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The Newport Action Centre will host a weekly free vegan café, info-talks, various workshops, skill-shares, an art space and regular events to raise money for local causes, as well as being a home for some of us to run the space from. 

We chose to do all this in a building that has a long history of providing a focal point for local communities and will use consensus and solidarity to prolong that role.

The building – which is directly opposite the passport office – had stood empty for around six months, gathering dust like so many other buildings in Newport while the cost of living continues to rise and forces more and more people towards poverty.

We chose to reclaim it for community use at a time when 9,500 police had besieged Newport, turning parts of South Wales into open-air prisons and openly flaunting their publicly-funded killing-machines on our streets. We went under the nose of the local police – whose headquarters stands just some meters away – entering the building without causing any damage or disruption and with the intention of liberating a space in increasingly oppressive, suffocating  surroundings.

We intend to create an alternative  to these surroundings – a space where people can gather to discuss ideas without fear of being tracked and monitored, be creative without being constrained by social norms, learn outside of a narrowing education system, which fosters competition, and live without being restricted by unnecessary barriers and borders. 

We have already had our first event, where we discussed the impact of the Scottish referendum result, and we plan to open on Sunday September 28th for our first weekly café day.

We hope you can join us, we invite people to help make this space live up to its potential and be a resource for the community to share in the struggle for justice.

Newport Action Centre crew.

newportactioncentre@riseup.net

Press release from Antagonistic Collective Against Boredom (ACAB):

In the early hours of Sunday morning, we entered and occupied Canton Police Station. We did not ask for permission, as it is our legal right to do so. Given Cardiff Police abandoned the building over a year ago, kindly leaving twelve different open windows for us to choose our entrance from, permission seemed a bit of a formality anyway.

We squat because we believe that corporations and landlords have no right to hold property empty for their own profit while people less lucky are homeless, that people should not have to sell their freedom to employers or jump through government hoops to put a roof over their heads, and that the police should not be allowed to act as hired muscle for the rich and powerful, consistently ignoring, abusing and outright breaking the law to maintain the interests of the ruling classes.

We are squatting here to show our disgust at the way the police use their power to oppress others for their own ends. Since the murder of Lynette White shone a light on the corruption of Cardiff Police, the people of Cardiff have seen for themselves that the police don’t protect the public only themselves: while innocent people lost years of their lives in prison, the three cops who set them up – to protect the real murderer – walked free, pardoned by the IPCC in a move that made it clear just who the police care about. We squat here to show Cardiff Police not everyone is afraid.

To have a home is a basic right, not a commodity to be exploited as a resource by landlords for money and by the state to keep us in our place. Taking the building we act as individuals in a community we have made for ourselves, showing our defiance of the culture of fear the police maintain, and our will to resist oppression and support ourselves and on another.

Translations: Greek | French

We take this opportunity to clarify our position regarding the occupation of the Bute Dock Hotel, which saw two days of successfully resisting eviction in Cardiff, see report here.

Our choice to squat the Bute Dock Hotel, which inter-connects with the largest estate agents in Cardiff, Keylet, was no coincidence – it was carefully chosen. After receiving advice regarding the unique nature of the legal situation, we carefully schemed a plan. This involved confronting Keylet with news of our occupation on the morning of Tuesday 20th November, with delegates from our welcoming committee.

Our intention was to disrupt their business, due to the inconvenience and embarrassment of having their executive offices connected to a squatted social project. To discover they had been storing their ‘personal belongings’ in the hotel was to us, an added bonus. They had a wealth of chairs, storage units, marketing literature, as well as a Christmas tree and popcorn makers we promptly made use of. We had unintentionally taken their tat hostage, and it felt empowering. While people are routinely evicted from their homes and experience difficulty in retrieving their belongings, to have the chairman of the Association of Letting and Management Agents pleading with us to respect and return his belongings was all too ironic.

To give context to who we are dealing with, the executive director of Keylet, Peter Vidler, is a director in twelve different letting and investment companies, including; Cardiff Bay Investment Ltd, Cardiff Property Lettings Ltd and Luxury Lets Ltd. In 2004, he was successfully prosecuted for trying to bully an employee into having an abortion, financially considering her pregnancy as a worst nightmare. She suffered verbal abuse and was repeatedly blamed for computer problems, causing her to contemplate ‘ending it all’, while Mr Vidler attempted to justify his actions publicly.

As a collective fighting against austerity, we feel it should be obvious as to why we targeted an estate agents. They are infamous for keeping buildings empty for their own financial gain, while people are living on the streets, unable to access secure housing. With ever increasing homelessness and the recent criminalisation of squatting residential properties, these property racketeers deserve more than ever to be held accountable, along with the state and their hired thugs. Furthermore, what followed after delivering the news of our occupation is a perfect example of the violence utilized to uphold and reinforce the value of property over people. Hiring heavies and gangs to protect property is second nature to these scumbags.

To elaborate, we wish to re-iterate what the Gremlins expressed in their video communiqué last month:

“The State’s ‘solutions’ to the problem of homelessness are degrading, dehumanising and nothing more than a quick fix. The process is riddled with long waiting lists, poor living standards and often only worsens people’s well being. Countless buildings are left disused and unoccupied, whilst landlords and speculators profit at the expense of the people. The idea that it is a criminal offense to claim a roof over your head on a cold night is offensive and ridiculous.”

Our initial aims were to reclaim this unoccupied space to re-open it for the use of the community, by opening a squatter’s estate agents ‘freelet’, hosting regular café nights, films, talks, discussions, workshops, and much more. It’s naturally disappointing papers have been served for a court date within a week, but also not unexpected. Instead we are using this opportunity to host a few events, express our solidarity with those we identify with and deserve our support, and to call for further  resistance.

Strength and solidarity to anarchist prisoner Kostas Gournas, currently being tried for his participation in the armed group Revolutionary Struggle in Greece, and those accused in the same case. Our thoughts are also with Nikos Maziotis and Pola Roupa who remain at large – stay free comrades!

Solidarity and strength with all those fighting for their lives – from austerity riots in Europe, uprisings in the Middle East, insurrections in Latin America, to clashes everywhere in between.

To all the Bristol rebels plotting their next move, Brighton squatters fighting for homes, and London crew, whatever you’re up to…let’s go on the offensive already??

Bute Dock Squatters

From Gremlin Alley Social Centre:

We the gremlins are squatting at Gremlin Alley, City Road, Cardiff; formally known as Spin Bowling Alley and the Giety Cinema and bingo hall.

Yesterday we successfully resisted an eviction from bayliffs and harrassment from police who attended for most of the day from 10AM. Banners including “We are resisting eviction: Fuck the fucking fuckers”, “Solidarity with Alex Haigh, imprisoned for 3 months for being homeless”, amongst others being displayed. Anarchists, DPAC, activists, travellers, local artists, plain-clothes cops and the public supported outside. We received donations from small businesses; after police left around 3:30PM, we put up black flags and more banners and continued our party on the roof. Anti-cop music was played from supporters opposite followed by a local band ‘Inconsiderate Parking‘ who played for hours with people dancing in the street in the day.

As we go into the weekend we are strengthening and re-inforcing existing security, with 24/7 surviellence. We welcome visitors, people to join us and continued support. Message facebook with a contact, email (welcometogremlinalley [at] riseup [dot] net), or if needed, phone Eviction Resistance on 07591415860 with your contact details as we sort out a collective phone. Updates on our website to come, including videos.

Solidarity with comrade Alex Haigh, fellow squatters and the Cuts Cafe crew in London who were evicted by TSG last night.

Fuck the bayliffs,
Fuck the cops,
Fuck the state,
Fuck section 5

Love and rage,

– The Gremlins

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