Illegal squat eviction on Pritchard St, residents move next door!

bristol | community | news report Sunday May 06, 2012 17:06 by squ@tter

After heavies broke down the door at 4 Pritchard St, St Pauls (opposite Cabot Circus) this afternoon, squatters resited barricading themselves in an upstairs room for over half an over. People turned up to show support and there was a brief attempt to re-occupy but heavies began assualting people to remove them from the building, as cops were breaking down doors upstairs. More cops were then called who arrived in numbers with a crowbar to aid the illegal eviction.

Once the remaining squatters were evicted, and police largely left leaving only two to talk to the heavies inside number 4, people began moving their belongings into next door, number 5, which had also been recently squatted. One of the remaining cops attempted to get to the door, but people blocked his ability to do so reminding him that Section 6 prevented him legally from even stepping on the doorstep without premission from the occupiers - much to his dissapointment!

Within a few minutes both the cops left, not bothering to call for back up as squatters celebrated on the roof and continued to further secure the building. End result of the illegal eviction? Strangely overwhelmingly positive!