EVICTION OF THE BROADWAY SQUATS 16th May *Sydney Housing Action Collective Diary of Events* The date Wednesday 16th May 2001 has been given by South Sydney City Council to the residents of the Broadway squats to vacate the buildings. They were first squatted in February 2000, discovered in August and have resisted eviction since - from attempts to smash up the buildings, police>raids, and being taken to the land and environment court for 1.1 million dollar fines. Australand Walker the developer who has bought the site wants vacation despite litle evidence that it will actually be ready to develop the heritage site into luxury apartments. As residents prepare to vacate, SHAC invites you to a day of events, on May 16th and the week leading up to eviction as squatters continue to highlight the nature of government/corporate urban redevelopment in the city. Scroll down to read what's happening between now and the 16th May. MAY 16th All day: come around to the squats on the day of eviction and support the residents: graffiti the building, banner drop, tables of free or by donation household goods, mystery action against gentrification and more... PUBLIC FORUM: "The future of squatting: occupation movements and social centres against capitalism?" When: 6pm, 16th May 2001 Where: The Broadway Squats, 147-159 Broadway Against the backdrop of accelerated post Olympic urban redevelopment what future do radical social movements around squatting have as resistance? The development of cultural & political space which has developed through community initiatives in the squats, such as Squat space gallery, political film screenings, Recuisine Machine (free soup kitchen), Squat Info Shop, band nights and parties is testament to desires in our communities for autonomous spaces in which having no money doesnt mean you can't organise. *Speakers to be confirmed*discussion*refreshments* MAY 15th: tenative date to be confirmed *Press Conference:Launch of the caretaker lease policy* Where: Broadway Squats, laneway When: 11am , May 15th The press conference lauches a new policy which demonstrates a working precedent for the occupation of empty buildings by squatters. On Thursday 3rd May, South Sydney City Council resolved to sign the caretaker lease with Empty Spaces-Temporary Places Inc. as soon as the conditions of a development application (for change of use to residential use) over the properties are satisfied. The conditions will be satisfied and inspected by the 8 May. Despite pending eviction the first precedent caretaker lease will have been signed, and have been successful for a week signally a new model for dealing with self help housing. In a survey of homeless people conducted by Shelter over the Olympic period, about one-fifth of homeless people interviewed indicated they would be sleeping that night in a squat or a car. The reality is that people squat empty buildings in an attempt to solve their own housing needs. The question for Councils and Governments is whether this need for housing should be dealt with by the criminal law. While the campaign to resist the eviction has never sought to reform the criminal trespass laws, through the development of the caretaker lease precedent, and attempts to come to some agreed performance based satisfaction of building codes with Council, the campaign has sought to shift cultural responses to squatting, and highlight the situation of people in hosing need in Sydney. SHAC has been successfull in negotiating a caretakers lease policy wih the South Sydney City Council to develop responses other than harassment, criminalisation and eviction for squatters. MAY 14th *The last Recuisine Machine - squat cafe* where: Broadway squats, 147-159 Broadway when: 8pm Broadway aquatters have been holding recuisine machine since August last year as a free weekly dinner and a forum for people who are interested in squatting to meet others and network, show films, meet politically and socially. Come on down to the last one...dinner followed by short videos of local squatting actions from the 70's 80's and 90's for more info about squatting: >Check out the website of Sydney Housing Action Collective at >http://squat.net/shac or Contact us: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] MAY 10th FINAL ENORMOUS HOOLEY-BOOLEY AT SQUATSPACE Just before the wrecking ball starts to swing SQUATSPACE presents its final run of events. Show your support for the free, community-based, street-level art and event space by comin' along to: THE SQUATTERS' SHOWDOWN As this exhibition only begins six days before eviction, Artists and residents have been invited to showsomething that can be left behind. We set 'em up, the property developer pulls 'em down. Judging by the enormous range of skills and interests of the squatters and their supporters, this one should be a doozy. From boobytraps to barricades, from banners to bugga-ups. Our special guests for this final show are: SPONTANEOUS CONSTRUCTION: these deceptacons from Perth are our artists in residence for video and soundinterventions in and out of the gallery. The Squatters Showdown will be launched on MAY 10th from 6pm with: A REAL Bronx Cheer: NOIZE performances and installations in and around the Broadway Squats, featuring LOW-TACH-TAPE, SPONTANEOUS CONSTRUCTION, Tim Hilton and more. AND The Gurlesque Lesbian Strip Club Website launch and Party from 6pm to 11pm, see www.gurlesque.com or email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] AND The launch of SQUATSPACE's new 1900 events HOTLINE, which will keep you informed about our future guerrilla art activities. ART NEEDS NOT REAL-ESTATE! SQUATSPACE IS DEAD, LONG-LIVE SQUATSPACE! -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
