The Mayor’s Office of Policing and Crime has threatened an illegal eviction against squatters currently occupying the former Cavendish Road police station in Clapham Common. The squatters are occupying in protest against police violence and the new police crackdown bill. The bill has been delayed from progressing to committee stage in the face of widespread national outrage and protests across the country.
This morning the Advisory Service for Squatters tweeted that the Mayor’s Office was threatening to breach Section 6 of the Criminal Law Act 1977, as well as the European Convention on Human Rights. In the notice, the Mayor’s Office threatens to ‘exercise its right to self-help’ and remove the occupiers under common law. County Enforcement Group, a notorious bailiff firm, are carrying out the action.
On Sunday the Cavendish Road squatters released a statement on pastebin stating:
As the closest cop shop to where Sarah was last seen, the occupation of this building holds particular importance and meaning at this time. Although the bill has been postponed, we have to keep fighting it to ensure it does not pass. And in the meantime, violence against women continues. We must seize this moment where we find ourselves UNITED in rage, unified in our fight against the ongoing global femicide and to remember people like Sarah, Blessing Olusegun and countless others and to build our fight to end violence against women.
We also seek to bring attention to Section 4 of the Bill which criminalises trespass, a racist move by this Tory government which will affect predominantly travellers and van dwellers but also squatters, protest camps and the homeless. We hope that all those who resist the expansion of police powers in the Tories Bill will also join us in resisting any amended versions of that Bill which retain this racist attack which will make a travelling way of life almost impossible.
Statement from Cavendish Road squatters
Squatters have been given till 5pm today to leave the premises.