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Bank of Ideas this Friday – launch of ‘Save our Shelter’ Exhibition

 

As the Bank of Ideas prepares to return to the High Court on Monday 19 December, having been granted an appeal to get UBS’ injunction discharged, this Friday sees it launch the ‘Save our Shelter’ Exhibition – an extensive mixed media exhibition on the history of squatting, giving the inside story, countering much of the recent media representation.

Supporter of the Bank of Ideas, Philip Hill, commented on the legal appeal: “There is important dialogue and discussion taking place every day at Bank of Ideas about the type of society we want to create. Our new Save our Shelter exhibition is very much part of this dialogue and it’s fantastic that the judge has allowed this important community project to continue – each extra day we’re given to raise awareness of how our communities are being destabilised is a victory.”

Public opening: 12 midday Friday 16 December

The Save our Shelter exhibition at the Bank of Ideas – Bank of Ideas – a “public repossession” of an abandoned UBS-owned office complex at 19-21 Sun Street in the London Borough of Hackney – will be an important intervention in a critical political debate that has seen the government ignoring responses to its own consultation – ‘Options for Dealing with Squatters’ – where 96% of responses from across society argued against taking any action on squatting.

The Government has since voted through an amendment to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, to make squatting in residential buildings a criminal offence, with up to 51 weeks imprisonment. The House of Lords is due to discuss and vote on this legislation soon that will criminalise homeless people taking shelter.  This proposed change in law has been opposed by Law Society, judges and police.

Phillip added: “When there are more than one million empty homes across the UK, of which 350,000 have been empty long term, it is staggering that this government is attempting to push through legislation that will criminalise homeless people. This is made even worse when it is taken into account that there are currently more than 2 million families in need of a home.”

For more information see http://www.bankofideas.org.uk / squashcampaign.org / squattershousingactiongroup.wordpress.com

 

One Response to “Bank of Ideas this Friday – launch of ‘Save our Shelter’ Exhibition”

  1. I thought they can’t afford the money to keep too many people in prisons? I thought we are borrowing money from the Chinese and the Arabs to pay to keep our prison open?

    The homeless people is not going to care about going to prison for up to 51 weeks or not. As a preventative measure? No, I don’t think that will work either. The prison will provide a roof over their heads, freshly prapared food on time, 3 times a day,

     

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