Occupy UK converges on London

[alp227]

Source: The Observer

The Occupy movement continued to acquire momentum on Saturday as protesters from camps across the country converged in London to begin shaping a national campaign.

The supporters – from more than 10 Occupy sites, including Plymouth, the Isle of Wight and Edinburgh – gathered as the campaign opened an empty office building owned by the Swiss bank UBS as a venue for discussions, after taking control of it on Friday. Christened the "Bank of Ideas", the vast complex on the periphery of the City is the third London site to be occupied, following encampments at St Paul's Cathedral and Finsbury Square. Organisers said that more sites would follow as the movement grew.

The fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, 70, became the latest high-profile supporter to address protesters on Saturday, on the steps of St Paul's. She said that the global financial crisis was intrinsically linked to the world's ecological travails, and called for people to embrace culture as a means to help wean them "off the drug of consumerism".

Her appearance followed a speech from Alessio Rastani, an independent financial trader, who has warned that "the savings of millions of people are going to vanish" and that investment banks had become more powerful than governments. His warnings were followed by an address from Nicholas Shaxson, the author of Treasure Islands, an investigation into tax havens and offshore banking networks. Occupy's critique of the financial system and its calls for a fairer replacement will continue next week with speeches at the TUC Conference Hall in central London, a sign that unions may be starting to form official alliances with the movement.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/19/occupy-london-protesters-ideas-bank

[Ghost Dog]

1. Squatting selected vacant office buildings is an excellent method to employ

especially where local law won't be too provoked by it.

Eg. In England & Wales:

> home - action - squat

NOTES FOR NEW SQUATTERS

Despite the introduction of the Criminal Justice Act, squatting is still legal in England and Wales. (See footnote for Scottish law).

Squatting means occupying empty buildings. Normally, it means homeless people finding somewhere to live, for a while at least, but what people do with the space they occupy is up to them. The following is a very basic guide. For more information or if you have any problems contact the Advisory Service for Squatters (ASS). Check our website www.squatter.ork.uk for details.

SQUATTING IS STILL LEGAL

In England and Wales squatting is not a crime (See footnote for Scottish law), though there are some issues that could crop up, dealt with below. Squatting is a civil matter to be resolved in the civil courts between the squatters and the owners. The owners have legal ways and procedures to have squatters evicted and cannot legally use force or threats. Section 6 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 makes it an offence to force entry to a building which is occupied, and this includes squats. Most squatters have on display or available a copy of the Legal Warning explaining this law and their rights. You can get one from ASS.

/more... http://www.urban75.com/Action/squat.html

The law's similar here in Spain and in many other European countrie. Depends on (slow) Civil Courts.

What's the situation in the States?

[defendandprotect]

2. k/r

[Remember Me]

3. k&r