News Shorts & Other Busyness

Crescent Evicted

Squall 8, Autumn 1994, pg. 7.

PARK Crescent in Stoke Newington, London was finally evicted on August 24th, making over 40 people homeless.

Home to the running of the Hackney Homeless Peoples’ Festival, the listed Victorian building contains 37 flats. It has been bought by New Islington and Hackney Housing Association who plan to renovate and build new houses on the site behind it. One ex-resident told SQUALL that NIHHA were not interested in coming to any arrangement with the squatters, despite having no immediate plans to start work on the flats. Michelle, who has a five year old son said: "God knows where we're going to stay tonight."

The building had been squatted for over 12 years. Most of the squatters left before the eviction but Hackney Council, the police and Scorpion Security were clearly expecting a fight and arrived in large numbers. Injunctions served on the ‘Hackney 7’ (see 'Hackney'ed Hypocrisy', page 22) banning them from certain buildings in Hackney included the Crescent.

Squatters described the operation as “a complete overreaction”. There is now an eight foot fence surrounding the building with 24 hour security and dogs protecting it. (See Letters, Page 53.)