Home is where the squat is

by Karunya Keshav

The London squatter is probably living in a millionaire’s mansion with an enviable view of Hyde Park, while running film and art workshops, and getting ready for the National Squatters Meet later this month.

He or she is part of a movement for autonomous spaces and is likely to take a vociferous stand against capitalism and the establishment. All over a cuppa tea of course.

In London (and indeed in most of Europe), squatting isn’t the desperate refuge of the latest victim of the financial crisis. It often is a lifestyle choice that’s taken Very Seriously.

To all of us living on the straight and narrow path in society, it would probably come as a surprise to see how organised the squatters are.

Squat help

The Squatter’s Handbook provides detailed guidelines of the technicalities of squatting, and informs of the squatter’s rights. The book, now in it’s 12th edition, is a sell-out and hard to come by.

The Advisory Service for Squatters, which came out with the Handbook, has been offering a daily advice service for squatters and the homeless since 1975.

Internet forums are active places to swap squat stories, look for squat-mates and suggest ‘empties’ for others to move into.

"I'm rubbish at lock picking and i dont want to damage anything, could I just take the locks off with a screw driver?" asks 'flossy' on one popular forum.

Besides, there are the practical workshops for help on how to enter unused buildings without breaking the law. Tucked away in the side streets of Elephant and Castle, the 56a Infoshop is the chosen venue for these bimonthly meetings.

This anarchist bookshop and social centre is a wealth of information about activism and alternate lifestyles, and also has a DIY cycle repair shop that many of its regulars use.

In London, squatting is not illegal. As long as squatters don’t break into the property, and never leave the property unoccupied, the police cannot use force to evict them.