UPDATE: Bailiffs there now 10.15 am 16th. Support needed

UPDATE: There were no bailiffs 15th. But the “representatives” of the owner have been knocking and checking the surroundings and the possible entrances.

We expect eviction tomorrow morning between 6-8 am.

We have been running a free coffee community centre called “Autonomous Cafe and Bookshop (ACAB)” for over a month in Croydon. We are a group named “Reclaim Croydon“.

We are trying to take over as much abandoned Croydon as possible while providing housing, community spaces, and mutual aid.

West Croydon Autonomous Cafe And Bookshop is facing eviction after a High Court order was issued on behalf of Arch Co.- A company set up for the sole purpose of buying all the railway arches and railway adjacent buildings when their friends in Government sold it off at way under market value. That sweetheart deal made Arch Co. the country’s biggest private landlord overnight. Today, their lawyers convinced the High Court that giving away free hot drinks and providing space for people to be creative is somehow a substantial risk to the general public. This means the cafe will likely be evicted as early as Wednesday afternoon.

ACAB cafe is an autonomous community space offering pay-what-you-can coffee & books, a free shop and events to the people of Croydon. The simple act of redistributing resources undermines the drive for profit, which is the core of capitalism.

We say “everything for everyone”, not the state’s greedy bosses or corrupt agents.

The cafe is part of Reclaim Croydon, a movement seeking radical community-based solutions to the problems caused by the corruption and neglect of the Council and Westminster. We will not stop reclaiming Croydon and can promise the cafe will return soon.

Other fantastic Reclaim Croydon projects will continue to happen, such as Forks, not Knives, which provides free food and clothing on Croydon High Street every Thursday.