Friday 28 February 2014

Two arrested as police raid squatting protest in Gospel Oak - News - Hampstead and Highgate Express

Two arrested as police raid squatting protest in Gospel Oak - News - Hampstead and Highgate Express:
Scene outside Southampton Road property as police try to make contact with the protesters occupying the upstairs flat. Picture: Polly Hancock

 "The campaigners said they were also protesting Section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act, which criminalises squatting in abandoned residential properties. Anna Gardener, another member of the group, said: “By using the building as a protest occupation, Section 144 cannot be applied. “We want to show the importance of being able to still use abandoned residential buildings for community protests such as ours.” As police wrestled two of the group’s members to the ground, they were then arrested. Fatima Pita, 28 and Filipo Yanis-Nikou, 27, are both set to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates court charged with trespassing in a residential building. While the council’s properties services team informed the police of the occupation, Cllr Blackwell said he was not personally in favour of the prosecution of protesters."
Police lead one of the protesters away in handcuffs. Picture: Polly Hancock

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2 comments:

  1. Empty buildings need people

    ReplyDelete
  2. There are over a million empty properties in the uk. These need to be opened up and allowed to be used as accomadation for the homeless.

    ReplyDelete