from a merciless officers from the time in a psychiatric hospital. government that described One third had a drink or drugs beggars as “eyesores”.

10 News Shorts & Other Busyness Velvet Revolution Tour Taking

THE Velvet Revolution is Manchester Univ. Oct 6; Liberties about to start a tour of the Middlesex Univ. Oct 8; country. The tour, “a full Plymouth Univ. Oct 12; A number of people Dept; Drum Club and Tribal technicolour explosion of Farnham Institute Oct 13; outraged at the Criminal Drift. positive outrage fusing sound Sussex Univ. Oct 15; Justice Bill have come The album will systems, live video mixing, Leicester Univ. Oct 18; together to produce a undoubtedly excite ambient/ interactive imagery, sculpture, Sheffield Hallam Univ. Oct special CD to raise funds trance/dub/dance theatre, dance, and film” has 19; Cardiff Univ. Oct 20; for campaigning groups and connoisseurs and been put together with backing Nottingham Marcus Garvey help raise awareness of the unconfirmed contributors from Charter 88 to raise Centre Oct 21; Warwick effects of the new laws. also include ambient giants, awareness of the CJB. Univ. Oct 22; Brixton Preceded by a new Aphex Twin. The gigs start with a Academy (Levellers) Oct 27; single from Dread Zone Beneficiaries of the screening of the Battle of the The Academy, Stoke on Trent 'Fight The Power', released album include Liberty, The Beanfield film and features Oct 28; Newcastle Univ. Oct on October 22nd, the CD Freedom Network, DIY, Exodus, Sunnyside, LS 29; Sheffield Univ. Nov 2; will feature: Dread Zone; Advance Party and Diesel, Circus Irritant, Tofu M egatripolis Nov 3; Orbital; Orb; Prodigy; SQUALL. Available from Love Frogs, Tribal Drift, The Birmingham Q Club Nov 5. Ultramarine; Trans-Global Totem Records, the release Levellers and loads more. For more information contact Underground; Fun Da date is set at November Dates so far include: the VR office on 071 708 4230. Mental; Loop Guru; Test 14th.

Anarchy In The UK, ANARCHY IN THE UK TENA DAYSTHAT SHOOK THEWORLD OCT21st -30th1994. FESTIVAL OF ANARCHIST ACTION, CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT Ten Days That Shook LATE NIGHT CABARET at the The world HACKNEY EMPIRE LATE Night Cabaret at the grotesque clowning on a slack 291 Mare S treet LONDON E8 Hackney Empire, Friday 28th rope with festival fave Paka; October. some potent words from There’s an impressive Penny Rimbaud plus Crass PAKA line up for this late night originals R im baud and PEE WEE benefit for Squall at the Ignorant reuniting for a one- Hackney Empire, organised off blast; thrills and danger, MR NASTY as part of the Anarchy in the yes, that’s right ‘thrills and SKY TRAPT UK festival. danger’ with trapeze duo Heading the list of Skytrapt; daft songs and TONY ALLEN performers is demonic stoned humour from that CHRIS LYNAM com edian Chris Lynam, loveable post-hippy comic notorious for his naked stunts Rory Motion ; and last but not RORY MOTION with roman candles, surreal leased, political barbs from LOL COXHILL bad behaviour and unique rebel without a mortgage, the SHARON LANDAU renditions of popular very pleasant M r Nasty; melodies; Chris’s new band PLUS surprise GUESTS, POP CORN CLUB of eccentric musos Pop Corn performance art, side shows PENNY RIMBAUD Club will be helping and an audience full of proceedings along with the anarchists having a night off STEVE IGNORANT show’s hosts, the ever-up-for- from the barricades (surely plus GUESTS walkabouts it Pee Wee and the original important networking late bar sideshows and YOU! alternative Tony Allen. seminars? - Ed). Tickets: £6 on the day / FIVE QUID DEAL in advance from... There will be virtuoso The show runs 11 until Box office: 081 935 2424 / ROUGH TRADE 130 Talbot Road W11 saxophone from the 2 in the morning. All tickets legendary Lol Coxhill; songs are a fiver in advance (or six magazine forSquatters,TravellersandAssortedItinerantsBENEFIT GIG for SQUALL of wit, grit, and pure delight on the night). SQUALL gets from unique singer/ the profits and you have a n e c e s s i ty breeds ingenuity songwriter Sharon Landau; hoot of a night out. 11 called into question by Lord Macintosh’s own words during the House of Lords stage of the Bill’s passage. “We are not in any sense being soft on squatters,” he announced. “If I was to suggest that we were being soft on them, Mr Tony Blair would have me shot at dawn.” What is revealed by these words is that the Labour Party’s response to the Bill was quintessentially orchestrated by Tony Blair, regardless of the principles held by other members of his party. As a result of his directives, the opposition to the Bill by the Labour party was only conducted by a few principled back­ he Labour Party have finally from violence, to delay eviction so benchers, unsupported by their own cottoned on to the fact that that squatters would have a week to executive. Such a position in modern many people have become find som ewhere to live rather than 24 politics is like trying to stop a disillusionedT with its unwillingness hours, and as a basic principle, argued stampeding herd with a pin. to provide any effective opposition to that squatting should not be Even certain back-benchers the Criminal Justice Bill. criminalised”. However, SQUALL that had the opportunity to put up Rather than change its tact was present during the entire more of an argument and failed to do however, the party has made amusing committee stage debate and was well so, are attempting to claim in hindsight efforts to persuade us that it has done aware of what measures were taken to that they were against it all along. as much as possible to oppose it. In a present opposition to the Bill. Frank Dobson (Lab MP recent New Statesman article, Whilst it may be true that some Holburn and St Pancras) was sent a journalist Tim Malyon described the labour back-benchers argued letter by one of his constituents asking Labour Party’s abstention on the Bill vehemently against the clauses in the him to explain his party’s stance on as “sitting on the sidelines making Bill, most notably Neil Gerrard (Lab the Bill. Dobson replied: “The Labour political capital when it should be MP Walthamstow), the Labour front Party has taken a firm position on the standing up and defending the rights bench could hardly be described as proposals you mention (Public Order of those under attack”. The article being in full support. During the section) and sought every opportunity brought a surprising response from debate on the clauses allowing violent to amend the Government’s proposals. the Labour Home Affairs spokesman entry to a property, Alun Michael I know that the Home Affairs front in the House of Lords, Lord Macintosh (Shadow Minister of Home Affairs bench (at the time led by Tony Blair) of Haringey, suggesting that the article and most senior Labour member on have pressed hard on these issues, had “undermined Labour’s attempt the CJB committee stage) disappeared although the Government seem to improve this deplorable Bill”. from the room and failed to show up oblivious to reason.” As evidence of the Labour during the vote. Of the 43 principled Labour Party’s work, Lord Macintosh said in The idea that Labour are back-benchers that did vote against his letter: “Labour supported a whole opposed to the clauses on squatting the Bill, Frank Dobson was not one of raft of amendments to protect squatters “as a basic principle”, was further them. How both he and the Labour Party executive can even begin to suggest that they did everything possible to stop the Bill, after officially abstaining during the 2nd and 3rd reading division in the House of Commons, is a symptom begging the Actors of diagnosis of schizophrenia. Or perhaps they just change the script to Parliament suit the audience.

12 Actors of Parliament

ne of the promises made by Party Michael Howard to mollify conference opposition to the CJB clauses last year Oremoving the rights of silence, wasintroducing a the commitment to establish a national 27 point law organisation responsible for an d o rd e r investigating miscarriages of justice. package that However, while parliament was in its manifested summer recess, Howard announced itself as the he w as to delay the setting up of such Criminal a body until the matter had been Justice Bill. “looked into more thoroughly”. “ T h e r e Now, if you were to write to is a tidal wave Michael Howard, voicing concern of concern over his calculated rethink, you may about crime in well receive a reply from his secretary this country. I saying that Mr Howard has taken am not going to note of your comments. However, ignore it, one letter voicing concern over a explain it away wrongful imprisonment recently or just meet it received a full reply from Michael with a string of Howard himself. And what words. I am miscarriage of justice sufficiently going to take m oved Howard enough to w rite such action. Tough a personalised response? The jailing action. How of a character in the radio soap opera many times ‘The A rchers’ that’s what. have I heard people say ‘let’s bring colleague Jonathan Evans (Con MP Howard, described as “an avid back the village bobby’. Well that is Brecon and Radnor). “It is a glossy fan“ of The Archers, was contacted exactly what I’m going to do. The publication produced by well- by a rather sad spokesperson o f ‘The countryside must be made safer. We organised people with many resources National Campaign to Save the have already announced tough and it encourages the type o f activity Ambridge One’. proposals to deal with New Age which, I am glad to say, clause 45 “I entirely agree with your Travellers and Ravers. These people intends to strike down.” view that imprisonment was an have even made it onto the Archers. Hawkins (three chins and only entirely inappropriate sentence for "Well I ’ve got some good news 35 yrs old!) rarely followed the debate, Susan,” dribbled Howard in his for Ambridge. When our new laws busy as he was doing his constituency answering letter. “I have even less are in place, Eddie Grundy won’t work, reading the Evening Standard influence on the fictional judge in need to spray m anure on his fields to (several times) and avidly reading The Archers than I have on the real get rid of them.” the “glossy” magazine he had judges who sit in our courts every As satire becomes reality, ridiculed earlier. day, so you will understand that there politics assumes the status of a soap Over his shoulder it was is no action which I can take in this opera with Howard in position as one possible for a SQUALL observer to case. I speak as someone who acted its principal actors. see that the magazine described as as a part-time judge before I became being “beyond the means of his a government minister and I can constituents”, retails at £2.50. A copy assure you that, had her case come of Hansard for just one session of the before me, I would certainly not have Great delight was taken by committee stage debate costs £7.50 sent her to prison. Although the Nicholas Hawkins (Con MP and there were three sessions a day. offence she committed was serious, Blackpool South), when he Faced with the prospect of paying she pleaded guilty, was of exemplary showed the CJB committee a copy of £22.50 for a days worth of hot air or character and her children are clearly a magazine entitled ‘Chalice - New paying £2.50 for a magazine on dependent upon her. In my Age Networking Wales W est’. “Does subjects such as aromatherapy, view ...... etc.” my Hon. Friend agree that the glossy presents a Tory MP with something But whilst Michael Howard m agazine produced by and on behalf he can’t abide - no competition. may consider he has little influence of new age travellers would be entirely However, good to see an over the the events in The Archers, it beyond the means of our acknowledgement from Evans that is quite evident that the same is not constituents?” he snorted. he considers new travellers to be true of The Archers influence over “I was fascinated to see the “well-organised people with him. Take his speech to the Tory magazine,” continued his committee many resources”.

13 Now if it was the case that the Daily Mail were alone with their gross misrepresentation, we could simply conclude that it was the result of the Mail’s well- known disposition to report only those angles that suit its own underlying agenda, regardless of the event. But they weren’t the only ones. Every national newspaper in Britain proved itself to be a party to a blatant misrepresentation that seriously calls into question the media’s role as instigators of violence. The photographs of the event say it all: A look at the news, opinions and The three in the Daily Mail, three in The Times, the skew-whiffs, as presented by the large black and white on the cover of The Guardian, the large colour photo on the British press. front cover of the Independent. Four in The Sun, three in the Daily “Protest mob in siege deal with the march said: consisted of the headline and Express (including front 'The people at Downing one fifth the text. (The last cover) and one in the Daily of Downing Street,” Street were a very small fifth was an advert for Mirror. ran the headline in minority of the March which mobile phones). Every single shot was in the main passed A seven hour of the 15 minute fracas the Daily Mail on the peacefully and without forceful, yet predominantly outside Downing Street and day after the CJB incident’.” But in this case peaceful, demonstration not one single newspaper the Mail wasn’t interested in represented in the media by printed any other picture. demonstration on what the police had to say. 15 minutes of news-juicy Never mind the 50,000 24th July. Three fifths of the page violence. Forget the police’s people on the March, never devoted to the demonstration “in the main passed mind the array of speakers in “Mob”?.... You have consisted of three peacefully” conclusions, the Trafalgar Square, never mind to get to paragraph eight (the photographs concentrating Mail’s leader column talked a thousand other photo small print) to find: only on the 15 minute fracas only of “Facing up to the opportunities - violence sells “Scotland Yard, which that took place outside mob” at “yesterdays ugly newspapers. dispatched 2,000 officers to Downing St. One fifth demo”. Take a look at the

14 captions that accompanied the photos. “Confrontation: The following verbatim interview was shown in a BBC Panorama programme Violence breaks out.” - broadcast on 15/8/94. Nicholas Van Hoogstraten is one of the richest landlords Daily M ail. “Flashpoint - in Britain and owns thousands of properties in the South-east. Ranks of riot police clashed.” - Daily Mirror. VAN HOOGSTRATEN: “I’m not a charitable institution and if I was, I certainly “Faces of Hate: wouldn’t be charitable towards tenants. They’d be bottom of the list.” Demonstrators harangue riot Interviewer: How do you feel about that? police” and “Mob rule: VAN HOOGSTRATEN:“I’m not really bothered, I wouldn’t be a tenant. I don’t look Protesters threaten to break after tenants - why should l look after tenants. One looks after one’s assets. Can’t in” - Daily Express. extend it to looking after the tenant ‘cause the tenant is spending his money down “Defiant: A girl protester the betting shop and smoking cigarettes.” (with naked midriff) throws Interviewer: You don't seem to have a high opinion of tenants. a stick” - The Sun. VAN HOOGSTRATEN: “I don’t have a high opinion of anybody who is born and “Protesters at the gates: brought up in this country and doesn’t own a stake in it. And the first stake anyone Police drove them off three should have in their country is the ownership of the roof over their head. If they times.” - Daily Telegraph. haven’t got that, they haven’t got self-respect and if they don’t have self-respect “A demonstrator astride the why should I respect them.” gates taunt police. Other Nicholas Van Hoogstraten received a short prison sentence in the seventies for protesters hurled missiles.” - forcible entry and eviction. The Criminal Justice Bill's clause allowing violent entry The Guardian. will free the likes of Hoogstraten to use forcible entry against occupants at any time. Of the many non­ violent direct action stewards that were present on the “A lot of people seem 'begging metaphor’ for the violent direct action March, there was scant to be mucking about in the media’s role in provoking continues. If the Criminal mention. “Despite some of fountains. Do you think they violence. Above the front Justice Bill goes through, as the crowd shouting ‘No know what the Bill is page photograph of the it looks certain to do, violence’, fights broke out,” actually about?” To which he fracas, was an article on peaceful demonstrations will reported The Guardian. received a full reply. But Northern Ireland; the actually be outlawed and “As the mob became pursuing his pre-determined headline said “Sinn Fein then where will the people angry again, stewards angle, he continued: “I’ve Shuns Peace”. Of course the seek expression for their shouted ’Keep it peaceful, seen a lot of drugs about bottom line for all terrorist political dis-satisfactions? If keep it moving’,” mentioned today. Do you think this organisations is that they there is a consequent upsurge The Times, but not before it detracts from your cause?” have resorted to violence in the amount of violence, it had titillated its readers with To which he was told: “I because no-one listens to the is not just the Bill itself that “demonstrators engaged in know a lot of very important cause, unless it involves will be to blame. The hand to hand fighting with questions that a radio- violence. By continually headline should have read: the police.” Ironically, the journalist might ask about ignoring peaceful “The Entire Media Shuns accompanying photograph of the Bill and this demo but demonstrations and Peace.” the fracas in The Times, this isn’t one of them.” rewarding the violently If you were to meet shows Bridgette from the The completely inclined with coverage, an honest editor he/she Freedom Network laying her impartial journalist offered despite the fact that they would tell you that peace hand on the arm of an angry the usual excuse behind were vastly in the minority, doesn't sell; violence does. protester, with one of the which to retreat: “I need to the media become its So if it's down to 20,000 ‘Non Violence’ ask these questions for a perpetrators. market forces, who then is stickers given out on the day, balanced report”. But with Despite this however, responsible for the stuck to her chest. breath direct from a brewery, the commitment to non­ supply on demand? The Times, of course, an alcohol vaso-dilated face passed by the opportunity to and a shaky stance reflective comment on this however, of his journalistic angles, he preferring to scoff at the was asked: “We’ve seen a lot “clusters of hippies and new of journalists mucking about age travellers that smoked today with pre-determined cannabis openly and shouted angles. Do you think they abuse at passers-by and know what this Bill is police”. actually about?” He Along similar lines promptly left to pursue his came an LBC reporter who malicious folly elsewhere. cornered one of SQUALL’s The Independent’s editors for an interview. front cover provided the

15 Consultation Exorcise It’s not often that members of the British police force go on the record with their political opinions, so when they do it is worthy of note. The Criminal Justice Bill has provoked such statements, clearly demonstrating their dissatisfaction with the legislation, their role in implementing it and its implications for our society.

What The Police Say powers are discretionary, there will be there’s some way in which there could considerable pressure on the police to be a degree of tolerance, that proper CHIEF CONSTABLE DAVID deliver what is in essence a civil law people could be licensed for the conduct WILMOT (Greater Manchester enforcement procedure.” of raves, then the trade-off might be Police), speaking on behalf of the more positive in the long term than a Association of Chief Police Officers POLICE REVIEW JOURNAL: total ban.” (ACPO): “The proposals to deal with mass “This legislation is likely to bring police gatherings and countryside ‘raves’ seem, SGT MIKE RENNET - Chairman of officers into more frequent conflict with at best, to be a knee-jerk reaction to the the Metropolitan Police Federation: this section of the community ultimately Government’s wish to be seen to be “I can see police involved in the forcible resulting, once again, in a further drain doing something about this year’s eviction from premises and those on stretched resources. problem. At worst they can be construed premises remaining empty, boarded up “Legislation is not the total answer to as direct discrimination against a and people saying: ‘was it necessary?’ I this problem, as I feel all it may achieve minority.” can see the problem of making criminals is to pass the problem on more frequently. of people who are desperate to get their All it achieves is to virtually criminalise CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT ALAN lives back in balance, someone who has anyone who has a travelling way of life MARLOWE (Bedfordshire Police): been made redundant, someone who and lives in a caravan. “The police do not want to be in a position squats in premises - who pays for gas, “I must re-inforce what I have said where there is a total blanket ban and electricity and water. Along comes a previously that many of the problems opposition to raves of all forms, because policeman and evicts them. That’s not presented by New Age Travellers, you could find yourself alienating a lot what I joined the police force for and I Ravers, Hunt Saboteurs, Squatters and of people and having illegal events don’t think a lot of people did.” such like cannot be solved by legislation springing up and sooner or later you are alone, nor by police action following the going to be forced into a concession. TONY JUDGE - Spokesman for the enactment of that legislation. Many of “I think we have to acknowledge that Police Federation: the problems have much deeper roots raves are a fact of youth subculture at the “We can envisage all kinds of grave and wider implications. It is for other present time.... It’s a popularity which problems. The police do not wish to agencies to play their part, as society has to be managed in some way. And I become the lead agency in de-squatting.” seeks to address the more long term would urge people to take a realistic solutions to the social problems which view, and suggest to them that perhaps if we all face. “I am concerned that the procedures, as set out [clauses on squatting], do not require the applicant to firstly explore all "Not good news for the prime other avenues of civil action available, minister - only one in ten, so far, think he’s doing a good job ” such as the use of bailiffs, before they turn up at the police station. I am quite sure that most applicants with the necessary papers confronted by an occupant who says ‘no’ to a requirement to leave, will make straight for a police station. Whilst I fully appreciate that the

16 “THE TROUBLE WITH WORDS IS THAT YOU NEVER KNOW WHOSE MOUTHS THEY’VE BEEN IN.” - Dennis Potter

ress release No 184, issued by the will agree that to make a difference to their August, the newspapers reported that the Department of the Environment in environment, they have to get involved. The predicted level of retail car sales (450,000 PMarch 1994, was a stirring rally cry best way of getting involved is to join a local instead of 500,000) was a bad indicator of the to every citizen of this great and noble nation, environment group, to work with local people economy. The sale of cars is one of the major to rise up together - to love our land and our and local authorities to ‘green’ their indicators used to measure economic success. planet - to save nature. neighbourhoods. I urge families to join up to We were so moved here at SQUALL make a difference to their environment. ” In the light of these facts, SQUALL to be the recipients of such marvellous would like to fill in the missing part of the sentiments that we thought we’d share them As a postscript to this marvellous DoE’s press release, that should have given with all our readers, so that you too may be ‘rally call to the gallery’, SQUALL would information on who to contact should you inspired to strive for the future of the life like to add a few facts. wish to heed their “hope that families across support system that we all have to share: the country will agree that to make a difference In July of this year, The London Air to their environment, they have to get Department of the Environment Quality Network warned the Government involved. The best way of getting involved is Press Release 184 -17 March 1994 that the quality of London’s air was the worst to join a local environment group.” Because in 40 years and is deteriorating further. At there is indeed a “a war being waged by WORLD ENVIRONMENT DA Y: ONE Whipps Cross Hospital in Walthamstow, young (and older) men and women from all EARTH, ONE FAMILY, London, doctors thought that there had been walks of life.” Want to know where? Then ONE FUTURE had been some kind of industrial chemical contact: emission accident during the summer, after a ROAD ALERT. PO Box 371, World Environment Day is an sudden rise in admissions for asthma. It was Southampton, Hants SO9 7BS - Tel: 0703 opportunity for families to join in the battle to then discovered that the dramatic fluctuation 237809 Will inform you of a local anti-road save the environment, Environment Secretary in asthma cases was not exclusive to campaign in your area. John Gummer said today. Walthamstow and was connected with high ALARM UK. 13, Stockwell Road, Giving further details about the levels of low-level toxic ozone created by the London SW9 9AU - Tel: 071 737 6641 United Kingdom's plans to host the United effect of the sun on exhaust fumes. The Network of campaigners involved in non­ Nations Environment programme (UNEP) Government predict that traffic volumes violent-direct-action road protests. World Environment day on 3 June, Mr could increase by 142% within 25 years. In Gummer said: “Fifty years ago, the political future of the world was being determined by a war being waged by young men and women from all walks of life and virtually every country on Earth. “In June we will be celebrating the Normandy Landings. But also in June the United Kingdom will be hosting World Environment Day, a focus for environmental effort, and a focus that reminds us that the earth has seen countless civilisations rise and fall. The most important battle still faces us: the battle to safeguard the future of the Earth. “We are sponsoring a nation-wide schools competition to encourage children to set out their vision of the future and a Science Museum exhibition - ‘City Limits?’ - on the future of cities. We will host the laureates ceremony in London to celebrate heeling themselves into the picture came three young members of the Claremont Road No M11 Campaign. "Wabbit," pointed out three year-old Rosie, a formidable the excellence of work being done world­ W environmental orator. "Hallo," agreed her colleague, Ruby, echoing the principle of openness wide. and community that underpin the nature of the entire campaign. Kes, who even as SQUALL But the day is also a dayfor individual goes to press, is searching for words to express himself, smiled in complete accord - hoping action. I hope that families across the country that we'd all get the m e s s a g e .

17 eviction of protesters from buildings along the route and the eviction of 40 A round-up of some of the road tree-huts and bender camps. The last tree hut was taken and development protests after a 17 day siege and a High Court possession order. The wood, once across the country. occupied by the protesters, has now been completely trashed. Hostility and increasing security guard violence is being documented by protesters who hope, Solsbury Hill the Batheaston Freeholders once enough material is collected, to Association, a self-elected body of pursue an almighty legal campaign of "THE scene was bizarre, and men who proclaim to represent the injunctions, suing and prosecutions horrific as chainsaw men again parish, set light to protester’s for assaults that have occurred. attacked the branches of the belongings after dousing them in Media interest is high: the four remaining trees, and bailiffs (called diesel. Tents, tarpaulins, blankets, main TV channels have all taken an ’safety advisors' ?!) began to forcibly sleeping bags, cameras, ropes, active interest with a documentary drag protesters from trees." clothing, passports and radios were expected from 'Public Eye’ (BBC2) on (Attempted fourth eviction of the destroyed in the blaze. Also missing security guard violence. Contact: Whitecroft site, Solsbury Hill, on the are two pet geese and two small pigs. 0772 323531. outskirts of Bath, 19th July ’94) "It was manic, vigilante stuff," In Squall 7 we reported how said one eye-witness. "The protesters Newbury the Bath/Swainswick A46 bypass was gave everything, they have been left in its initial phase of construction with nothing." "IT 'S like the DoT have got a map of amidst a growing campaign of daily The police are investigating Britain, put a dot on every Site of peaceful direct action and growing the incident and if anyone can help Special Scientific Interest, joined up media interest. with information phone Road Alert on the dots and said 'right, that's where Over the Summer, the 0272 246 199. we'll have our trunk roads'." (Jai from Solsbury Hill Action Group have The protesters remain Road Alert, August '94.) faced increasingly violent evictions, committed to fighting the bypass with particularly from the occupied tree- continued actions and other peaceful The DoT were certainly huts on the Whitecroft (broadleaf protests but the August attack has set playing dot to dot when they proposed woodland) site and from the back the campaign. To offer a route for the Newbury A34 bypass. watermeadows, south of the hill itself, assistance to Solsbury Hill Action The road, which is currently out to which have now been completely Group and the Save Our Solsbury tender and with predicted construction bulldozed. The Whitecroft site was campaign phone 0225 481995. start date of January '95, will eventually taken by the DoT and steamroller its way through twelve Amey construction on July 20th and miles of some of the most beautiful resulted in 34 arrests. Preston countryside in Berkshire. Worse, however, was to come Included on its list of in August when, and while the W ORSENING security guard destruction are protected areas, protesters were away participating in hostility and a high police presence ancient woodland, nature reserves, the a local green fair, a mob of farmers now surrounds the campaign against site of the first battle of Newbury attacked the campaigner's camp with the proposed M65 route at Preston. (1643), the River Kennet and the pitchforks and scythes. Members of This Summer has seen eviction after River Lambourne. No adequate

18 Environmental Impact Assessment has ever been done on the route, despite this being a requirement of European Community law. The campaign against the bypass, called the third battle of Newbury 'A Road to Ruin’, is currently building support and drawing attention to the environmental destruction. The route has been severely criticized by many bodies, particularly the Landscape Advisory Committee, commissioned by the DoT to inspect the route: "....this will undoubtedly prove to be one of the most environmentally contentious proposals in recent history." English Nature, state nature conservation watchdog, confirmed the Rivers Kennett and Lambourne as sites of special scientific interest. The and planners agreement for the land to reason for the designation is, they say, Pollock be used in the form of a veto on the in recognition of their richness in planned development. Contact: 041 wildlife. The inclusion of these rivers ONE more area of outstanding 552 8776 or 041 636 1924. as nature reserves would bring the beauty which the DoT have chosen number of SSSI to be destroyed up to replace with a road is on the Pollock Cardiff Bay four! Estate, Ayr. The National Rivers Authority The proposed M77 route has, ANOTHER dot not missed, this has also been vocal in the proposed as in the Newbury case, not had an time Cardiff Bay where the Newbury bypass lodging a protest Environmental Impact Assessment Government (in the guise of the with the DoT. carried out on it. Earth First!, who Cardiff Bay Development Dr. Norman More, former currently have a permanent camp on Corporation) plan to construct a Nature Conservancy Chief Advisory the estate, say any assessment would barrage across the bay and transform Officer, described the proposed route definitely condemn the proposals. the existing salt-water mud flats into a as ’’vandalism of the first order If they The majority of the route is fresh water lagoon. Road Alert (Newbury's protected places) were to currently out to tender but has had describe the development plans as be destroyed without an advance work carried out on two of "the first ever TOTAL obliteration of Environmental Impact Assessment its 11 kilometre length. a SSSI by a single development”. being carried out”. Contact: 0635 Eight metre high embankments The barrage, currently in its 46524 made from steel and pulverised fuel initial stages of construction, will ash line the beginning of the route. destroy the habitats of thousands of The DoT plan to fell thousands of species of birds, fish and insects as mature trees, many over 200 years well as creating a highly toxic old. environment in what has been Pollock became famous in described as a highly delicate eco­ conservation legislative terms when, system. in 1939, Scotland’s first conservation The Cardiff Bay Development agreement was drawn up for the Corporation claim the barrage will estate. make the bay more attractive to The National Trust for business and industry and they Scotland (NTS), who do not own the consider the mud flats to be land, were made trustees when the "unsightly". The area has been Late Sir John Stirling Maxwell - the proposed a 'Special Protection Area’ original owner, a founder of the NTS since 1981. SPAs are the strictest and Chairman of the Forestry form of environmental protection that Commission - put requirements on the exists in Europe. Trust to preserve Pollock Estate in The Campaign against the perpetuity as an open space, or Cardiff Bay Barrage run regular parkland, for the benefit of the people demonstrations and actions from their of Glasgow. The NTS waived this base in Cardif. Contact: 0222 agreement in 1974 by giving the DoT 383363 or 0222 237320.

19 The Triumph of Love over Pain

If you were on the July 24th Agents). As far as I am concerned a march you’d know that it was simply large percentage of those 60 people the best political rally ever. It was were paid agents of the State, serving like taking vast amounts of heart- its purposes not ours. pumping chemicals but without the On entering Hyde Park a toxicity. Or like being in love with character from Class War thrust a 60,000 people all at the same time. It paper in my direction. “Pacifism is was a manifestation of the Spirit: no Capitalism,” he said. Oh yeah! Right. less. Like the core-being at the centre Why hadn’t I seen that before? Like of the Universe was beaming rays of the Gulf War was a Pacifist act. Like love directly into our hearts. A surge Western Governments paid Saddam of great revolutionary spiritual Hussein to build up his arms for the fervour. The triumph of joy over sake of world peace, then whopped despair. the Iraqi people one for doing what If you read the papers the we told them. Like all those riot following day you’d think it was a police were kitted out to dance and riot. Which it was. A riot of colour. sing and have lots of fun. Pacifism is Riotous pleasure. But no: you’d think Capitalism. The best slogan of the it was a carnival of hate and violence day. and careless destruction. It’s errant nonsense of course. I watched the whole episode at Those that want to incite violence the gates of Downing Street, from the know perfectly well they are playing formation of the original gaggle of into the government’s hands. That is largely mischievous protesters, the sure route to failure. As if a few through the police charges, to the sticks and stones and plastic bottles point where Agent Provocateurs were chucked at the lines of shielded, urging people to kill through loud- helmeted, sometimes armed police is hailers. And I can tell you there were going to overthrow the State. Don’t barely 50-60 hard-core nutcases make me laugh. involved. Out of a march of 50- Here’s the truth. Among those 60,000, the antics of 50-60 people policemen and women are a lot of finds its way into the press. That’s deeply frustrated, emotionally 0.1%. What does that tell you about crippled characters. Someone went up In sharp contrast the British Press? What does that tell to one who was scowling and said: to the riot of national you about those 50-60 people? “Smile, it doesn’t cost anything.” The Whose purpose did it serve to scowl deepened. I asked the guy what media coverage that see scenes of violence splashed over he was thinking. His scowl got darker followed a recent CJB the newspapers? Want to make sure still. “Same as I’m thinking about you the Great British Public never attend now,” he said: “go away.” Poor, march, CJ Stone, a march. Want to make sure they stay fucked up, sad little geezer. (For freelance press and at home watching Neighbours, and “little” read “diminished”.) But what radio journalist, steps that they never seek to question the you have to do is look into their eyes. values of the government? Then Occasionally you see a sparkle. When off the wall to offer a make sure you show violence. it comes down to it, the guy with the different impression. Nobody likes violence except the sparkle breaks ranks. Deep down he’s state and its agents (the Estate on your side. Smile at him and he’ll

20 acknowledge you as a human being. He’ll think twice or more about hitting you. Attack him and - like any other tribe - he’ll dismiss you as his enemy, and take refuge with his mates. W hat’s the definition of a revolution? A turning. The moment of revolution is when the police change sides. We are the happy people. Happiness comes of peace, inner and outer. We are the party people, the people of rapture. Hate + hate = more hate. Love versus hate is like garlic to a vampire. It withers it away. In the end negativity even has to negate itself. Love must always triumph because love is eternal. Jesus said “love your enemies”. Why? Because if you love them they’re your enemy no longer. He said “turn the other cheek”. Why? Because deep down we are all part of the same process. We are the universe. The pain you feel is Universal pain. Strike back and there’s yet more pain, yet more suffering. I’m not a Christian. Christianity sucks. The history of Christianity is the history of sexless guilt, joylessness and despair. Christians have caused more suffering, to each other and to the human race as a whole, than any other group in existence. But Jesus wasn’t a Christian. That came after. He was a man, a free­ thinker and a revolutionary. He mixed with prostitutes and publicans: the low-life. He said: “Consider the lillies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.” He wanted us to be free. Free of the joyless confines of paid labour. Free to The State is not something that can love and be loved. Free to experience pleasure. Free to drink be defeated by armed revolution. It deeply of the spirit. is a condition; a certain relationship To the 60,000 people who attended the march and rally on the between people, a form of human 24th July: we are brothers and sisters of the Spirit all. Don’t worry behaviour. about the SWP. They can’t convert us. Let them call their marches. We We overcome it by developing other will convert them. This is the moment of relationships; by behaving rapture. Dance and you will be differently. free. The answer to everything is Yes!!!

21 Police make an arrest outside Hackney Town Hall. were ‘their’were in getting shown. coverage The squatters the organised how about whinge housing policy on TV; all he could do was was do could all he TV; on policy housing on cafry Lae o h Council, the of Leader McCafferty, John that he didn’t even try to defend his council’s media' video coverage. This so incensed incensed so This coverage. video media' South South East news using extensive 'alternative BBC even radio, and with to TV on passed the ‘alternative media’, wide coverage was was coverage wide media’, ‘alternative the doors) hall town the (to damage criminal and obstruction. Because of Because of the and of presence obstruction. with charged been have on, picked been to have enough unlucky people, seven The occupiers. the eject to intervened violently elections, was broken elections, up broken was by the police, who the first full council meeting since the local since the meeting the fullcouncil first & 7 for previous bouts). previous 7 for & the of Chair and (Labour) right-wing (TAT), worryingly Team Audit Tenancy Housing, Simon Matthews (see Squalls 5 , , (see Housing, Matthews Simon Squalls 5 6 gathered to protest against the council's council's the against protest to gathered inside. ‘para-municipal’ eviction squad, the the squad, eviction ‘para-municipal’ Over 250 squatters and supporters supporters and squatters 250 Over Hackneyed Hypocrisy Hackneyed The occupation and disruption of of disruption and occupation The ended up as a brief occupation occupation brief a as up ended 20th on July Hall Town Hackney large demonstration demonstration large - the saga continues - continues saga the - outside

all, where there are lots of empty properties, existent Hackney's housing ‘policy’ is. After non­ and corrupt how everyone reminding TAT are so vindictive - the squatters keep squatters the - vindictive so are TAT previously previously looked after by tenants, squatters and co-ops. No wonder Matthews and the and Matthews wonder No co-ops. and sell-off of empty council properties properties council empty of sell-off o ae nie hn hy r directly are repairs). (eg incompetence by theyaffected when noise a make to have done very well, thank you, out of the of out you, thank well, very done have the council, while council tenants only seem with todeal have don’t and tenants owners r te ns ot fetd y t Private it. by affected most ones the are Housing Dept., mainly because these groups groups in the borough actively campaigning jobs, jobs, operative communities are probably the against the ineptitude and corruption of theof corruption and against theineptitude suffered most injuries from the police police the assaults. from injuries most suffered who people the also were arrested those addition to this vindictive scapegoating, scapegoating, vindictive this to addition trying to get them both suspended from their ake. t h mmn te oni are council the moment the At Hackney. and a social worker who actually work for work actually who worker social a and before Meanwhile, housing associations associations housing Meanwhile, n elt, h sute ad co­ and squatter the reality, In tecagscm ocut In court. to come charges the of of those charged are a teacher ‘The especially borough, Crescent’ (see below). Two Two below). (see Crescent’ the in squats or property TAT. them from any council council any from them banning council the by them against out taken injunctions had have known, to be come formally asked to oppose the asked tooppose formally all while soon, heard be will as the arrested protesters have A A test case for illegal eviction Department. Housing the of investigate the actions of the of actions the investigate CJB in Hackney and to to and Hackney in CJB been have councillors 60 painful... orp ad lea practices illegal and corrupt legal means available to expose all the using effectively local the that is problem truth is obviously getting getting obviously is truth qatn cmuiy is community squatting 22 h Hcny seven, Hackney The McCafferty's major major McCafferty's only

no doubt... watch this space.this watch doubt... no knowledge public thankfully, isnow, what in Hackney. The proverbial tip of the iceberg was now on the council hit list...hit council the on now was withdraw the £2,000 council funding of theof funding the£2,000 council withdraw got their funding as well. But the Crescent the But well. as funding their got event! raiain o sekr, hetnn to threatening speakers, or organisations attempts at suppression of free speech and speech free of suppression at attempts not to give a festival platform to squatting to platform festival a give to not promise them make to tried and squatters local were organisers the that discovered of the festival (1993), John McCafferty McCafferty John (1993), festival the of yearthere.first largelyThe from organised being was Festival Homeless Hackney the in evicting it after it became apparent that apparent became it after it evicting in interest an showing began only council the letters page 53). page letters a well-Street, Church Newington Stoke on ak se Cecn Eitd pg 7 and 7 page Evicted' 'Crescent (see Park Clissold to next crescent Victorian listed squat of about 40 flatsknown ina beautiful the recent final eviction of ‘The Crescent’‘The of eviction final recent the was Hackney in power Labour of decades fine example of Stalinist local politics.local Stalinist of example fine be might he suspected he because alias an netgtd Js a wl ral; further a really; well as Just investigated. Christian, as a council tenant, wrote in under living on the Clissold Estate." Of course, Mr after, saying: "There is no tenant or or tenant no is Christian Mark of name the by leaseholder "There saying: after, welcomed the new anti-squatting proposals welcomed the writer was immediately investigated byinvestigated immediately was the writer less. no Housing, of Director Crofton, Bernard his estate. Instead of answering his questions, a towhen local resident theappeared wrote about the evictions TAT and the empties on in Gazette complaining August Hackneyed squatters and you reduce the vocal vocal the reduce you opposition. and squatters Chair of Housing who has publicly Bill. publicly Justice Criminal the in has who Housing of Chair there are a lot of squatters... get rid of the of rid get squatters... of lot a are there ht io Mthw i te ny Labour only the is Matthews Simon that These are just a few examples of of examples few a just are These Sensibly, the ignored hisorganisers Although squatted for many years, many for squatted Although A A worse example of the rot-infested rfo woe o h ppr soon paper the to wrote Crofton of vindictiveness example Another t hrfr cms s o surprise no as comes therefore It SQUALL has done some lateral thinking in order to you do not discover a house.” come up with this issue’s ‘Jewel in the Mud’ award. The article chosen may not mention squatters, And so our role in all this?.... travellers, dancers, protesters, the CJB or land rights; “Critical destruction of a hypothesis has never as has been the case with previous winners of this produced a better one. THERE IS A NEED for someone prestigious SQUALL accolade. What it does address to come along and design a better hypothesis. Where the however is the ways in which we think and the ways cause cannot be removed problems have to be solved by in which we are told, manoeuvred, cajoled and ‘designing’ a way forward... While we may be excellent conditioned to do that thinking. at analysis we are extremely bad at design because Entitled “When is a box not a box? When it’s design needs creativity and lateral thinking, and education a straitjacket”, the article appeared in The Guardian has never paid any attention to these very important 3/9/94 and was written by the modem day celeb of matters. Universities entrap the best brains and feed thinking practices, Edward de Bono. them a diet of scholarship, analysis, judgement and critical thinking. This is totally insufficient in a changing “The great problems of our time can be dealt with world.....Design needs new perceptions and new if we unshackle ourselves from ancient modes of concepts.” thinking,” ran the sub-heading, followed up with the corking Go on Edward... first sentence.... “Western thinking is failing because its complacent “Why then do we not take creativity seriously and arrogance prevents it from seeing the extent of its failure.” allocate serious resources to it? In the future creativity is going to be the most important part of human thinking Why? .... Edward goes on to explain. because all else will be done much better by computers and models...... We believe that nothing can be done “Analysis breaks things down so they can be more about creativity and that it is just a matter of chance or easily fitted into boxes. Argument disputes whether or inborn talent. This is old-fashioned nonsense. Creative not something fits into the suggested box. Once something thinking is a skill that can be learned like any other is judged into a box then we ‘read the label’ to determine skill.... Then we seek to design a way forward using the appropriate action...... So we are trapped in a creativity to suggest new concepts.” thinking system based on ‘truth’ and ‘boxes’... The boxes are derived from the past. There is the assumption And why isn’t this happening already? that a cluster of attributes that have occurred together in the past will always occur together in the future. This is “Because we are trapped in the complacency of a like assuming that the tuberculosis bacillus will always thinking system which will become increasingly be susceptible to streptomycin because it was susceptible inadequate at everything except defending its adequacy.” in the past; it is not. The future is not like the past...... Many things are not there to be discovered. They only Ah yes Edward.... here’s yer award. exist if we design them into being. You build a house,

23 DIY in the Sticks The council planner - bureaucratic jobs worth or potential reformer of society? Simon Fairlie, assistant editor of The Ecologist and resident of Tinkers Bubble, urges a fresh approach to the weary restrictions of planning law.

own here in Somerset untilled. we’re suddenly hearing In other words, unless a lot about “DIY culture” you’ve got stacks of money, if comingD from our brother and sisters you want to do it yourself in the up in the smoke. Well, in the country, you’re buggered. The countryside Do-It-Yourself culture best option for many seems to be has long been practised, and still is to wander around from place to by the majority of the world’s place in caravans, trucks and people - peasants who grow their buses. And now even this is being own crops, and their own seeds, criminalised by the CJB. collect their own firewood, build Tinkers Bubble is a their own houses and make their deliberate attempt to challenge own manure and their own music. this state of affairs./ Last year a But not in Britain, group of us were offered a decent unfortunately. Here the peasants bit of land - 40 acres, south-facing got forced off the land long ago, in with a spring, orchards and favour of a select line of wealthy woodland - and amazingly landowners who now do it between us we found the money according to the dictates of the to buy it (at about the same price Ministry of Agriculture and who as a two bedroom house in the have progressively replaced 90 per neighbouring village). We’ve cent of the people working on the stuck up benders there and land with tractors and chemicals. signalled our intention to live there Any prospective peasant, anyone in a modest but exuberant who wants to do it themselves on a harmony with nature. bit of land, is actively discouraged South Somerset planners in a number of ways - and the main say we can’t do this; we might way nowadays is through planning conceivably be allowed to do it if law. we were “viable” - but viable in Planning law in rural Britain their terms means grossing about works like this: a small quantity of a quarter of a million quid a year the available land (called the to pay for all the machinery and development area), is designated chemicals that they consider for human habitation; the rest is necessary for working the land - designated for agriculture, or else and having enough land to justify “heritage” (country parks etc). in a house, not in a shack, not in a that amount of machinery.. Consequently building land is caravan, not in a tent, not in a tree, not in We say that, as far as we’re ridiculously expensive - about 40 times an abandoned fox-hole, not even in a concerned, we can be viable. Most of us as much as ordinary land - and anyone sleeping bag under the stars. You have to are used to living off the £45 or so per buying or renting a house is paying a rent or buy a house within the week dole. With the subsistence whack of money to the building society, development area. But this is so absurdly opportunities offered by the land - water, developer or whoever it is who profits expensive, no one could afford it on the firewood, fruit and vegetables, dairy from this massive artificial increase in meagre amount that can be earned off a products, and solar and wind energy - value. smallholding, when industrial farmers together with the money we can earn The development restrictions with 1,000 acres or more are churning from timber cultivation, woodwork and mean that if you can afford to buy a bit of out subsidized produce for next to nothing agriculture, we reckon that after a number purely agricultural land, you can work it, - not to mention getting paid £150 per of years of trial and error, we should be but you are not allowed to live on it - not acre for leaving a proportion of their land able to live pretty comfortably, without 24 odad dl; ikr Bubble. Tinkers Idyll; Woodland

sponging off the surplus the British state “favourable consideration will be given Somerset to gain a bit of space. When the acquires through playing financial to the development of derelict or unused CJB clamps down on squatting and markets and exploiting Third World sites in the countryside” to provide “short customary stopping rights for travellers, peasants. term transit sites.... long term residential then more and more people will be putting We also tell them that if we are sites”, and sites for “low-impact in planning applications, either on their forced to go and live in a rented house in dwellings in conjunction with own land or on derelict land owned by the neighbouring town, then the expense agriculture/permaculture proposals”. the council or some other body. of rent, council tax, water bills, fuel bills, This is really sensible, in fact In fact, if you don’t consciously and transport to get us back and forth almost visionary, policy. Unfortunately, want to be nomadic, putting in a planning between land and home will make us so far, Somerset councils are going about application has a number of advantages non-viable. We’ll have to keep signing implementing it in completely the wrong over squatting or shifting from site to on, “looking for work”, filling in those way. At a village called Middlezoy, the site. It buys time - often a lot of time. It silly green forms - we won’t legally be county council forced through planning gives you a respectable soapbox from allowed to work more than 20 hours per permission for a traveller site in a place which to put your case across to the week on our holding and most of the where there weren’t any travellers. The authorities, the press and local people. It income we get from it will be deducted irate villagers mounted a bitter campaign makes you stop and think out more from our dole so it will become pointless. against this threat to their rural tranquillity thoroughly what it is you are actually State-supported housing, we tell them, is and even, perversely, squatted the site trying to do. And it encourages a more a poverty trap - if they want us to get off themselves. All that the well-meaning constructive “lets get our shit together the dole, then they should allow us the council achieved by this exercise was to and show them” approach, rather than land and the planning flexibility to-do it ignite the latent local prejudice against the nihilistic fatalism that has done so ourselves - because we don’t want their travellers, with the additional threat of much harm to the travellers and squatters over-mechanised, chemically-intensive, interference by an outside authority. And movement over the last decade. planet-gobbling jobs. yet when we try to do it ourselves on Gradually, as the CJB comes We are not the only group in “derelict and unused land”, and to take nearer to being a reality, an as yet Somerset trying in some degree to do it on the responsibility ourselves for unformalised network is emerging, ourselves. A bender site in East Pannard, demonstrating to understandably focused on planning issues and access to a travellers site at Dommett’s Wood and suspicious local residents that we’re in land for those of us who don’t buy TV another at Slough Green near Taunton fact not nearly as bad as the gutter press culture but want to do it ourselves. If you have all applied for planning permission makes out, the councils regularly turn have anything constructive to contribute to get a stable living place together within our applications down. towards the growth of such a network, the limitations of the land they have at However we are optimistic. There please write to the author care of their disposal. are some well-intentioned thoughtful SQUALL. All four of these planning people on local councils (a applications have been turned down, hell of a lot more than there a message to the planners though sometimes by very small margins are in the present - we at Tinkers Bubble, lost ours by six government) but, operating votes to seven. All four have been given as they do within a between six months to a year’s grace, cumbersome hierarchy, it before being moved off. And all four are takes them a bit of time to get planning to appeal. anything sensible together, Yet, encouragingly, councillors even when they have a mind and planners are beginning to take what to. we’re saying seriously. South Somerset We are also aware that District Council recently adopted a new all around the country there from a panel of experts draft structure plan which says that are initiatives like ours in

25 Get On Your Land! Land ownership in Britain and a new way forward

and ownership is notoriously unequal in this country and this Lfact is quietly lurking behind some of the present legislation in the Criminal Justice Bill. At present it is estimated that between 50 and 75% of all land in the UK is owned by 1% of the population. Scotland is rumoured to have the most unequal land ownership in the entire world. Due to the unavailability of information and lack of openness in Government departments, nobody actually knows for certain who owns what. In 1981, Mrs. Thatcher conveniently wound up the Royal Commission on Income and Wealth, a body that was investigating land holdings. What is well-documented is that over hundreds of years previously common land, under the jurisdiction of local communities, has slowly become more concentrated. day, many large estates have been in existence for hundreds Ever-larger estates are accumulating vast wealth at the expense of years. Primogeniture (the passing of the estate to the eldest of the poorer majority of people. The processes of son) insured many large properties remained intact, while the industrialisation, land enclosure and clearances conveniently aristocracy have also successfully absorbed new blood and concentrated the labouring classes in towns, while colonialism new wealth, so surviving to today (unlike in France). Land has allowed the removal of the historic dependence between always been the ultimate bank account for the aristocracy and people and land through imports of staple foodstuffs and the ‘new’ rich. luxuries. Today, labour-intensive industrialism is dead, 5.2 million people claim income support and housing and Since the last proper land census, way back in 1875, agriculture is in crisis. However, there are a few tentative but not much has changed. Four of the top ten landowners in the living examples of real change now up and running. It is time table over were present in the 1875 top ten. Not bad, considering to raise the flag of land reform in the UK. There must be a new way forward for the next millenium.

1066 and all that TOP 10 INSTITUTIONAL LANDOWNERS 1994

When William the Conqueror divided the Acres country up among his English and French supporters, 1 Forestry Commission 2,100,000 he was only continuing what the Anglo-Saxon 2 Ministry of Defence 601,000 nobles had already established: semi-independent 3 National Trust 565,000 earldoms or shires maintained through strength. 4 Utilities (water, electricity, etc.) 550,000 Two thousand English Chiefs welcomed William 5 Pension funds/Insurance Companies (est.) 500,000 as their new king, hoping for spoils of the defeated 6 County Farms (owned by Local Authorities) 350,000 Harold’s estates. Over the following years, the 7 Crown Estate 300,000 aristocracy gradually became Anglo-Norman, as 8 Oxbridge colleges 250,000 estates were handed out in return for support for the 9 Church of England/individual churches 200,000 king, especially in times of war. Land and titles 10 Co-Operative Wholesale Soc. Agriculture Ltd. 175,000 became a strategic form of protection for the monarchy and the quarrelsome barons. (estimates based on various sources where no annual reports Although few of the original landed or public statements found; The Guardian 13-8-94) aristocratic families have survived to the present 26 the changes the 20th century brought; the welfare state, technology, universal suffrage, death duties etc. The Second TOP 10 INDIVIDUAL LANDOWNERS 1994 Domesday Survey of 1875 also found that only 20% of England and Wales Acres was owned by commoners, 970,000 of 1 Duke of Buccleuch/Buccleuch Estates Co. 277,000 them in all, meaning most of them had 2 Duke of Westminster/Grosvenor Estates 190,000 tiny plots. Meanwhile, a quarter of 3 Earl of Seafield 185,000 England and Wales was owned by 710 4 Prince of Wales/Duchy of Cornwall 141,000 individuals. It has been estimated that 5 Duke of Atholl 130,000 more than half the families in the 1875 6 Countess of Sutherland 126,000 survey still own all or part of the land 7 Captain AA Farquharson 119,000 they did then. 8 Earl of Stair 110,000 However, all this information is 9 Sir Donald Cameron of Lochiel 98,000 over 100 years old. Today we are only 10 Duke of Northumberland 95,000 half as informed as the Victorians were. What has made this situation doubly (NB Individual ownership is almost always held in some form of worse is the introduction of set-aside trust or corporation; The Guardian 13-8-94) payments of the Common Agricultural Policy. Large landowners can now claim converting office space; increasing an average of £253 per hectare of tax­ time to assert our natural rights to the travellers sites etc. payers money, for doing virtually land taken from our forefathers by those nothing. The Maffia (Ministry of with more power, privilege and money. Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) It is time for those in power to start Crime, Poverty and Unemployment. By creating new sustainable estimates this to amount to £1.1 billion giving back what was ours in the first per year, but will not say who this is for place. Ordinary people can make much communities based on smallholdings, or how much each person gets. Seven more productive use of land than large the poverty trap of unemployment would particular farmers will receive £500,000 landowners, employing and housing be alleviated. Giving people the opportunity to work and live on the land between them this year, and 33,000 will more people, and producing better food would lessen their dependence on the benefit in all. and products in the process. It is just a Combined with the ‘Peace matter of overcoming the perceived State, creating produce and thousands Dividend’, brought by the end of the 'radical ' nature of the ethos of land of jobs. Crime would be reduced through Cold War, this all means that there is a reform; it's not radical, it's simply social stable communities and productive, large amount of ‘excess’ land in this justice. rewarding work. country. All over Europe too, land is being taken out of production. If the The author of this article, Intensive Agriculture and Set-Aside. former Eastern Bloc countries also get G lyn Walters, proposes the The last 50 years have seen an almost complete destruction of traditional their immense agricultural potential setting up of a Land Reform farming methods through subsidy and going, then there could be even greater Society to encourage the pressure to reduce over-production. mechanization. Thousands of workers redistribution of some of the large So the time is ripe for people are still being pushed off the land every who wish to ‘get back to the land’, or get areas of land currently going to year through chemical over-production. out of the crumbling inner cities, or waste in this country. Farmers are now also being paid millions to leave their land idle. This preposterous escape unemployment, to make their A national forum is foreseen, situation must change. The answer lies voices heard. There are surely many bringing together Government who would long for the chance to own departments, landowners, farmers, in organic smallholdings producing healthy, cheap produce. a smallholding and contribute to the planners, housing groups, would-be local and national economy through small-holders and individuals. War Games and The Peace Dividend. sustainable food production and Its main aims would be to house Large amounts of the Ministry of associated job creation. The people in decent affordable housing and Government should also be interested to produce locally grown organic food Defence’s huge land-holdings are no longer needed, much of this land was in schemes which could take people off on a moderate scale. These two aims originally common land anyway. These benefit and regenerate rural areas. would in turn deal with a number of should be redistributed to new small Of course, this won’t be easy. social and environmental problems: Simon Fairlie of Tinker’s Bubble (see communities not the highest bidder. A page 24) talks of the problems of Homelessness. There simply aren’t national asset is being sold off to line the planning law which need to be enough decent homes in this country. pockets of Government and middlemen. overcome. But groups like the Bubble Many options are available: new, and Exodus (page 40) are living proof affordable houses; low impact If you wish to get involved of the possibilities open to us. dwellings; renovation of empty There has never been a better properties; reforming the planning laws; write to Glyn Walters, c/o splitting up of large estates and farms; SQUALL magazine.

27 You’ve Been QUANGO'D

associations (HAs) and housing action trusts, while development of There are now more people working for quangos than new social housing has become the there are in local government. Freelance housing journalist, almost exclusive preserve of HAs. Patrick Nother, takes a look at the disappearing Last year local authorities built only 1,200 homes. accountability, as exampled by the rise of the faceless housing quango. No one can claim that the Government has anything that even resembles a coherent housing policy, but it does have a number of dogmas Once upon a time, in the 50s long since been regretted, as ’streets and treasury-led constraints which and 60s, nearly every BBC in the sky' turned out to be so much will continue to transform the news broadcast seemed to end 'pie in the sky' and faith in steel and provision of social housing. with the plummy, dinner jacketed concrete crumbled. But the level of One initiative is the promotion newscaster reading announcements output was phenomenal, with the of HAs as managing agents of the from the Government or Opposition municipal housing boom peaking in 864,000 mostly privately owned about council dwellings completed or 1967 when over 200,000 homes were empty properties around the country new numbers promised. Both Labour built. By 1979 the local councils of (the HAMA Initiative), while new and the Conservatives loudly boasted Great Britain owned a grand total of developments are cut back. Private their commitment to an ever- more than 6.5 million homes. landlords and letting agents are expanding programme of new build, But no longer. Since the early getting in on the act, but things are as slums were cleared and system- ’80s almost a quarter of the stock has moving very slowly and are of little built estates went up in their place. been lost through 'right to buy' and comfort to the tens of thousands of Much of the development has large scale transfers to housing squatters threatened with imminent

28 now own 65% of total association stock, that in no time they break away from the movement and turn themselves into private limited companies (plcs). Such pressure already bears on them.

Since the 1988 Housing Act introduced a regime of mixed funding for HAs, with increasingly smaller grant (HAG) rates requiring closer and closer relationships with private lenders, successful associations have become very familiar with the ways of The City. The recently announced Housing Association Grant (HAG) rate for 1995/96 of 58% (down from eviction by the Criminal Justice Bill. includes more than 2,000 HAs, 62% this year) will mean even fiercer But the big political issue of although associations are voluntary competition for private loans, and pic the last few years has been that of the or charitable bodies. But they operate status could provide an association overall quangoisation of new housing “at the local level under appointed or with opportunities for creatively provision through HAs as well as self- appointing committees”, which utilising the equity locked in its their funder and regulator, the is how Charter 88 defines the New properties, ensuring future private Housing Corporation (HC). But be Magistracy. And they also spend the funding at even lower HAG rates. forewarned, in the future this may H C ’s money for it. In line with The Government is already appear relatively benign. Citizen Major’s replacement of considering offering HAG to private democratic rights with consumer developers in competition with HAs. Quangos (quasi autonomous rights, HAs’ “customers” have a Or it might just go the whole non-governmental organisations) are Tenants Charter and an Ombudsman. hog and curtail bricks and mortar bodies which do the work of Before it became the subsidy altogether, allowing social government without being Government’s chosen vehicle (or rents to rise to a market level with democratically elected or “poodle”, as some have called it) for problems of affordability being accountable. A recent report by providing new social housing, the addressed through the personal Charter 88 (Ego Trip - Extra voluntary housing movement subsidy of housing benefit payments. Governmental Organisations in the complemented council housing, But then there are also plans to cut UK and their Accountability) meeting a broad range of specialist housing benefit! Either or both identified more than 5,500 executive needs. Over the last half decade, moves would further marginalise bodies from all walks of public life however, the movement has workers already condemned to low lacking the “scrutiny, openess and expanded rapidly and now manages incomes in Mr Major’s much accountability which are essential in about a million dwellings. trumpeted “low wage economy”. a democracy”. This has created a serious With about 70,000 appointees identity crisis, and the movement’s Government policy has on their boards (these individuals self-doubts and internal quangoed social housing, with have become known as “the New contradictions are currently being housing quangos effectively Magistracy”), in 1992/93 they spent addressed by a Governance Inquiry, removing new housing provision out almost a third of all public set up by the National Federation of of the control of democratically expenditure. More, that is, than all of Housing Associations (NFHA). This accountable local councils. It now local government. is looking at such questions as should seems quite capable, in one way or The second largest individual the present voluntary committee another, of privatising it all. quango is the Housing Corporation, members be paid, and what exactly with a budget of nearly £2.4 billion should be the relationship of the in that year (though now beginning committee to the chief executive and to fall). The Corporation’s committee senior officers? and chief executive are government Just about anything could appointments and while it claims a result from the Inquiry, but one very consultative role with its real boss, possible scenario has the introduction the minister of housing, for all intents of optional payments to directors so and purposes it just carries out his inculcating the culture of policy. commercialism into the 90-odd Charter 88’s quango count “premier league” associations who

29 W E S T M I N I S T E R CITY COUNCIL ■ A NATIONAL EMBARASSMENT

statutory right of ‘priority need’ homeless When an independent investigator publicly concludes that a people to permanent accommodation, local authority has acted in a “disgraceful, improper and place even more emphasis on the private rented sector (rather than public housing) unlawful” manner, you can be sure there are bags of dirt under - as a solution to homelessness and to the carpet. The independent investigator is John Magill, a top allow councils to ‘export’ homeless people outside their borough. city accountant and district auditor for Westminster. The local It is for these reasons that the authority is of course, Westminster City Council. The public exposure of Westminster City implications are national. Jim Carey sweeps the dirt back out Council’s clearly stated ulterior motives are of such acute embarrassment to the into the open. Government. Sir Edward Heath said that, if the accusations levelled in Magill's John Magill’s 700 page namely one with business interests. report were true, it was “the heaviest provisional report published last January Once an occupier buys the house blow the Conservative Party has had to (the full report is yet to come), left no in which they live, their interest in that take in living memory”. To fully doubt that Westminster City Council property becomes economic, they would appreciate the background to Heath’s under Dame Shirley Porter’s leadership, then be more likely to vote for the political statement, it is vital to appreciate that had selectively sold off council houses party that had enabled them to join the both Westminster City Council and fellow with the intention of attracting home owner’s club, and the party that Tory council Wandsworth have been held Conservative voters into the marginally was best known for protecting the interests up on numerous occasions as shining held wards of the Borough. of club members. Unfortunately, the examples of Conservative local The documents pertaining to the essence of the business ethic lies in government. Hence David Hunt, ex­ investigation contained unequivocal competition and, of course, in competition employment secretary, claimed, at a local evidence of the Council’s intention to there are at least as many, if not more, government conference in 1990, remove homeless people from the losers than there are winners. Hundreds Westminster to be one of the tories’ Borough as “they are not our natural of thousands of people whose homes were “stunning successes a source of cheer supporters’’ and to selectively sell council subsequently repossessed as the mortgage for every Conservative”. houses to Conservative voters in order to dream collapsed, and thousands of council The cheers are silenced now and “increase our support” in “key wards”. house buyers stuck in properties with look set to become an embarrassingly As a personal friend of Margaret Thatcher, negative equity, are the symptoms of the inappropriate applause for a council that Porter felt safe that the scheme would promised land turned golden calf. will be further publicly exposed when the never backfire on her and as a result, the The connection between full public hearing, chaired by John council's real intentions were both Westminster Council’s “social Magill, commences in October. However, documented and candid. engineering” and national Government because of the major political The implications that turn this policy was made even more obvious by ramifications of the scandal, it is unlikely incidence of local authority corruption the announcement in July that the that the investigations and exposures will into a matter of national significance, are Government’s review of homelessness be easily concluded. that the sale of council houses as a national procedures, based in part on In April of this year, one week policy, was always designed to please Westminster’s example, is to be before local council elections, the BBC potential Tory voters. The only difference implemented nationally despite a had planned to broadcast a Panorama between the national policy and that consultation process that provoked programme explicitly detailing the adopted by the accused members of somewhere in the region of 10,000 political manipulations at Westminster Westminster City Council, is that the real negative responses. (See SQUALL 7 City Hall. It would have been a programme intentions were never documented as such ‘Consultation Exorcise’.) scheduling catastrophic to Conservative by national Government. The promised Taken in part from a confidential candidates running for re-election in land of freely available mortgages and document put together by Westminster Westminster. Then, without any council house sales was an attempt to sign City Council and entitled “Homelessness; convincing explanation, the BBC pulled people up for the very life the Conservative a Shopping List for Change”, the new the programme, deciding instead to run it Party were always thought to defend - national policy aims to remove the a few weeks after the elections. No-one

30 blow the Conservative Party has had to LOCAL COUNCIL’S BALANCED ITS BUDGET OMR take in living memory” are cotton-wooled, muddled and re-explained more abstractly. Their difficulty will lie in the fact that the documentary evidence clearly exposing the ulterior motives behind council house sales is already in the public domain. Both the 14 implicated officials still alive, and the Government, will be hoping that time and prevarication will shroud the scandal in a cloak of public forgetfulness, allowing the techniques to continue, masked in less candid ways. The district auditor’s investigation has taken four years and has longer to run. The confiscation of further files and documents from Westminster City Hall over the summer fueled speculation of the further exposures to come. was in any doubt that this re-scheduling Wandsworth Borough Council, It is still unknown when the final was a diplomatic move by the BBC, the other Tory flag-ship local authority and full report will be published. However, concerned with the impending and pioneer of council-house sales, are with the weight of evidence mounting up government review of its charter to also under investigation after selling a against Shirley Porter and other broadcast. Instead, Michael Portillo record 19,000 council houses whilst still Westminster Tories, it looks likely that it appeared with the prospective Tory having a waiting list of 6,000 homeless will be even more damning than the candidates in pre-election media shoots people. Recent investigations have also provisional report released last January. saying: “There is nothing wrong with shown that half of the homeless families The 13 ‘objectors’ who filed the original Westminster. It really is outrageous that housed by Wandsworth Borough Council complaint to the auditor, will still have to people are casting aspersions on under it’s present statutory duties, have find the resources to take the accused Westminster when all that has happened been farmed out to private rented Tories through the High Court. There is is that a report has been published to accommodation in other Boroughs. little doubt that Porter et al will employ which a defence can be mounted.” Both Westminster and expensive lawyers and more, in an effort As a consequence, the Wandsworth have pioneered some of the to avoid legal responsibility for what they Conservatives were once again elected to proposals recently put forward in the now seem unarguably to be guilty of. run the Borough; sheer force of Government’s homelessness review, Having trumpeted Westminster manipulation ensuring against what would which makes into national policy some of City Council as such a shining example of have been a major local government the tactics deemed to be “disgraceful” local government, and having partly based disaster. The present leader of the Council, and “improper” in John Magill’s report. its national review of homelessness policy Miles Young, even had the audacity to For these reasons it will be extremely on Westminster’s example, the claim that the suspension of Westminster important to the Conservative Party, and Government are unlikely to allow Magill’s Council’s political methods as a result of this Government in particular, that the exposure to go unhindered by further Magill’s report was “a disappointment to political implications of “the heaviest political interference. - Watch this space. the residents of Westminster’s housing estates”. It was therefore no surprise when, in August of this year, his name and the In order to provide more inmates for the construction of names of four others were added to the original list of ten named council officials camps set up to do various SS projects, “Himmler widened implicated in the gerrymandering scandal the list of anti-socials to be arrested arbitrarily; tramps and and due to be further investigated. vagabonds, beggars even those with a fixed address - One of the original ten, Dr Michael gypsies and people who travelled from place to place like Dutt, was found dead in his flat two gypsies if they showed no will to work regularly” These and weeks after the publication of Magill’s others “who do not want to adapt themselves to the orderly provisional report. Lying next to him were the shotgun he had used to kill Volk community” were all cited in a special Nazi decree on himself and several pages of the report. December 14th 1937. A month later this list of arrestable The Westminster Tories made an effort to undesirables was extended to include the “work-shy” capitalise on Dutt’s death by suggesting that it was the overt and accusative EXTRACT FROM Peter Padfield’s biography of Heinrich Himmler, language used in Magill’s report that led Head of SS Gestapo - “Himmler. Reichsfuhrer SS”. to his despair rather than the ramifications of what he had been involved in.

31 Westmaladministered A Scandal Unfolds

The documents quoted in this chronology are enormous handicap. The short minutes taken at the meeting term objective must be to target referring to several individuals a compilation of passages contained in the the marginal wards and as a high up in Thatcher’s 12,000 documents that district auditor John matter of utmost urgency redress Government: “Ask Secretary of the imbalance by encouraging a State for help”, “Approach Brian Magill read during the course of his pattern of [housing] tenure which Griffith for help” and “Speak to investigation. They were never designed for is more likely to translate into T. Bell about identifying a Conservative votes.” suitable secondee from public perusal and as a consequence, offer a The BSC action plan marketing industry”. The identifies the fact that 28% of Secretary of State in question remarkably candid exposure of Westminster Westminster residents own their was probably the late Nicholas City Council’s intentions. own homes, compared to a Ridley at the DoE, a friend of national average of 62%. A BSC Shirley Porter and resident of action plan is drawn up to Westminster. Brian Griffith was 1986 - Dame Shirley Porter, presented explaining: “What is “maximise the number of right- head of Thatcher’s policy group Tesco heiress and once named as gentrification? In short it is to-buy sales, particularly in key and Tim Bell was Thatcher’s PR the 20th wealthiest woman in ensuring that the right people live wards” via “a major sales drive”. man. Europe, is elected as leader of in the right areas. The areas are The action plan also attempts to Westminster City Council. The relatively easy to define: target “ensure that all grants paid to 1988 - Ambrosden Hostel Conservative majority on the wards identified on the basis of housing associations are for sheltering 96 homeless people is council is just four wards, with electoral trends and results.” schemes which complement the closed down by Westminster City many of the wards held by only a BSC”. Council, despite protestations handful of votes. September 1986 - Shirley Porter from Cardinal Basil Hume who One of Porter’s first acts sends a paper to senior 1987 - Westminster City Council lives over the road in the is to ask Patricia Kirwan, chair of Westminster Tories advising that sells three Westminster Cathedral. The building is housing, for an investigative the Council should “test the law cemeteries for five pence each, subsequently sold to developers paper “covering the possibilities to its limits” and move homeless in order to extricate itself from who convert them into flats for of balancing the social mix in people to “property outside the responsibilities of sale. Westminster” and to examine the Westminster”. She also adds: maintenance. After a public and costs of “homeless/down and outs “When you’ve read these media outcry and an ombudsman 1989 - Patricia Kirwin tells BBC who are not our natural documents.... it would be helpful ruling declaring the sale as Panorama that the Council’s plan supporters.” if you swallow them in good spy “maladministration causing was to “increase the number of fashion otherwise they might injustice”, Porter is forced to upwardly mobile Conservative- 1986 - John Magill, senior partner self-destruct!!” make a rare public apology and type voters in specific key areas in top accountant firm Touche purchase back the cemeteries for to ensure the vote went up”. Ross, is appointed as district 1987 - Shirley Porter promotes nearly £5 million. Dame Shirley auditor for Westminster with Dr Michael Dutt as a housing Porter survives a mute Audit 1990 - Bill Phillips, managing responsibility for investigating committee vice-chairman, Commission investigation into the director of the Council, shreds maladministration. This follows despite the fact that he has no maladministration surrounding potentially revealing documents. the filing of a complaint by 13 previous knowledge or the cemeteries affair. “My enquiries have not been ‘objectors', all of whom are experience of housing matters. assisted by the contemporaneous residents of the Borough. The following year he is further May 1988 - An extraneous shredding of documents,” reports promoted to joint chairman of weekend “strategy conference” Magill. “I have been unable to 24th June 1986 - A Westminster the housing committee. organised by Shirley Porter, takes ascertain whether any documents Tory councillor meeting is told place at Camberley in relevant to the subject matter of by Shirley Porter, David Weeks 1987 - Westminster City Council Hampshire. Unbelievably, the the objection were shredded by and Barry Legg (now a Tory MP) launches the “Building Stable title of one of the conference Mr Phillips.” that “the majority party intend to Communities” project (BSC). sessions is “Winning the election. Magill then noted that win the next election and that The word “battlezone” is used to Dirty tricks”, with a minute found he had obtained from other that would be the focus of their describe wards marginally held on one of the documents that sources, documents pertaining to attention”. The minutes of the by Conservatives and documents reads: “PK to lead dirt squad”. council activities that were absent meeting also refer to “social refer to “increasing our support” ‘PK’ is thought to refer to Patricia without explanation from Bill engineering-housing”. Six days and “more electors” in the said Kirwin, a Tory councillor and Phillip’s files. later another meeting is convened “battlezones”. housing committee chairwoman by Porter to discuss the Another document who made an unsuccessful bid to 1990 - Margaret Thatcher, friend “economic justification for identifies that “the problem can challenge Porter for the of Shirley Porter, is removed as gerrymander on housing” and the be simply stated. If it is accepted leadership in 1987, and prime minister, leaving Porter “gentrification” of the Borough. that owner-occupiers are more consequently resigned over the without her strongest political inclined to vote Conservative, gerrymandering affair. ally. 1986 - A seminar for Westminster then we approach the city council Evidence of ‘high string Tories takes place. A paper is elections in 1990 with an pulling’ was also revealed by the

32 Westmaladministered

1990 - Patricia Kirwin begins allow loyal hard working public lead Dutt to take his own life. dismissed as district auditor. spilling the full story about the servants to live with the threat of 18th February 1994 - Squatting Council’s plotting to the Audit being professionally and activists occupy Artillery Late July 1994 - The ‘objectors’ Commission. Meanwhile Shirley financially ruined.” Mansions, a large building who filed the original complaint Porter approaches Michael The Evening Standard’s containing 411 empty flats just of council misconduct to the Heseltine, Secretary of State for front page headlines for the day 100 yards from Westminster City district auditor, submit further the Environment at the time, read: “Verdict on Dame Shirley Hall. During the course of the allegations to John Magill asking that he should consider in ‘Homes for Votes ‘ Scandal - occupation it is discovered that following the discovery of “fresh sacking Howard Davies, head of UNLAWFUL, the building has been empty for evidence”, implicating five more the Audit Commission. Michael DISGRACEFUL, IMPROPER”. 18 years and that efforts by council officials in the scandal. Heseltine refuses to even see Dame Shirley Porter is various agencies to bring the These include Miles Young - Shirley Porter and Department unavailable for comment, having property into use as short term present leader of Westminster of Environment officials remind left the country for her holiday housing for the homeless have City Council, Alex Segal - her that the audit commission is home in Palm Springs, been thwarted by Council chairman of social services, an independent body and that, California. insistence that only Mathew Ives - City solicitor, Sid even as Audit Commission “professional” people should be Sporle - director of planning and controller, Howard Davies 26th January 1994 - Dr Michael housed there. Ken Hackney - a senior housing cannot control the operations of Dutt, one of ten named officials officer. the district auditor, John Magill. responsible for the ‘designated March 1994 - John Magill Miles Young responds Despite this however, sales’ gerrymandering scam, is investigates Westminster City by denying everything: “I intend several “top level” leaks are sent found dead in his St Albans flat. Hall and impounds files relating to treat this further complaint in to the Evening Standard Dr Dutt, who faced a £2 million to the Council’s ‘Building Stable the same way I have all the other suggesting that the members of surcharge for his part in the Communities’ project (BSC) A political attacks on this matter - the Audit Commission wanted scandal, is found with a shotgun, second enquiry based on the BSC with a lot of cynicism about Howard Davies to resign. The a suicide note and pages from population manipulation is to motives, and complete Evening Standard contacts Magill’s report strewn around the begin in 1995. Magill considers confidence that they are members of the Commission and room. it “prudent” to keep the absolutely baseless.” finds that they all still have full Several Westminster impounded files under lock and confidence in Howard Davies. Tories attempt to make mileage key until the enquiry commences. October 1994 - A public hearing Consequently the Standard out of his suicide by suggesting begins into the ‘designated sales’ doesn’t publish the obviously that it was the manner of Magill’s Early July 1994 - Dame Shirley schemes, conducted by John false ‘leaks’. investigation and the outrageous Porter fails in her High Court Magill. conclusions that he came to, that attempt to have John Magill 1991 - One of Shirley Porter’s employees hands over documents to The Observer, revealing the existence of a “slush fund” used to support Porter’s campaign to Magill’s Report abolish the GLC. The fund is hidden under the name ‘Foundation for Business published in January 1994 after a four year investigation. Responsibility’ and, as a registered charity, qualified its “My provisional view is that the “[the £21.2 million was used] not donators for tax relief. council was engaged in gerrymandering. That merely for an improper purpose but also one The charity is also used which was disgraceful, and this would render to raise funds for a company is what was discussed at the meeting attended called Marketforce, which among others by the leader (Shirley Porter), unlawful any decision taken for this purpose. campaigned on behalf of the Councillor Peter Hartley (later chairman of “She [Shirley Porter] was concerned Conservatives in the local housing); and Mr Graham England (housing to secure an increase in the number of home elections of 1990. The chairman director) on 30 June 1986 - a policy to achieve owners and a reduction in the number of of the charity, Sir Nigel Mobbs, electoral advantage of the Conservative Party homeless households accommodated in is also chairman of a company in eight marginal wards was devised by marginal wards by 1990, in order to increase called Slough Estates, which have leading members, particularly Lady Porter, the number of likely Conservative voters in made extensive contributions to Weeks and Legg, with co-operation from those wards in the 1990 local government Tory Party funds over the years. officers including the managing director (Bill elections. 13th January 1994 - John Phillips) and the director of housing. “Lady Porter knew it was wrong for Magill, after a four year “Smokescreens were erected to mask the council to exercise its powers to secure an investigation, announces his the purpose of that policy; part of that policy electoral advantage for any political party or provisional report into the was the adoption of a programme of increased to gerrymander or, in pursuit of such scandal. The present deputy designated sales in marginal wards; that policy advantage for her party, she was at least leader of the Westminster and a programme of increased designated recklessly indifferent as to whether it was Council, Simon Milton, says: sales in marginal wards were implemented right or wrong. In my provisional view, any “We have to question a system of by the council and were the subject of loss or deficiency resulting from those local government inspection decisions was caused by her wilful which can allow the production monitoring against electoral targets in those of the most damaging report in marginal wards.” misconduct.” the most lurid language that can

33 The specific housing problems leading to squatting vary enormously around the world but underlying them all is the usual corruption around land and property which is found eve r y where from Ankara to Zaria. Sam Beale writes. ..(additional Spanish material by Emma Eastwood.)

As soon as an area has public land; through the illegal sub-division services such as water and surfaced of existing plots as is common in roads, land prices, and thus rents, Mexico; or through a group of increase by as much as four times. In households planning an occupation Cities' other words as soon as an area is (which often taken place during high habitable the poor can no longer profile official visits etc when violent The United Nations Secretariat afford to live there. Speculators battle repression is unwise). Occupations has estimated that, on average, with hotels, multinationals, banks etc., have traditionally been the squatter settlements outside Third who all want the land closest to the commonest method of land World cities are growing at 15% a centre of the city. As a result the poor acquisition in cities such as Lima, year; up to four times faster than are further and further marginalised Caracas, Ankara, and Rio de Janeiro. overall city growth rate. and have less chance of finding work. In some places, semi-legal It is now common for 30-60% Governments, it seems, fail to settlements develop on land with no of a Third World city's population to connect their own lack of investment planning permission such as Bogota live in settlements which have in rural areas and the lack of where ‘pirate urbanisation’ occurs. In developed illegally. Squatters account affordable housing in cities with the parts of Africa and Melanesia the for 46% of Mexico City’s Popu lation, emergence of squatter settlements. poor often get permission from local 80% of Doula’s, 90% of Addis Neither do they recognise the officials or tribal chiefs to live on Ababa’s. In many Third World cities importance of their migrant squatter communal land so they only have to 70-90% of new housing is built population as spontaneous ‘city- face the problems of constructing illegally. builders’. Usually these people are their homes. The reasons for th e refused recognition as citizens at all. Squatters are viewed development of squatter settlements They provide the cities with much of differently in every country and their are highly complex. Large numbers of their cheap labour and are vulnerable treatment within countries changes people, frequently young, leave their to serious exploitation yet their with each government. Attitudes rural homes and migrate to cities. governments feel little compulsion to depend on whether the settlement is They move because they are house them, often treating them, at on public or private land; whether the dispossessed; because their families best, as an undesirable eyesore. So government’s best interests are served cannot be supported on meagre rural they house themselves. by their existence for cheap labour; incomes or they cannot find work; Despite appalling government how much pressure from the rich because they live in a war zone; neglect, these people are not helpless there is to remove them; and whether because they want to improve their victims. When faced with a housing the government can actually do lives and their children’s chances. crisis they respond practically and anything about them at all. Once they get there they find, if they rationally; they squat. In some instances squatters did not already know, that jobs are They acquire land in a variety have been offered alternative, less scarce and rents are high. They then of ways: gradually, through one or commercially viable sites and there have to find somewhere to live. two families moving onto a piece of are a few examples of positive

SLUMS SHANTIES BUSTEES.. .BARRIOS changes in government policy such as have much to learn from squatters’ consolidate their housing because the Mexican Government’s creation committees and self-governing they can’t afford land, rent or even of a National Fund for Popular communities such as Villa El building materials. These people, Housing and the Million Houses Salvador in Lima where, over 20 hundreds of millions of them Programme which upgraded squatter years, the squatters have made worldwide, will continue to squat land settlements in Sri Lanka. But these improvements and created a vibrant and scrape a living in whatever way are merely drops of sanity in a community. Spontaneous houses are they can. Indifference, neglect nor bureaucratic ocean of official neglect gradually improved as squatters make bulldozers will make them disappear. and expediency. Harassment and them more solid and build extensions. Governments have, at the very least, a heavy-handed evictions are much Houses are built to be flexible, they responsibility not to harass and more commonplace. The forcible grow as families grow and settlements repress them when they are trying to removal of squatters and violent expand as more people move to the meet their own needs. Clearly there is bulldozing of their settlements has city and build near families and lunacy in any law which makes the invariably little to do with ‘health friends. basics of daily existence illegal for so hazards’ as the authorities would have many people. As in Western cities, them believe. Evictions are more criminalising squatters is not an often connected to, for example, the answer. Instead, existing settlements proximity of the settlement to a could be provided with basic services possible commercial business centre. cheaply and improved with the help In South Africa, under apartheid, and local knowledge of the most spontaneous settlements were important builders and planners in the permitted in some rural areas but Third World; the squatters violent evictions of squatter camps in themselves. However, this is not urban areas were frequent; the enough to improve the lives of the settlement of black peoples next to people who daily flood to the world’s white areas were seen as too much of cities; a trend which shows no signs a threat. of reversing. Ultimately much When planning low-cost resisted, changes in the distribution of housing schemes to house the very land and urban resources, and poor, governments around the world restraints on speculative interests are seem unable to grasp the fact that the the only real solution. designs and building materials used by squatters are by far the most appropriate to local needs and resources. Official projects are usually based on planners’ assumptions about good housing and wholly SPAIN inappropriate Western models which often take no account of local climate, building materials or the real needs of The Battle for the people. They are built to excessively high Western standards E u sk a l Jai and so are usually limited in number and way beyond the wage packet of However, this consolidation of he IGA, a group campaigning the average squatter, benefiting only housing isn’t an option without for a Gaztetxe (youth-house) middle income families. The poorest security of tenure for settlements, have squatted Euskal Jai, a households and those headed by incomes for the squatters, and the Tmassive building in the old part of women have often been ineligible for availability of services which are Pamplona, the Basque, which had rehousing applications. Even where often dependent on the attitudes of been empty for 17 years. The the poorest squatters are rehoused local politicians, some of who may squatters cleaned up the building and there are frequent examples of them pressurize local authorities. In several began using it as a community/arts becoming worse off because of the Latin American cities the provision of centre. cost of rents, utilities, and transport to utilities have been directly linked to Since the occupation in May work. the promise of support for a political there have been two eviction attempts Commentators are quite clear group or personality. by police. Both were strongly resisted that in those cities where squatters are and violent clashes with police took not threatened with eviction they are In African, Asian, and Latin place over two days in June when quite capable of improving their American cities the vast majority of 2,000 people gathered to protest housing conditions. Governments the urban population are too poor to against the attempts to evict the

...FAVELAS. . . PUEBLO. . . JOVENES. . . VILLAS.. International Squatters

squatters and demolish the building. A 16 year old boy lost Minuesa in Ronda De his eye as police fired rubber bullets and tear gas into the Toledo had been crowds. Local residents responded with outrage and joined functioning as an the campaigners in demanding police withdrawal from the alternative community area. Residents also opened their doors to people escaping centre in an old printing police, spent an entire night banging pots and pans on their factory for six years balconies to annoy the police, and dropped household until it was evicted by a objects on them when they charged protesters. One 70 year huge and brutal police old man later received a police visit after casually dropping operation in May this a pressure cooker off his balcony. year. Over the years, La Ultimately the locals put pressure on the authorities Minuesa had hosted which led to the police withdrawal. There followed a many events including massive street party between residents, shopkeepers and workshops in Martial squatters. Euskal Jai remains squatted and is open for gigs, Arts, painting, dance workshops, exhibitions and meetings. and languages for immigrant communities. It was also used as a La Barcelona La meeting place for various radical collectives against V aqueria racism, sexism, Squatting in Spain is illegal and like most other militarism, and forced European countries is seen as a political and social national service. These S statement rather than a solution to housing problems. activities, which filled a Squatters (in Spanish ‘okupas’) tend to occupy large gap seen by the derelict buildings and convert them into autonomous squatters in their community, were financed with money community and cultural centres. In many cases only a few raised from gigs and a daily vegetarian cafe. people will actually live there. On the day of the eviction over 120 squatters La Barcelona La Vaqueria, a rustic old building barricaded themselves into the building and resisted police originally used as a cow shed, provides housing for about armed with rubber bullets, tear gas and metre-long wooden five people who organise ceramics and sculpture truncheons. Simultaneously, in the surrounding streets, workshops, talks, films and benefit gigs for various over 500 people demonstrated and tried to distract the movements including anti-fascism and Central American attention of the maderos (Spanish slang for the police). solidarity groups. All this takes place in an assortment of After two and a half hours the eviction was over resulting bams and stables in the back yard. The squatting in 22 arrests and seven people wounded. Demonstrations movement in Barcelona is tightly knit, ask anybody within of solidarity continued both in Madrid and other Spanish the community and they will all know about La Vaqueria. cities throughout the day and into the next as supporters Most of the squats in Madrid are concentrated in the gathered outside courthouses where those arrested were to central ares of Vallecas, Embajadores and Lavapies. La be put on trial. National press coverage of the event was extensive and surprisingly positive. Squatting spirits refused to be quashed by the heavy-handed police action and the struggle continues. The squatters have now gone on to occupy a number of other large buildings in the centre of Madrid with similar aims. Leaflets explaining who the squatters are, their aims and plans for the building and an invitation to the local communities to get involved and support the initiative have gone out across the neighbourhood. This not only brings support and improves relations within the community but also helps keep the local authorities off their backs.

Respect to Spanish Squatters for having managed to convey their message of self determination and improvement of the community in a grass roots stylee! Spanish police fire rubber bullets at squatters occupying Ronda de Toleda.

• • ..M ISERIAS... BIDONVILLES.. .SQUATTER CAMPS... 36 International Squatters

PARIS NICARAGUA

Bank of France Violent Evictions in Squatted M an agu a

n 24th May, a building belonging to the Bank of ive hundred families were violently evicted from a France in Paris was squatted by 37 people, squatter settlement, Villa Reconciliacion in Oincluding 18 children. The building had been F Managua, Nicaragua, in the early hours of Monday, empty for five years, and those who moved in were either 2nd May. “This was nothing more than brutal repression, homeless or badly housed. Droit au Logement (DaL), exactly like it used to be under Somoza,” said one of those Right to Housing, an organisation campaigning for the evicted. At 5am 300 troops and members of the Nicaragua rights of the homeless, along with Greens and a radical National Police arrived at Villa Reconciliacion, armed with anti-unemployment group, helped squat and guard the rifles and tear gas and allegedly in possession of a legal building. Since the occupation of another large building eviction order. This did not actually exist. last year the squatters have organised themselves. They The first home to be pulled down was that of 17 had van loads of mattresses and were ready with banners year old Carlos Javier Muniz Hernandez, who was badly for the front of the bank, calling for the requisition of all beaten when he protested. Women, children and journalists empty buildings for use by the homeless. were also beaten during the operation. By morning the The Bank of France was highly embarrassed by the police had destroyed every home on the settlement. Dr incident because it is notorious for leaving Parisian Bayardo Izaba Solis of the Nicaragua Centre for Human buildings empty. A few days after the squatters moved in Rights (CENIDH) condemned the police action: “Instead the Bank announced that it was ‘obliged’ to take action but of meeting its obligation to protect these people, the state changed its mind due to the high profile of the occupation uses the power of the police and the judiciary against and the active support of a number of French personalities, them.” CENIDH, together with the Nicaragua Communal particularly l’Abbe Pierre, a formidable priest who moved Movement, is currently engaged in efforts to procure plots in with the squatters and said the Bank would have to evict of land for the resettlement of the evicted families. him as well (for some reason the Bank seemed reluctant to The number of squatter settlements in Managua has stir his wrath). mushroomed in recent years, a result of steadily increasing In an unprecedented move the Bank came up with a migration stimulated by both the violence and general temporary rehousing suggestion in another building which lawlessness in parts of the north of the country and the lack had also been empty for five years. The squatters moved at of support for subsistence agriculture. As conflict over land the beginning of June and have the place, for a small rent, ownership has become steadily more acute, evictions of for two years. squatter settlements have increased; these are frequently Canard Enchainee (a French satire mag) recently resisted. A recent attempt to remove squatters from Barrio printed a Bank of France internal memo from the Santo Domingo in Managua was met with the mobilisation beginning of the year in which Bank staff were requested of residents to stop them. One neighbour told the Central to be ‘extra vigilant’ because of the re-emergence of American Report: “It’s pitiful, I don’t know where they squatting in Paris. Canard Enchainee expect these people to go. All they want is noted that in the past the Bank has to be able to work and feed their children, preferred to block toilets, board up its but instead they get pushed from pillar to empty buildings and pay vigilantes to post by the authorities and no-one seems to look after them. care what happens to them. When the DaL squatted another large police came, the whole neighbourhood building in July and have called on all came out onto the streets, we refused to let large property owners to allow empty them carry out the eviction.” buildings to be used by the homeless. Local human rights organisations There are between 10,000 and 15,000 say that the levels of violence used against street sleepers in Paris alone, as many as squatters is increasing. The low wages of 400,000 throughout France, as well as 2.6 police officers encourages corruption. A million living ‘sans logis’, in hostels etc. recent CENIDH investigation revealed that DaL estimate that as many as 110,000 traders in the Eastern Market of Managua people were evicted without a court case have been paying police to beat up street in 1993. The country has an estimated 1.9 children as a deterrent to petty crime. million empty buildings (1990 figures).

... ILLEGAL SETTLEMENTS... PIRATE URBANISATION.. . 37 recommend that there is a killer 'ap' allow other people to reply, adding Even this summer's on the 'EPA Gopher'**, or to check out their own comments and ideas. This Big Green Gathering the latest interesting ideas on the area can be of great value to pressure groups. Why? Festival near Swindon was ’alt.sex.bestiality’ newsgroup, may instil respect among one’s Net peer group connected to Internet, the but, back in the real world, Jo Punter is 1. The connectivity of such a fastest growing probably wondering where you are growing network of users, gives coming from. IMMEDIATE access to other people information dispersal But despite all the blah, protesting on the same or similar system in the world. InterNet is an exceptionally powerful issues. 2. The speed of data transfer (a Anyone with a computer communication tool. As more and more people discover its value and matter of seconds for an e-mail can write on it, anyone capabilities, those involved in message), allows frequent with a computer can read it campaigning on issues such as the CJB communication, for less than the price will probably get turned onto it too. of a fax. (I will go into costs next - anywhere in the world. issue.) There are no libel laws, in Initially developed from the It is another method of interacting with related groups and allows rapid transfer fact there are no laws at communications systems of the Pentagon, its ability to send secret of actions, meeting or developments in all. Ben Schneider - a messages to other parts of the country/ the legislative process. professional Information globe was of military interest. As more 3. Many campaigning groups send people became aware of its value as a reams of faxes to a variety of groups. Manager - kicks off a general communication tool and of its E-mail avoids much of this waste of series of articles on the Net vast potential for commercial use, its paper and allows people the choice of printing out the message in order to and its importance for coverage spread to education and then to business. The beauty of the Net, is distribute it to people who will really campaigning groups. that it is basically unregulated. appreciate or use it. Regulation exists only by the unwritten 4. The information made available This article is intended to be the code adopted by its users: no can be at grassroots level. There is no first in a series looking at what the censorship, no editorial influence. The editorial control. You can write Internet is, its relevance to Net is the nearest you can get to whatever you want. So often in the campaigning organisations and technological anarchy. media the power to relate a situation or information dispersal (networking) event, is taken away from an initiator groups and what could lie ahead. The three major facilities on the by the journo; it is a rare occurrence to Because of the Net’s rapid expansion, Net are electronic mail (e-mail as read a story “as it happened” in the it seems appropriate to have regular opposed to “snail mail” - post service!), press without the usual sensationalist/ updates which cover not only new the ability to login to another computer truth-mutilation overdrive. developments, but also how system somewhere else in the world campaigning groups are using this (telnet) and the ability to send and Instead of having to wade technology and with what success. receive files of any sort from or to any through a three-page feature on other machine connected to the Net Claremont Road in the Independent on The amount of jargon, hype and (file transfer or ftp). Sunday and finding only one relevant blah attached to computers that talk to Related to e-mail are news or meaningful paragraph, you can each other down telephone lines, has groups. This provides the opportunity expect to find more concise, relevant overwhelmed the media in the last to read articles on a specific topic in an and informative literature on the year. The prestige of being able to ongoing Net discussion group and subject you are interested in. This is

38 because conferences cover an enormous range of topics. There are over 9,000 topics on the Net ranging from Green Login, Party press releases to a cookery conference describing the way to prepare pesto pasta! Greenpeace, Friends of the pHreak Out Earth and WWF, all put their press releases on the Net.

At the moment, the number of p H re a k is on-line. It’s a magazine, information dispersal groups connected to shop, soap box, e-mail system, and the Net is still small but is growing fast. brings you the best of the Internet. The last available statistic counted in July You can connect from any of this year showed that over 3 million computer with a modem. Beautiful computers now have access to the Net graphics and sound from Mac or gobally. Multiply this figure by the Windows. Command line purity from number of individuals with access to these anything else. computers and the of the extent of the pHreak is a new, independent usage becomes apparent. The UK is the network that aspires to service British fastest growing market of subscribers in culture. You get: e-mail, the best of the world, with around 20,000 new the Net, graphics, sounds, movies, subscribers a month. According to Kevin underground culture, music samples, p H r e a k Doye of the campaign group Road Alert, DJ and club info, environment and vox 071 434 3315 this growth is reflected in the increasing political news (including SQUALL), fax 071 434 3324 usage of the Net by campaigning groups. on line mail order and forums for any m dm subject that fits. 071 434 3800 ’’The number of campaign groups pHreak@intermedia. co. uk putting and receiving information from Full access to pHreak is by the Net is going up as people become subscription of £5 per month and includes access to Internet and e-mail. aware of how important it is as a rapid There is also limited free access (20 minutes per day, no down loading) information distribution system.” to those who wish to test or sample this new network. Indeed Road Alert place Based in Soho, London, pHreak is a bus, a potential hot bed of information about road-protest campaigns information and ideas; get on it before you miss it. onto the environmental network - Green Net, that operates within InterNet. It is also possible to print off entire issues of ’Roadbreaker' - the No M 11 Campaign’s newsletter, likewise placed on the Net and available to all without the costs of printing and the problems of distribution. The intelligent application of this increasingly inter-communicative HHH Video Mag technology may prove to be a vital tool in the battle to take on the hallowed and unaccountable rooms of Whitehall. T he people who made the controversial film ’It’s A Bit Rough, As to the costs of getting onto the Ain’t It?’ which was banned by City Net, its specific usefulness and where to Challenge have re-emerged with a look for clues, these are questions for the brand new video magazine. ’HHH next issue. Please feel free to write to Video mag’ is no less disquieting Squall with questions or expressing than its predecessor, but far more opinion, or e-mail me at colourful and exciting. It’s a visual [email protected] statement against the proposed Criminal Justice Bill and a plea for “Comments are free but facts are sacred” diversity and social justice. HHH C P Scott. Video Mag consists of four small films: Hackney Homeless Festival; * ’ap’ - a computer application such as a Operation Emily; Homeless People’s word processing package. Protest and Downing Street Demob. ** ’gopher’ - otherwise known as the Costing £5, the video is available by “furry little rodent that tunnels through post from: HHH Video Mag, Box cyberspace”. 888, 10 Martello Street, Hackney E8 3PE. ’EPA’ - Environmental Protection Agency

39 Introducing E xodus A Now New Testament

CHAPTER I - GENESIS: I n th e beginning there was three boxes

CHAPTER II - EXODUS: A n d so m e that lived in the land of Luton did take those three boxes and did imagine with them. And told by Jahovah to take these imaginings and see them manifest, they set off across the wilderness of Bovis homes and Arndale Centres, in search of a place where they might stack these boxes and invite the disaffected to dance before their emissions, so unto relieve their disaffections. But the journey was not untouched by the thwarting intentions of those who loathed to see such assembly and such flagrant disregard for the official formula. And these pharisees and masons did hurl abuse upon the Collective. But when they did abuse, their abuse was met with a force that drew, not blood, but a line beyond which the Collective would not retreat. And there they laid their boxes. And their boxes did multiply. And their boxes did help the multitudes to gather together in the name of community and adventure. And from these gatherings they did receive offerings in a bucket. And with these offerings they did put graft into derelicts, giving hearth and home to they that had none. And Jahovah did say inside of them: “This is im portant for all the people in the land. For without righteous activity, my face is distorted and I cannot shine upon the ideas that lie dorm ant in your soil. M old my face with righteousness and the glow from my visage will pour so much power into that dormant seed, that no concrete crust or fabrication o f evidence will sm other its advances. And I will whisper in the ears of scribes that they might record these examples for all people so to witness.”

The pharisees and masons, pretending that it was time to pray, withdrew from the table; shutting their doors and plotting amongst themselves to shut others also. And Bob saw this in his time and recorded it in lyric, and to this day the Collective do admire that lyric and cry: “Most respect going out to Bob”. And in sooth they did name themselves Exodus after that lyric.

40 Introducing E xodus

- a movement of Jah people ...... in L u ton

[words by jim carey, photos by nick cobbing]

another sight that stands out proud and anomalous to Luton’s nylon carpet landscape. It is HAZ Manor, formerly a derelict old people’s home and now a thriving community and housing co-op. Going down into the Manor is a different way of approaching Luton. For under construction are a gym, a community room, forty bedrooms, a massive kitchen, an allotment and a repair/storage room for the prize possessions - the speakers that pump up the dance. What’s more, there is an atmosphere of positivity that defies the bland and emasculating stagnancy of the surrounding area. It is the Exodus Collective at work. The Exodus began over two years ago after the discovery, in a Luton garage, of three unused speaker boxes. These boxes were fixed up, taken to a nearby forest and set up to create the first Exodus party, drawing a couple of hundred “To me, the only way to middle of town you find the Arndale Centre, a roofed over mall with a Tescos, people. Three years down the line and cope with the pressure is to a McDonalds and a Marks and Spencers the Exodus Collective hold regular FREE actively resist it. To us every etc. Some of Luton’s youth hang around dances, attracting around 6,000 people lick of paint, every word talking on the plastic moulded benches from the area. The last party of the placed around the centre. There’s muzak summer was held in a warehouse owned, spoken, every dance put on, and plastic climbing frames for the kids, but not used, by Marks and Spencer. builds the positive. It’s the only one big insidious package designed to Certainly beats the Arndale Centre for way forward. The defence make you think “I can do all my shopping community usage! here and then have an expensive cup of Exodus have also reconstructed a against the negative attacks is tea at the Arndale’s plastic cafe” - the all derelict farm into a city farm open to the to build the positive and it in one commercial utopia. Why then do public and an atrophying town into a works, w e’ve proved it,” says the youth choose to hang out in such a place where you can dream and see those numbing temple to formula shopping, dreams realised. Glenn Jenkins, a spokesperson best symbolised by the plastic benches Nothing has been made easy for for the Exodus Collective. on which they loiter with no intent? It is them though. The telling of the Exodus a desperately dull sight but then for story is an exposure of what can be To get up to the Cavern Hills just Luton’s youth there is very little choice. achieved with positive community outside Luton, you have to walk up a They don’t want to play golf, even if they aspirations and also of the barrage of bridle way that crosses a golf course. had the excessive green fees, and they opposition and malicious plotting from Having dodged the flailing golf balls don’t particularly get excited by the latest the authorities, designed to steal the you reach the top, an overseeing position production of Cinderella, advertised on momentum of that aspiration at every allowing you to survey the urban the Arndale Centre’s community arts’ stage of its development. Telling the landscape and its environs. Acres of notice board. Unemployment and story of Exodus is a testament to Bovis Homes stretch away, their homelessness are high and opportunities perseverance and a testament to the power formularised architecture punctuated by to escape the stagnancy, low. of necessity breeding ingenuity. It is a the high rise blocks of the Marsh Farm But by turning your head slightly new testament to “the only way forward”. council estate. And going down into the at the top of the Cavern Hills, there is

41 Exodus - The Battles EXODUS - A Chronology

JUNE '92 First Exodus free party takes place in a forest near Luton attended by 150 people. There are then 21 Riding The Blows consecutive free parties, one each week.

JULY '92 Exodus collective squat a disused warehouse/office in Craddock he police raids carried out “They try and kill our Road against the Exodus Collective momentum. They tried to read like a shambled military AUGUST '92 starve us with injunctions, to campaign. Operation Anagram followed Exodus are evicted from Craddock by Operation Ashanti and Operation road and on the same day squat Long Meadow Farm, a property stop our income coming in, by Anatomy, and then Operation Anchovy compulsory purchased by the DoT stopping us playing which was a repeat of Operation Anatomy. for a road building programme that After the Exodus Collective discovered was delayed until the end of the Bedfordshire. They brought all these codenames, they twigged to the fact decade. that their alphabetical consistency had these charges against us for JUNE - NOVEMBER '92 much to say about the co-ordinated and Five raids are carried out by the more than a year - that slowed intentional campaign against them. An police on the farm, with two embarrassed Bedfordshire Police had claimed drug finds. No charges us down. They were thinking were brought. Three attempts are always made out that there was no designed made by police to confiscate sound ‘Nobody’s gonna come back anti-Exodus campaign but chose neither equipment on the road and two to comment on the names given to the attempts made to remove sound to Exodus’. But they didn’t known operations, or on the names given equipment from the farm. At one such visit the police came with a to the first two operations against the understand that these free furniture lorry saying they were Collective that are still unknown. Perhaps looking for drugs! In another visit parties were more than that. Artichoke, Arsenal or Attitude Problem? to the farm, the police pull the It’s not just a party, get a crowd “That’s one of the key things. If place apart and leave a warrant in we’re gonna be massive and passive, then the middle of the floor, suggesting they were once again looking for then they disappear. It’s more, we’ve gotta take that shit. Let them launch drugs. All the warrants issued for much more than that. We knew their operations and we’ll take it and not the raids were done so under the make one police complaint,” remembers pretext of looking for drugs except that we were making a stand, Bigs, a long time Exodus member. one which claimed that Exodus were under suspicion of printing For a while Exodus allowed the making a challenge - we knew counterfeit money. Upon being scheming to go on - absorbing it, dancing asked why there was continuing the law was coming and they round it, recording it. “The year of the harassment of Exodus, a policemen smear” is how Glenn Jenkins, an Exodus conducting one of the raids, DC Farrel, says that “the bosses have came.” - dread Bigs, member spokesman, describes it. Involving the local got it in for them”. Glenn Jenkins of Exodus. papers, the police, freemasons and local says to Farrel: “You tell the faceless people that w e’re not going away but w e’re willing to talk”. Farrel replies that he considers it unlikely that the police chiefs will talk because they “consider Exodus to be made up of criminals.”

NOVEMBER '92 The Exodus Collective approach the local police in order to initiate some dialogue. Talks start with Chief Inspector Mike Brown of Dunstable Police.

NOVEMBER '92 - JAN '93 Talks with Chief Inspector Brown prove co-operative and an application is made for a licensed venue. The Department of Transport grant a licence to Long Meadow Farm saying they have no plans to use the land until at least 1998. On December 31st, a party at Woodside Estate attracts a peak

42 Exodus - The Battles Exodus - a chronology politicians including John “banish all and even now Exodus are negotiating for gypsys into the wilderness” Carlisle (Con their re-instatement as “policemen we can number of 10,000 dancers. In order MP Luton North). Encouraged to be more talk to”. This groundswell of local support to take some of the pressure off while blatant by their underestimation of Exodus ’ gave Exodus an even stronger back at a time negotiations are entered into with the authorities the parties are now staying power, the Bedfordshire police have of maximum attack. switched to one every two weeks. a long and now court-documented history Secondly, no matter what was thrown of unlawful harassment against the at them, Exodus stood up to it - “massive and 3rd JANUARY '93 Collective. passive”. The police go public in local newspapers saying that they are now “They thought they could do “They blocked the A1(M) on us one undergoing talks with the Collective. anything to us,” recalls Bigs. “It was a local time and tried to nick Glenn,” remembers force - they bullied us about and 'cause we Bigs. “Twenty one police cars come off the 4th JANUARY '93 made no complaint, they thought they could junctions and pulled him over on the hard Exodus Collective squat Oakmore Hotel owned by a development write shit on us. company but left empty for years. They thought: The collective proceed to replace ‘whose gonna broken windows and repair the believe them even rooms. if they do 15th JANUARY '93 complain’. And Riot police pile into Oakmore Hotel, th a t’s w hat break windows from the inside out happened but then and rubbish the rooms. Four members we came back.” of the Collective are arrested resulting in two charges of violent disorder. T h e Captain, previously a building ‘come-back’ was contractor and now one of the facilitated in two collective, is hit with a sledgehammer ways. Firstly, by the police for which he suffers a suspected crushed femur nerve. despite the When Captain asks DC Farrel, again continuing and present at the raid, why the police are extreme attention evicting people who are repairing a they w ere derelict property, Farrel actually receiving from the bursts into tears. The cases of violent disorder are dropped after the police police, the Exodus fail to produce the notebooks of Collective carried officers involved in the raid. on working. Repairing derelict 16th JANUARY '93 Police block the entrance to a party’s buildings for car park causing a mass disorder for housing projects, which Bigs, Glenn Jenkins and turning a squatted Richard Jenkins are charged. The farm into a charges are dropped. working city farm 31st JANUARY '93 open to the public, Police Operation Anagram storms and organising Long Meadow Farm at 8.30 on the well-attended evening of a planned dance and leave raves at which no- with all the sound equipment. Thirty six members of the Collective are one got hurt but arrested and taken into custody. Four about which thousand protesters surround Luton everyone talked. Police Station and stage a non-violent demonstration at the arrests. Police agree to release the imprisoned In persistent pursuit members and to return the sound of ‘community regeneration’, their stated shoulder saying they wanted to do a drugs equipment the next day, which they goal, Exodus won over large amounts of search. Then a copper grabs his arm. We had do. local support and enough members of the a convoy and I don’t know if they knew that 6th FEBRUARY ’93 local council to start swinging licence we did because on the motorway you can’t Four thousand people gather for agreements their way. Even certain always tell. But they blocked the motorway another Exodus dance. Due to the members of the local police force, and we blocked the motorway. They got their sighting of a large number of police particularly Chief Inspector Mick Brown dogs out and we got our dogs out. Then an vans, another raid is suspected. The and Inspector Kimble, began to speak out inspector comes over and says: ‘Sorry, it was Collective then deliver a statement to the assembled crowd that for publicly in favour of Exodus and of the a mistake’. Blocked the motorway for 20 safety reasons there will be no rave positive initiatives they were operating in minutes and then says: ‘Go through’. It was a tonight. A written statement of the the locality. Both Brown and Kimble were stand off and they were outnumbered.” intention to avoid violence but to transferred away from the area accordingly What makes these showdowns so remain persistent is distributed.

43 Exodus - The Battles Exodus - a chronology debilitating for the police is that the Exodus in reality it was one of the largest instant Collective do not give the hangman even demonstrations of “massive but passive” force an inch of rope. Despite hundreds of charges yet seen in modem Britain. Captain, a long 13th FEBRUARY ’93 levelled at members of the Collective, the time member of the Exodus collective, Exodus Collective and assembled convoy head off towards a venue conviction list amounts to a couple of small remembers the occasion well: for a dance. Police threaten Exodus bits of hash possession and a farcically- “I went in round the back of the police with an injunction, issued after engineered public nuisance rap put on Glenn station to get my kid out - he was only 15 years several meetings of the Association Jenkins. Also, despite very evident police old at the time. There were about 150 coppers of Chief Police Officers. Police initiate Operation Anatomy, an attempts to provoke the kind of in that station and 4,000 people outside, they attempt to sever the convoy by confrontation that might provide the were cacking it, ringing for more riot police isolating the first ten vehicles in the hanging rope, the Collective have always even calling the army. In the foyer of the convoy in order to arrest these few “held it down massive but passive”. Bigs police station, Inspector Brown says: ‘Please and then dissipate the rest. The recounted a story. help us.’ He’d always been alright to us but I drivers of the first ten vehicles realise they have been sectioned off “One time at a warehouse in said I didn’t like the idea of being double before reaching the road block Letchworth, there were a thousand ravers crossed. I said - ‘you got it coming to you if it where they were due to be arrested. from one convoy hanging about waiting kicks off because you’ve just arrested They backtrack and rejoin the for the other convoy and the sounds. I was everybody for nothing’. He says to me he convoy. Leaflets are found that have been distributed by the police to out on the street keeping an eye on things, didn’t know about it ‘cause the people upstairs local residents asking whether they stopping people driving too fast. Then blue hadn’t told him that the arrests were gonna be had been frightened or lights are coming fast.... coming fast. What made. inconvenienced in any way by the they were going to do was drive into the “When I walked out the front everyone convoy. The majority respond by saying “leave the Exodus collective warehouse and scatter everyone. I reckoned went wild going ‘Yes Captain, Yes Captain’. alone”. I had to block it, so I drove at them and spun I could see the faces of the riot police behind Bigs, a member of the the jeep round. Didn’t even have enough me, thinking - ‘is he gonna say Attack’. So it collective is arrested under a charge time to take the keys out and their car doors was my opportunity to get everyone to hold it of being the possessor of drugs that the police say they found at the farm were open. Out run four of them, scattered down - keep it peaceful other wise its gonna during the raid thirteen days before! and coming for me. I ran back to the kick - go to the other side of the road and get They also charge Bigs, Glenn warehouse. the car stereos going and start a party. A few Jenkins and his brother Richard “Then the line was drawn, about bottles flew over me to start with but our peace Jenkins (DJ Hazad) with public one thousand police and two thousand stewards were going round holding it down.” disorder offences. Bigs is also charged with six driving offences ravers. There was a few people throwing And it held. on that night even though he was things because we couldn’t be everywhere, Later that night, after reaching an not at the wheel at any point during but we held it down. Going up to riot squad agreement with the police for the release of the night. This glut of charges is - trying to speak to them but they weren’t the imprisoned personnel and the return of known as ‘swamping’ the charge sheet, a process where the main confiscated sound equipment, members of the speaking. It was tense man. Glenn told charges (in this case drugs) are them that if it goes off, it was them that was Collective asked all but ten of the crowd to surrounded with other minor gonna get hurt ‘cause there are people disperse. The respect was instant and the charges to make the defendant look w ho’ve been beaten up on the street by old demonstration duly stood down. "The coppers bad, enabling the conviction to be snowballed. With no proof bill and been busted - there is that anger - the next day were saying they couldn’t believe whatsoever the driving charges are but it’s controlling that anger. W e’ve got we had even picked the rubbish up before we eventually dropped. that control. It was tense but we got the had left,” adds Glenn. loudspeaker and dispersed everyone.” The crowning legal triumph came in 20th FEBRUARY ’93 “Hold it down became the password an almighty court battle that dragged out over Police initiate Operation Anchovy, an attempt to repeat Operation for the party, now everyone knows its best the period of more than a year. In court on the Anatomy severing the front to hold it down,” continues Glenn. “People day of the major showdown, the Exodus vehicles. This time Exodus are fully have got that respect for what we’re doing Collective finally proved to judge and jury aware of the tactic and avoid and in all physical confrontations we are that they had been the subject of unlawful splitting the convoy up. This time the convoy takes to its feet. Once attacks by the police, involving the fabrication the ones that would be accused if it kicked again due to the presence of large off big time, not the old bill.” of written evidence and the planting of illegal numbers of riot police, the Undoubtedly the most formidable substances. Collective disperses the crowd and example came on the night 52 members of “I was arrested at a petrol station on the distributes a leaflet explaining and promising persistence. the collective were arrested at around 8pm night of a do at Letchworth and taken to the on the night of a dance. Four thousand station,” recalls Chuppa, who was driving an 1st MARCH ’93 people, previously planning to attend the Exodus jeep containing the water for the dance. The Oakmore Hotel is evicted with dance, surrounded the police station in “When I got there they asked me my name and Operation Ashanti (by now the Luton demanding their immediate release. I said you know my name, and the copper Exodus Collective have sussed on to the fact that all the police In the national papers the following wrote down Paul Taylor. When I tell them that operations directed against them day came the descriptions of “a mob of I’m not Paul Taylor, I’m Kevin Brown, she begin with A), with 36 riot police, 4,000 youths who turned a town into a gets all agitated and walks out. Then when she 12 bailiffs and manned roadblocks. pitched battle” (Daily Express 1/2/94) but comes back, she doesn’t ask me anymore The occupants of the squatted Hotel

44 Exodus - The Battles

questions not even my date of birth, just policeman had found two stashes of drugs in Exodus - a chronology sticks me in a cell.” two separate places. Undoubtedly mistaking dread “It’s too easy - first they desanitised the are given half an hour's notice to leave. Bigs, Glenn Jenkins and Chuppa (Kevin Brown) for dread Bigs (Paul house (police terminology for making sure Richard Jenkins are charged with Taylor), the police had picked out the wrong there are no occupants left inside). The officer Public Order Section 5 - harassment, man in an attempt to foil the party. “They who said he found them (the drugs) was outside alarm and distress to the riot police. think if they take out one of us then the the bungalow in a car waiting. I don’t know The case reaches court and is thrown out by the judge due to how innocent he was but DC Clements had party won't happen but it aint like that with inconsistencies in the stories of the Exodus,” says Chuppa. already planted them and then came out and police present. It transpires under The man that the police had been called him in. It was dark because the electrics cross examination that the trying to ‘take out’ was Bigs, whom they were cut and Clements says in his statement policemen involved were given a blackboard lecture on what to say had identified as driving Exodus’s red that he was holding the torch. Clements pointed in their notebooks. The police's starred jeeps at the head of convoys in the this big dragon torch to the places cause he evidence is ruled as inadmissible. past. But instead of going into hiding, Bigs was the only one holding a torch. It’s so sly - However, in a later court case, came looking to see that Chuppa and another how many times do they get away with it. It’s Glenn Jenkins is convicted of public nuisance after two ‘Scene of the arrested member of the Collective were a classic - two minutes in two different Crime' Officers make identical alright. After being chased by 1,000 riot locations. One with my passport, dole card statements four months after the police drawn from five different forces and a couple of mug shots, and one in a coffee event! (previously described), Glenn Jenkins, tin which, if you were to walk into my bedroom, Richard Jenkins and Bigs drove another you can’t help but notice.” MARCH - JULY '93 Exodus Collective squat a derelict Exodus jeep straight into the hornet’s nest. Over the course of this year, Bigs had hospice owned by Luton Borough “The streets around the police station a drugs rap hanging over his head. During Council. They proceed to rebuild were crammed with riot vans parked either most of this time he was curfewed as a bail the property and are granted a side on the pavements. And there we were condition; an obvious attempt to prevent him licence. They are also granted a licence to hold a rave. Both licences from attending the dances. On the night of the in the red starred jeep, the one they’d been are won because their activities in chasing all night, driving down the middle parties, the police would invariably call round housing homeless people and giving of the road between them. You should have to check that he was staying at home, but at a Luton people a sense of purpose seen the faces of them coppers as they were late hour the party crowd would go mad when has attracted the support of local councillors. taking their riot trousers off,” recalls Glenn. a certain dread, rapped in a sheik's head scarf, The three of them walked into the would appear on the mic. JULY - DEC ’93 police station and demanded to see that On the night before the trial, Bigs, All Exodus Court battles are won. Chuppa and his colleague had not been having seen a police list of the small bits of Much to the surprise of the local injured. Whilst they waited, a policeman hashish found on the farm in the past, realised press which had consistently smeared the Collective, the judge asked Bigs to step aside for a moment. The their next chess move and decided he would once again ruled that there were next thing that Glenn and Richard Jenkins not stand to give evidence in his own defence inconsistencies in the police account were told, was that Bigs had been arrested in court. of the drugs charges against Bigs. and charged with possession and intent to “We saw in the case papers that they The court orders the police to forward all the policemen’s had it listed and we thought ‘how come they supply ecstasy that the police claimed to notebooks for the day. The police have found during a raid on the farm a week got it all listed - a bit of vegetable matter here say that they have lost them. The previous. and a bit of vegetable matter there. That was policeman who found the alleged “Chief Superintendent Alan their last card. I wasn’t aware until the night bags of ecstasy can't explain why in the pitch black (the electricity Marlowe, the divisional commander, hung before that they were gonna pull this. I didn’t had been cut off) he managed to his head low when he came down the stairs want to be stuck there ‘umming and arring’ find two stashes of drugs in two and told me,” recalls Glenn. “He knew it about some hash they found once.” places, only a couple of minutes was a lie, he knew it was a fit up. I told him When Bigs told James Wood, his after the logged time for the they were slimy bastards and that we would barrister, that he did not want to give evidence, commencement of the operation. At the last minute Exodus decide to not let them get away with it.” Wood couldn’t believe it. He even got Bigs to offer no defence, leaving the jury to Just how exactly the police thought sign a piece of paper saying it was his own decide the case on the evidence they would get away with it is a mystery. decision not to appear. Wood had spent the given to the court by the police. The The only plausible answer is that the entire weekend previous to the trial writing up jury takes five minutes to return a verdict of ‘not guilty'. complacency bred from getting away with his notes and preparing a case that included it for so long, induced a carelessness that Bigs appearing in his own defence. Much to JAN - JULY '94 proved in the end to be their downfall. his adaptable credit however, James Wood's Work continues in further Over the course of the following one and a half hour summing up at the end of reconstruction the farm and the Manor. year and with s everal court cases hanging the trial, ripped shreds in the evidence over them, the Collective pieced together presented by the police. The prosecutor, whose JUNE '94 the story of how, within two minutes of face dropped red when he realised that Bigs Despite opposition from the police, entering a blacked-out farmhouse (the with his seven facial piercings was not going Exodus are granted a licence to operation start time and the discovery was to appear before the jury, spoke for just five hold community festivals in Luton by the local council. These ‘family logged in various police accounts), a minutes.

45 Exodus - The Battles Exodus - a chronology Exodus had simply let the police talks began but the latest news is that the

present their evidence and be cross round table discussions on the Bill with fundays’ are often organised in examined, offering no witnesses for their the Bill, will go ahead in mid-October (at association with local residents’ own defence. After taking only five minutes the same time as the Bill goes back to the associations and involve bringing to reach a decision, the jury returned a Commons). the Long Meadow farm animals into Luton to meet the children. verdict of not guilty, based solely on listening “My family have been through a lot to the police tie contradictory knots around with the old bill,” says Bigs. “So it was the JU LY '94 their own fabrications; strangling their own first time to trust them. It was a major step After a few months break, Exodus story before the judges. “As me mum used - it was like now or never. If it was down start up the parties again every two weeks- with no further police action to say - ‘Give them enough rope and they’ll to me at the time, I would have said ‘no’ and a peak of 7,000 people coming hang themselves’,” observes Bigs wryly. because of my personal experience. But to the dances. Exodus send letters The local papers couldn’t believe it, it’s not just about me, it’s about forwardness out to the police, councillors and having previously reported the charges in and that forwardness outweighs what I’ve politicians, in order to establish a full, they printed the result of the trial in a got to think. The forwardness at that time round table discussion. Chief Inspector Andy Nash, operations tiny little column. Both The Herald and the was to work with the old bill no matter officer with South Beds Police Luton on Sunday rely quite heavily on what they’ve done to my family. I’m not Division replies saying that the brewery advertisements for their revenue pretending that they’re not fucked up but police are “prepared to meet with and there is a major Whitbread brewery in now I think the sooner we go to the table the Collective and others in a round table discussion with a view to Luton. Sometimes, entire issues are wrapped the better.” taking the matter further.” Talks are in a colour advertisement for Whitbread. Reminding themselves that ‘there arranged for Oct 13th and Oct 20th. The connection between the breweries and is no such thing as an honest copper’ Exodus is clearly given away in articles in Exodus have been talking to the police and SEPTEMBER '94 Local Council Policy and Resource Whitbread News about how the pubs of finding a few bonus exceptions to the rule. Committee give the go ahead for Luton empty when Exodus hold a dance. In It’s been a long road to this point though, £150,000 public enquiry into the what Glenn Jenkins refers to as the “year of establishing the right to regenerate their numerous police operations targeted the smear”, these newspapers had actively local community, despite vicious and at Exodus and in to the involvement published stories slandering the Collective, underhand attacks directed against the of local politicians including John Carlisle (Con MP Luton North) and preparing for the day they all thought that Collective by those 'upstairs' at the police Nicholas Lyall (Con MP Mid Beds Bigs would go down. When Jenkins station, and those who whisper in the ears and Attorney General). approached the editor of the Herald after the of those upstairs. A full enquiry into the trial, accusing him of complicity in a slander operations levelled against the Collective, campaign and of being a freemason, he by both the police went red in the face. Three weeks later he and lo cal resigned his position and the newspaper has newspapers, is remained devoid of any mention of the next on the cards. Exodus Collective since. The divisional The local commander for Bedfordshire Police, Chief council have Superintendent Alan Marlow, also took recently given the ‘early retirement’. He was quoted in a recent go ahead for a magazine article: “I now know a little bit £150,000 public more about Exodus than I probably did at enquiry to be the time. So if we were starting again from chaired by scratch I might not necessarily make the Michael same sort of objections.” Mansfield QC. His replacement, Chief All looks set for a Superintendent Andy Nash, has recently full public replied to a letter sent by Exodus to a number exposure of the of official bodies, calling for a round table vitriol and discussion on the Criminal Justice Bill. In negative the letter Nash says he is willing to meet and obstruction laid in talk and was further quoted in the local the path of the newspaper as being in favour of ’’urgent” Exodus. As Glenn round table discussions, stating: ”I do not Jenkins rightly want to be in a position where we are forced points out to use the powers given by the new Bill.’’ “We’re too good Recently, the police have ceased an idea to fuck raiding Exodus’s property and dances, even with. The Red Sea calling off an operation sent to stop a rave, parted.” when they discovered that it was Exodus that was organising it. It is with caution that

46 ExoDust it off and give it life

The Oakmore Hotel So the place was up and going found herself best able to deal with within five days. Next thing - 66 old the paperwork and licencing lies empty again. One bill come through the door and agreements for the properties smash the lot.” occupied by the Collective. “Who and a half years after Not dissuaded by the heavy the cap fits let them wear it,” she Kelly Construction hand, Exodus found a disused old concluded, thus becoming the HAZ people’s home on the edge of Luton, manager. From ex-estate agent to told the court they squatted the property and renamed it Exodus's estate agent: required immediate HAZ (Housing Action Zone) Manor. “Squatting was our fight to “It was a principle: We don’t get the right to do what we’re doing possession and one stop regenerating derelicts because now. We didn’t have a big thing we’ve been evicted,” affirms Glenn. about being able to live here free and a half years since The difference between the heavy and all that just because the building the riot police smashed handed reception inflicted on them is not being used. What we were at the Oakmore Hotel and that saying w as - ‘Let us live here and their way in. received at HAZ Manor, was in the make it our home and we’ll pay the Despite having restored the respect for the Collective that had rent for it’. But nobody was derelict property as housing, the grown amongst the local interested. And it’s their loss at the occupants - all members of the community. This respect served to end of the day because now we’re in Exodus Collective - were evicted pave certain paths in the chambers a council property and we only pay a into the winter snow of 1992. It is of the local council. Their initiative peppercorn rent.” derelict once more and kids have in refurbishing the Oakmore Hotel The peppercorn rent they pay smashed the windows once again. had not gone unnoticed in the area to the local authority amounts to £1 “Sixteen people put £10 from and although officials would not a year, as they are now an official their dole money into the kitty and stick their necks out and publicly housing co-op, registered with a we matched it, sometimes doubling criticise the violent police eviction, friendly society and recipients of a it, from the money received in the there were some that were now Housing Corporation mini-HAG donations bucket at the dances.” prepared to work behind the scenes grant negotiated, on their behalf by explains Exodus’s Glenn Jenkins. to ensure that Exodus’s housing CATCH (Co-operative and Tenant “So there was £20-£30 spent on initiatives achieved the security of Controlled Housing). Mini HAG’s each person’s room. We also licence status. are small scale grants given to supplied a communal area with Sam, who had previously refurbish empty properties, the carpet, and the kitchen with units. been employed as an estate agent, amount of which depends on the number of bed spaces operational as a result of that refurbishment. But as with most of their meetings with the ‘official way of doing things’, Exodus found a complacency inconsistent with their own forward thinking. CATCH as well as taking some of the grant money for themselves in management costs, also provided the co-op with shoddy workmen to carry out the necessary refurbishment, despite the fact that they themselves had both the experience and willingness to do the work themselves. “They wouldn’t let us do the work,” says Captain, who lives at the Manor with his 17 year old son

47 Exodus - The Housing Initiative

When CATCH will now carry out using the money suddenly said from the small rents they charge, that maybe the matched with money from the whole project general Exodus fund. The fact that was going to the outside contractors left the large cost too much communal kitchen unfinished, has money and that meant that the local council will perhaps they only pay half the housing benefits would keep the for the unemployed tenants. The grant money Collective are now working on the themselves and building after nearly a year of stalled forget the and inadequate refurbishment. Manor, he set to “The contractors did the front work fixing the bit now we’re gonna do up the back roof and because there’s a lot of space back teaching Exodus there that could be utilised into bed members to cut spaces,” says Sam. “We’ve decided and place glass - they’ve done what they’ve done windows. and now we’ll use the income we “T hat’s get to do our own job and then we’ll the thing,” says compare the two." Her most recent Nobby, another work as co-ordinator of the housing Exodus member co-op side of Exodus, involves and habitee at negotiations on the legal future of the Manor: the Manor and particularly the lease “There are the that expires in May 1996. people here “When we moved in and willing to teach squatted the old Hospice - the and there are the district council wanted to evict us, people here but because Luton Borough Council willing to learn. were backing us and negotiating on Randy and was a building contractor Captain knows how to do this stuff our behalf with the county council, for 17 years previous to his but CATCH said - ‘we don’t want they didn’t have much choice in the involvement with the Exodus. “We you to do anything to the place’. In matter but to let us stay there. So pushed and pushed but CATCH kept the end Captain taught me how to they went for the shortest possible saying that our quality of cut glass and I helped replace the lease. Give us a chance to prove workmanship was unknown. windows.” ourselves and then re-negotiate. Jeff Ruffles, the project The replacement of the W e’re looking to re-negotiate now.” manager, said he would employ a windows was no small job. When Sam is also attempting to firm which he had used in the past. Exodus moved in, nearly every secure co-operative status for And it turns out they were a right window was smashed. The building Exodus’s other ongoing regeneration bunch of Billy Bodgers - getting contains about 50 frames, each project, Long Meadow Farm in quite a lot of money but I would say containing around twenty small 12" nearby Cholton. This farm lay they were about DIY/labourer by 8" squares requiring a separate derelict for years on a piece of land standard. We turned round to him pane of glass. Along with repairs to purchased by the Department of and said - ‘If that’s the quality of the roof, the Collective ended up Transport, who originally planned to workmanship required, we could do saving around £6,000 in contractors’ use it for a road construction that with our eyes shut’, but he took fees by doing it themselves. This associated with the M1. The works no notice.” didn’t prevent the work, carried out were never carried out and the farm Captain helped with the by the contractors brought in by deteriorated. If you walk around the refurbishment of the Oakmore Hotel CATCH, from using up £46,000 of farm today however, you’ll see new and continues to work on HAZ grant money. The contractors also barns re-built from old pallets - Manor despite a spinal injury caused ended up charging another £16,000 housing goats, sheep, chickens, by a police sledgehammer during the in extras, which CATCH tried geese and two generations of eviction of the Oakmore. In the unsuccessfully to claim back from Vietnamese pot belly pigs. room he occupies at the Manor, the Collective. The contractors “There’s a local factory that Captain has built a mezzanine floor, installed hot water, electricity and gets plastic brought in on pallets, so as well as constructing a large gas and the built three small we go down there, pick the pallets communal fireplace in the Manor kitchens. The rest of the building up and recycle them into farm and a crazy paving patio outside. His still requires complete buildings,” explains Stuart another expertise is obvious to any observer. refurbishment, which the Collective devoted Exodus worker: “I helped

48 Exodus - The Housing Initiative

build some of them bam s - that’s Farm is open to parties from local In the world of squatting, something that I’ve been able to do - schools and the farm animals are this is a luxurious position but it's a never before had the opportunity. sometimes taken to a Luton park to position Exodus have earned When we come into these derelict participate in a funday for children, through sheer persistence and places we see what it could be. organised by Exodus in conjunction through the cultivation of local We’ve got vision. Nothing is beyond with a local council estate resident’s support rarely achievable by many us. I didn’t think I could build a bam association. squatters who are constantly moved and now I’ve helped build a farm.” Although owned by the DoT, from area to area. “Chances are you Jaqui, a mother of two, assists the property is managed by Circle would have to squat ‘cause local Sam at the manor and is secretary of 33 housing association, the parent councils wouldn’t normally give the farm, sorting out matters such as association of CATCH, before over a place like the Manor,” adds calling in vets and paying their bills. CATCH recently closed down. Steve, another Exodus member She had been employed for six years “Circle 33 effectively got us involved in rebuilding the farm. as an office worker in a local Marks the grant on the Manor, although “What we’re setting here is a and Spencer warehouse before being CATCH was what they operated precedent.” made redundant. through to get it,” explains Sam: ”So Although the local ”I was roboted up in that job,” she remembers. "Getting up at 6.30 am to put the kids in the nursery and then getting to work by eight and working 'til five - coming home and then doing the housework.” The combination of leaving that job and helping to form Exodus was, according to Jaqui, like "taking off robot clothes and becoming more herself. She has no doubt about the positive benefits of her change of focus. "Makes being a mum so much easier. I can’t afford to take them we want to take over the authorities have turned down their anywhere but now, with the whole management of the farm in the same first draft plan for the community of Exodus, they're helping out on the way, under the HAZ umbrella. Then centre, Exodus are optimistic that a farm instead of hanging round the obviously the next step is to find more developed proposal for the streets damaging bus shelters! I another building that we can do up.” derelict community centre, recently enjoy the dances but they are a small Exodus’s sights are set again re- submitted to the district council, part of it. I work when I want to and and this time their gaze is directed will produce a more positive I believe in the cause that I'm on a derelict community centre response. Whether or not working for, so I actually enjoy inside Luton itself. This time permission is forthcoming, the working." It was no small pleasure however, they find themselves in a Collective intend to continue with to Jaqui when she found herself position to try asking first. With two their regenerations. distributing water to dancers, from up and running examples of what “If they say no, then we’ll the very warehouse where she had they can do ‘given half a chance’, it either look for somewhere else or once worked for Marks and will be a lot harder for local officials decide whether to move in any Spencer's, now unused except for to find objections to their proposals. way,” says Sam, firmly. No derelict Exodus dances! “We wouldn’t necessarily shells are safe from Exodus's Jaqui's work also helps to need to squat now to make our cobweb brush including, it seems, ensure that other local children can point,” says Sam: “We can go to the dusty and decaying procedures benefit from the experience of the them first and say - Look this is of local bureaucracy. farm, just as her children do. Long what needs to be done and we’ve Meadow World Community Free proved that it works.”

49 When the British public reads about another dancer dying on the dance floor, the whole rave scene Who is summoned back to the dock. But with the media as presenters of the court case, the real facts suggest that the jury is once again Spiked being blatantly mis-informed. It could be validly argued that rave culture is rarely out of the dock but the recent death of 20 year old Andrew Stoddart at the Hanger 13 Club in Ayr, Scotland, sparked off a renewed volly of cross-examination. Once again the politicians and media-sociologists The pronounced drugs to be the explanation for all ills; so closing the file marked ‘lessons to be learned’ before anyone really had a chance to properly study the case. However, upon serious investigation, the facts of the case have far more to say than the easy explanations offered in the Dance public arena so far. Following another licenced rave in Grangetown, Cardiff, this August, the national press reported “the police have issued a fresh warning over the illegal drug Ecstasy”, after a raver had collapsed into a coma. In September, Floor ? another fatality in a club at Saltcoat in Ayrshire

50 Exodus - The Dances pushed the number of rave deaths in clamp down on MDMA has lead to the way most politicians and media Strathclyde well into double figures. the increased prevalence of the more described the phenomenon was in “I've got my reservations physiologically harmful MDA. The direct contradiction to their own about E’s 'cause it ain’t all MDMA, main reason for this is that MDMA, experience; respect for the but if people died by taking E’s then being a time-consuming distillation authorities was thus further eroded. you’d have thousands of people of MDA, is far more expensive to As a result, a crackdown came with dropping dead - corpses produce. Once the Government had the formation of Police rave units, everywhere,” says Glenn Jenkins clamped down on MDMA, the drug briefed to bust the flourishing from the dance (and more) posse, the was effectively handed over to black- unlicensed rave scene. Exodus Collective. market profiteers who knew they Consequentially, rave organisers Fact one in the re-opened file could make far more for far less, by were forced to consider trying to is the drug itself, still called Ecstasy, using MDA. Put simply, the clamp obtain official licences costing but with a contents that have down served to stamp Ecstasy’s considerable amounts of money. radically altered over the last six future with the corrupting power of These licenced raves were of years as a direct consequence of purely commercial motivation. course more acceptable to the government attempts to come down Earlier this year, the government, providing as they did a hard on it. Government’s Advisory Council on pull-the-plug control for local “In 88 when the rave scene the Misuse of Drugs sent a report to authorities, as well as siphoning back was busting up from the the Home Office saying that raves to the authorities some of the underground, they came down on it. should be encouraged and licences considerable amounts of cash They knew about the gatherings and easier to obtain. The report's generated at raves. MDMA and they knew how to get to reasoning was that by keeping raves But in the same way as it and fuck it up,” explains Bigs, a financially exclusive and by forcing government clamp downs on Ecstasy member of Exodus. “They clamped the drug's distribution into the hands served to hand the contents of the right down on it and it disappeared. of the solely profit-motivated, the tablet over to the profiteers, so too There wasn’t any MDMA for 15 conditions were being created in did the clamp down on unlicenced to 18 months. Then MDA came back which people are ingesting festivals and raves push the scene in in abundance.” chemicals, the content of which they the commercial direction. The Recent scientific studies have do not know, and then dancing in official insistence on obtaining backed up such observations. Gay conditions that were inviting life- licences rendered the organisation of Times recently sent 17 so-called threatening physiological trauma. raves an exclusive activity for those ‘ecstasy’ tablets to the Manchester The report entitled ‘Police, Drug who had the money. This put off based drug agency Lifeline, in order Misusers and the Community’ is still those that didn’t have any, and to have their content examined. It awaiting publication by the Home further attracted those that did and was discovered that only one of the Office but with clauses in the who wanted to make more. This tablets had any MDMA in it and this Criminal Justice and Public Order stamped rave culture with an was only a trace amount. The rest of Bill which go directly against its unhealthy over-emphasis on the tablets contained mostly MDA, recommendations, Michael Howard commercial development, leading to which has a neurotoxicity twice that is not keen to have it see the light of a further corruption of the dance of MDMA, its parent drug, from day. environment. which it is refined. One of the tablets Fact two in the re-opened The death of Andrew Stoddart was found to contain 177mg of case book, is the quality of the at the Hanger 13 club in Ayr, MDA, over twice the active dose. environment in which ravers are Scotland in August was the third “With MDMA you don’t get dancing. This too has altered over the fatality at that venue this year. muggings and stabbings but with last six years, not least in the manner Hangar 13 is a licenced venue and a MDA sometimes you do. With in which licences are granted and the review of recent rave deaths and MDMA, even if you’re a racist, you manner in which unlicenced raves collapses, show that by far the drop one and it fucks it right off out have been the target of political and majority occur in licenced venues. the window if you meet the right media pressure. Going into the So what’s the coup? Glenn people. With MDMA you drop your nineties, the establishment view of Jenkins is in no doubt. defences and it helps community. raves was of a growing and officially “It’s laughable what the They knew that, that’s why they uncontrollable cultural phenomenon. Independent is saying about ’If you come down heavy on it,” observes The media-fuelled hysteria close down these clubs (where the Bigs. was not enough to persuade those deaths have occurred) then you’ll Whether or not the who came across rave culture from drive people to these dangerous Government’s intention was to ignoring the positive community unlicenced raves’. Well people don’t smash the collective power of rave experience of participation. Not only die at our unlicenced raves, people culture (the clauses in the Criminal did millions of people discover this don’t even get hurt, and in case they Justice Bill limiting the right to accessible form of dance music and do, we have first aid on site and loads assembly, do further indicate this to the missing sense of community it of people around caring.” be an intention), the result of the instilled, they also discovered that In fact, witnesses present on

51 Exodus - The Dances

the dance floor of Hanger 13, the August of this year according to is billed as being designed to achieve night Andrew Stoddart collapsed local ravers, three people collapsed the opposite. and died, say that when he was of heat exhaustion on the Sanctuary ’’We’re the victims - the taken ill, the people around him dance floor. people going to the dances,” says advised him to “dance it off’. It was small surprise to Glenn Glenn: ’’That’s one of the reasons we Undoubtedly, all night dancing when another dancer died on the started doing our raves. To get away does put some stress on the stamina dance floor of the Hangar 13 club: from that ’drug-dealing, water turned of the body (as well as helping to “Have you seen the pictures of the off atmosphere. Money, money, relieve it!), with dehydration being dances there? - crammed tight. money and pitbulls, because that’s the most common ailment. On the That’s the real argument. What’s what's killing people." packed dance floor of Hanger 13, killing the kids - profit or raves?” The unconsidered facts are the well known for being a hard-core It is of a seemingly relentless missing element that render any full on rave club, fresh air and irony that the Government’s remedy harmful. At its most water were not freely available to continued attempts to stamp on any ignorant, misdiagnosis is man the dancers. Exodus on the other culture it finds economically slaughter; at its most intentional - it hand operate free raves at different unacceptable, simply turns out to is murder. All facts considered, the venues in and around Luton and increase crime and ill health, and yet Government stands accused. nearly all 54 of the dances they’ve organised have been unlicenced. In that time they have not had a single collapse or fatality and present at all their dances is Anna in a first aid van. With plans afoot to purchase their own ambulance and fire fighting vehicle, Exodus’s Glenn Jenkins is in no doubt what is killing the dancers: “It’s the conditions into which they’re squeezed. Rather than allow them to happen unlicenced and giving people the right to gather, they try and drive them into this club situation and of course the commercial heads are exploiting it to the max. Where at these other parties you drop to the floor and start vomiting or something, then you’re bad for business. It’s out the door mate. And it’s the commercial concern that makes these clubs turn off the water so you buy it from them at £3 a bottle.” Although illegal, turning off the water taps and upping the heating is not an uncommon occurrence in many commercial rave clubs. It is undoubtedly a major factor in the deaths of those that are packed onto oven temperature dance floors, perhaps having swallowed a pill of dubious content. In sharp contrast to the Exodus dance experience, is the club Sanctuary in nearby Milton Keynes. Sanctuary charge £15 admission to their rave nights and according to local dancers, regularly turn off the cold water taps and pack the dance floors. In

52 The Post Bag - letters to SQUALL

Cambridge an expensive pantomime when it is dismembering the corpse. unenforced. This Act should be The ritual sacrifice to the council's Capers made unenforcable by mass destruction order was intervened by D ear Squall, trespassing, squatting, a a traveller who pleaded for the life determination to keep silent in of an old Worsley and succeeded in I went to Cambridge to do my custody, whatever. We should also reducing its sentence to indefinite shopping and ended up on an anti- be prepared to move from time in a police compound. Criminal Justice Bill protesting to resiting ALL o f the There were also several groups of demonstration. It was like shit in this society, however bystanders eager to be seen at such pantomime, wandering round the ‘established' or justified in law. a momentous occasion. There were Guildhall trying to rally discreetly the high-ranking representatives of (all three o f us) and not attract the 'Fen Tiger' the LMP force with their servants. attention o f the copper with the There were the three round council photocopied piece of paper. workers doing their best to look However, within ten minutes of Obituary for a happy in such miserable official ‘kick-off a surprisingly circumstances, but failing to cheer large crowd had gathered (as if by Crescent the mourning residents, grief magic) and (equally magical) stricken at the death o f such a contained a broad cross section of D ear Squall hallowed place. Then there were society. I had hoped the Morris the other councillors, dressed in Dancers were there to be our It was a bright, Wednesday hippy camouflage, trying to be vanguard but, alas, they were only morning for a funeral. All local concerned, whilst their camera­ there for the tourists. government departments were flashing attendants recorded the And so, in a sense, were we as we represented at the entombment of twisted history of a Hackney'ed marched around town. (American Park Crescent, Church Street, council. tourist: "Gee it’s just like being in London N16. Then finally, the plastic-hatted Washington!") Some of the final The first to arrive were the undertakers set to work on the speeches showed a shade too much travellers for the ceremonial incarceration of the gutted pity for the police being forced into removal of the last trailer on site. remains. This was the noisiest point enforcing repressive laws (the poor This was conducted with due of the ceremony, as earth-eating darlings). For some reason “KILL respect, as far as the on-looking dragons had to be used to install THE BILL 99 was the most popular crowd of constables were the plywood walls and iron gates. chant on the march. I'm not sure if concerned. This Particular entombment “kill the A ct” will be quite so Then the residents were awoken, as included an ancient Egyption effective. is usual in these rituals, by the superstition o f including The rally ended with a final piece of appointed Sheriff and two merry 'scorpions' as security (men) to political theatre - the burning o f a constables. This particular keep out the tomb robbers. copy o f the Bill.... Just how far will ceremony had the additional The scale of the event was costly those flames spread? Our rights are honour of two handmaidens and extravagant, but nevertheless, not lost through a piece of bearing cages, fire extinguishers all due respects were paid by all to legislation. Our rights are lost and other tokens to honour the the death o f yet another creative when we give up fighting for them. raging pitbull. community. The campaign against the Poll Tax By 11.30 most of the congregation showed that the law is nothing but had arrived, some still busy M ichelle.

53 We are in the process of this - The Post Bag development plan working now to organize a self-determining structure to rebuild Metalkova and turn it into a centre of cultural and social Reformist's idle talk of revolution. It may inspire creativity. We want to hear from the stroppier disaffected youth but it people to learn how to become Revolution only alienates the average viewer. organized and run our community. Meanwhile let's enjoy the party. We want to set up a network and any Dear Squall, Peace, Love and Anarchy, information sent to us will be collected in a resource centre. We Lots o f people I know seem to have Tony Allen, also put out an invitation for people diaries full of direct actions for the Ladbroke Grove Mahknovista to come and visit. next few months. Some comrades have (Reformist tendency) Our address is: even pencilled in a revolution for Buisa Vojasnica na Metelkovi St 4, early November. I can't see it myself. I 61000 Ljubljana, don't want to be seen as a wet blanket Slovenia. or anything but for yer actual Thanking you, revolution the police and the army Hackney have to be 'on side' and we're not Natasa Serec, Kevin Kaufman, quite sorted on that one yet are we? Acquittal Metelkova. But there are other possible scenarios. My favourite has Home Dear Squall, Secretary Michael Slime resigning in tears as news o f anti-CJB actions - I write to you on behalf of Eloise mass squats, protests and non-stop Parrack to thank you for the help and dancing in the streets, continues to support which you afforded during pour in from all over the country. Oh her case. Compulsive yes, I can see the headlines now. I am delighted to be able to inform you that Eloise was acquitted of a Conversation HOWARD DOW N THE PAN! charge of affray on the 8th August MASS SQUATTING ON B DAY! and she is currently considering Dear Squall, whether she should pursue civil That, followed by some wacky stunts remedies against the police. I read a lot. No, I read compulsively; for the media, a week of copy-catting Very many people contacted me as a cereal packets, road signs, books, and more celebratory mayhem and result of your appeal for witnesses magazines etc. The most stimulating then into the demands: which appeared in Squall 7 ,1 was literature I 've read in years has been What do we want? DITCH THE BILL impressed by the fact that they took the Summer edition of SQUALL. It for a start; and a few hundred the trouble to telephone me to has caused met to start conversations thousand people and almost as many eliminate themselves from the and write to my MP (encouraging but projects could find homes in ALL enquiries and to offer their best slightly fob-offish response from Ms THE EMPTY HOMES AND wishes. Emma Nicholson - Torridge). PROPERTY! and while we're about it I would be obliged if you would thank I wish it weren' t necessary to publish LAND FOR RELATIVE PEACE! I all those who responded in the next such a shocking magazine, but it think so. There's plenty of budding issue o f Squall. definitely is. homesteaders out there aching to do a With best wishes, I work as an occupational therapist in bit o f radical gardening on all that an acute psychiatry unit in rural vacant Set-A-Side land. A nd while Desmond O'Reilly Devon and we deal with the effects o f we're on the subject: FREE THE McCormack's Solicitors. homelessness and social deprivation WEED! They'll probably offer that but are unable to put pressure on as a concession anyway. Just to shut those who manufacture its causes. us up. And that's it. A ll signed sealed I'm rather angry and have an urge to and wrapped up by Xmas. Slovenian run away and join friends in Portugal, Spain and France but have Okay, it's modest! But at least it's Invitation decided to stay and try and help. realistic. I mean we have to know our Enclosed is a small donation, hope it own limitations. O f course there’s Dear Squall, helps, always the odd chance that something Yours sincerely, quite monumental could occur and if We are sending you information on it happens then so be it... But let's have Metelkova, which has been squatted Huw Jenkins, no compromise on the bottom line. for nine months now after an attempt Torrington, And let's try and play down all this to demolish the complex. Devon.

54 Most of the groups listed below are run by volunteers on non-existent budgets. If you want information or any of the publications mentioned make sure you send the required money plus as much extra as you can afford in the way of a donation: Give More - Get more.

Save the Children - "Working for a better friends who advise and assist wherever 121 Centre - Cafe, bookshop, meeting Small World - "Just Do It." A non-profit world for children." Do lots of behind the possible. Still operating from a box no. place, advice centre for those interested making organisation committed to scenes work for traveller's rights. Liaise until they find new premises. PO Box 56, in squatting, women’s issues, supporting campaign groups working on with large numbers of local traveller Green leaf Bookshop, Colston Street, unemployment and the state of the nation. environmental and social justice issues. support/action groups across the country. Bristol, Avon. Run by squatters at, 121 Railton Rd, Produce 'Undercurrents', a quarterly Can put you in contact. Save the Children Brixton, London SE24. Tel: 0712746655. alternative video magazine. Features Fund, 17 Grove Lane, London SE5 8RD. Hackney Squatters Advice Service - Criminal Justice Bill, direct action, M11 Tel: 071 703 5400. Open sessions between 6.30 & 8.30 on The 56a Info Shop - News, action & and anti-roads campaigns, topical the first and third Tuesday of every month meeting place, books, teashop, records, environmental issues. Videos available Advisory Service for Squatters (ASS) - at The Colin Roach Centre, 10a Bradbury comics. Squatting, counter-culture & lots from; Gurus of the Squatting world. Open for St, Dalston, London N16. of small press stuff. Open Mon, Thurs, Small World Media Ltd, 1A Waterlow advice, practical and legal, at 2 St Paul’ Fri 3-7pm. 56 Crampton St, London SE17. Rd, London N19 5NJ. Tel: 071 281 7320. Rd, London N1 2QN from 2-6pm. Tel: Squatters Estate Agency (Oxford) - 071 359 8814. Support for squatters in Oxford, keeping Cool Tan Arts - A collection of artistically POD - "Counter culture '90's style." track of the media and the police. Box A, active squatters who run regular cafes, Recommended, quality Zine, issue 5 now SQUASH, Squatters Action for Secure 111 Magdelen Rd, Oxford OX4 1RQ. lots of workshops, informative cinema & out. CJB, Dongas, DIY, Wanstead, Homes - Voluntary group set up to oppose video, events & music. Cool Tan face permaculture, Exodus, lets, Dragon. £2.50 legislation against of squatting. Action, M-11 Link Road Campaign - NVDA eviction and are currently looking for gets you on the mailing list: POD HQ, PO lobbying & meetings. SQUASH, 2 St against the M11 extension now moving new premises. Contributions, ideas & Box 23, London SE 4 1SW. Paul’s Rd, London N12QN. Tel: 071 226 on Leytonstone. Massive resistance now help welcome. For more information 8938. at Claremont Rd. Successful, very active contact Cool Tan Arts, The Old Contraflow - Part of the European group. 211 The Arches, off Grove Green Dolehouse, 372 Coldharbour Lane, Counter Network. Radical mag with Liberty - "National Council for Civil Rd, London E11 4AJ. Tel: 081 558 2638. Brixton, London. Tel: 071737 2745/0100. occasional articles on squatting and Liberties." Campaigning against Criminal travellers. Available from the 56a Info Justice Bill, will be taking HM Govt to Road Alert - Coordinating anti road Rainbow Centre - Networking point Shop (Address above). Euro, court if Bill passes. Mainly media, protests across the country. Direct action for tribal issues, squatting, travelling, lobbying & parliamentary (esp. arm of Alarm UK. Opposition to Criminal festivals, dongas, anti-roads, eco & ByPass - "Cross currents in under-the- European). Liberty, 21 Tabard St, London Justice Bill. Information, latest news, Criminal Justice. Arts space, counter culture". Mag review and listing SE1 4LA. Tel:071 403 3888. actions, networking. Road Alert, PO Box workshops, meetings Information. over 100 small press zines, pamphlets, 371, Southampton, Hants. SO9 7BS. Tel: Currently under threat of eviction - books & whatever. Excellent production Freedom Network - N etw orking 0703 237809. support essential. Agenda 21 features from Oxford activists connecting you to opposition to the Criminal Justice Bill. highly in future plans - want to find out "a whole chunk of the independent, Currently co-ordinating over 50 local, A larm UK - Set up following Alarm's more? Rainbow Centre, The Olde alternative and dissident underground". anti-CJB groups nationwide. Contact for London success in defeating road Church, 23 Highgate Rd, Kentish Town £1 + A4 SAE to: ByPass, c/o 21 Cave St, one near you. The Freedom Network, c/o proposals. Network of groups and activists NW5. Tel: 0831 195 223. Oxford, OX4 1BA. The Green Office, The Old Dolehouse, opposing damaging road schemes & the 372 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London CJB. Co-ordinating 200 community Monolith News - Magazine for travellers FIN (Free Information Network) - SW9. Tel: 071 738 6721. groups nationwide. Alarm UK, 13 of the New Age and all interested. No. 17, Newsheets published as and when Stockwell Rd, London SW9 9AU. Tel: 071 news, reviews, legalise Stonehenge - containing up to date information, festival Exodus Collective - 'A movement of Jah 737 6641. whose heritage?, festivals, operation news, events etc. SAE to your local people'. Seriously active collective snapshot, earth mysteries. 50p & A5 SAE branch. creating housing, parties, community and Friends, Families and Traveller's + 50p for each back issue. Monolith AberdeenFIN - 36 Buchan Rd, Torry, bringing life back to Luton. See article Support Group - "All citizens of a free publications, PO Box 4, Syston, Aberdeen AB1 3SW page 40. Long Meadow Community Farm, society should have the right to travel and Leicestershire LE7 4RD. EFFIN - c/o York, The Coffee Bar Chalton Cross, Sundon Road, Luton, the right to stop without fear of persecution Grassroots, 58 Charles St, Cardiff Beds. Tel: 0582 508 936 because of their lifestyle." Setting up Tribal Messenger - Magazine for GuilFIN - PO Box 217, Guildford, Surrey. monitoring groups for post CJB abuses. travellers. News, interviews, festival Isis Brum FIN - c/o 29 Silverton, Cresc, Advance Party - "The Right to Party?" SAE for information: Steve Staines, 33 guide, Gypsies, photos, New Age, history, Moseley, Birmingham B13 9ND Representing ravers, party-goers, festies Bryanston St, Blandford Forum, Dorset criminalisation, press cuttings, letters, LondonFIN - c/o 99 Torriano Av, London & organisers. Campaigning against DT11 7AZ. Tel: 0258 453 695. comment. £1 + 80p P&P from; Tribal NW5 2RX Criminal Justice Bill, information, action, Messenger, Box 21,118 Grovenor Rd, St Mersey FIN - PO Box 110, Liverpool 'rights cards', meetings. Advance Party, Labour Campaign for Traveller's Paul’s, Bristol, BS2. L69 6AU. PO Box 3290, London NW2 3UJ. Tel: 081 Rights - Well-respected group fighting MoorFIN - 3 Church St, Calstock, 659 9439 or 071 700 0878. for traveller’s rights and concentrating on Festival Eye - " Criminal Justice Issue." Cornwall. 1968 Caravan Sites Act demanding full A4 format for travellers et al featuring NeverNeverFIN - 8 Campbell Rd, Homeless Information Project - HIP implementation, wider definitions to Stonehenge Campaign, free festivals, Southsea, Hants. Southwark's advisory service for include 'new' travellers, grants and release magick, networking, news, what the NottFIN - c/o The Rainbow Centre, 180 squatters. Practical & legal advice, CJB of unused Govt, land for sites . 84 Bankside papers say, festival listings, photos, Mansfield Rd, Nottingham. info, meetings. Mon - Fri 4 - 7pm at 612 Street, Leeds LS8 5AD. cartoons. £1.50+60p P&P from; Festival Oxfiend - Box A, 111 Magdelen Rd, Old Kent Rd, London SE15 Tel: 071 277 Eye, BCM, Box 2002, London WC1N Oxford. 7639. Hunt Saboteurs Association - National 3XX. ShefFIN -The Ecology Co, 199 Crookes umbrella for local groups. Increasingly Valley Rd, Sheffield. Tottenham Squatters - Ground support active in opposing CJB. Along with Road Stonehenge Campaign - Stonehenge TVFIN - c/o Rising Sun, 30 Silver St, for Harringey and based at the Unwaged protesters, represent the most painful belongs to you and me. Regular Reading. Centre, 72 West Green Rd, London N15. NVDA thorn in the establishment's side. newsheets, information, listings & Mother Clan - 29 Silverton Crescent, Tel: 081 802 9804. Days of action - all year. Autumn sees the meetings. SAE+ donation to; Stonehenge Moseley, Birmingham B13 9NH. start of the fox-hunting season - get Campaign, 99 Torriano Av, London NW5 Bristol Housing Action Movement - involved. For information on local groups: 2RX. ‘Homeless? Don’t be - Squatting is still HSA, PO Box 1, Carlton PDO, legal!’ - A collective of squatters and Nottingham. Tel: 0602 590357. SQUALL - ’Cracking it Open’