Report from Reclaim The Future 4

Europe | Insurrection | Social Centres / Free Spaces | Benefits / Events

This is a personal reflection on what hapened, mixed in with some reports collected fom eye-witnesses and participants.

Saturday 31 March 2007

There seems to be someone at Holloway Road police station who has it in for anarchists. Our most recent difficulties with the local pigs started when they blocked access to the RTF4 party just as it was starting.

RTF4 was going to be the biggest 'Reclaim The Future' yet, with 3 major rooms of live music, cabaret, comedy, DJs of all flavours.

Planned over 5 months by a random collective of sound systems, squatters, anarchists and activists, the all-day event was intended to feature practical workshops and discussions all day, followed by an all-night benefit party, all taking place in a welcoming, self-managed squatted space

The day began with frantic last-minute deliveries of sound equipment, food and the setting up of the info-stalls. The recently squatted building, formerly a taxi showroom and repairs workshop, boasted a large foyer area for the cafe, bar and info-stalls.

Four large rooms adjoined, where as the day passed the stages were finished, sound systems installed and tested. An air of expectation began to bite. Jesus, the toilets were working too.

The address had been kept under wraps until around midday, when it was uploaded to various web sites, put on the mobile info-line and sent out by email. People began arriving soon after, the usual suspects, the unusual suspects, kids and dogs filling up the space.

The food from 56A info shop was up to its usual high standards and a series of workshops - ok, frequently delayed and re-located, took place on a wide range of topics, from discussing the Basra Oil Union to the principles of portable 12 volt sound systems.

Money raised from the event was going to be used to fund direct action throughout the year and beyond, setting up infrastructure for major actions such as the forthcoming G8 in Germany in June and for the actions against the arms trade in September.

It was looking good. Unfortunately, around the time the location went live, the first serious visit of Holloway pigs began, a few patrol cars lurking in the street outside. They brought along CCTV van with two extendible camera poles on top. They were not happy for some reason.

The cops didn't want the event to take place, this much was clear. They called in the fire brigade saftey officers to inspect the building, hoping that they would refuse to give us the all-clear.

The fire people told us the cops were pressuring them to ban the event, but they were themselves only interested in our saftey, which was nice of them. Two hours of inspections, discussions and alterations followed as the building was reconfigured to the satisfasction of the fire brigade.

When the cops found out that the fire safety people had passed us to continue for the night, the cops decided they would have to go to Plan B to stop us going ahead. Which was to start a fight.

Fast forward a few hours, and with the building now re-jigged, stages moved, fire exits opened and our dedicated security team from Antifa arriving, the cabaret, bands and DJs started working their RTF magic.

Walking along Holloway Road, you could see large groups of people, from young party people to crusties with obligatory dogs-on-string, from stumbling cider punks to curious tourists, all making their way towards what was promising to be a very special event.

After midnight, the cops decided they had fuck things up as the venue was filling up fast. Several van-loads of soft-top uniform arrived and blocked the entrance gate. Our security people made sure it was secured against them.

The cops now had a situation where they had their backs to the gate while they faced maybe three hundred frustrated would-be party-goers. Add to this heady mix people and equipment from arriving bands, DJs clutching their precious record bags and local people.

Many in the crowd pointed out that the cops were acting unreasonably - some emphasised their displeasure by throwing bottles at them. In a variation of Critical Mass, some bikes were chucked at the pigs too.

One bright spark had the marvellous idea of emptying a litre of flat beer of the senior pig's head. He was drenched and visibly upset. Comediands in the crowd suggested that the senior pig smelled strongly of alcohol and shouldn't be on duty.

More bottles, cans (some lamentably full), sticks and stones kept the cops jumpy, and they soon got their batons out and started trying to calm the situation by hitting people around the head.

Soon, the TSG riot cops arrived and cleared people from outside the gate, blocking off Holloway Road and Highbury Corner and other local roads. Traffic chaos ensued. General chaos ensued. But inside, the benefit party rumbled on as best as possible, though no more people could enter.

A crack commando unit managed to cross several roofs, jump through various other gardens and buildings before making it into the party around 4am. They were the lucky ones. The confrontation outside continued as more and more TSG arrived and it became clear that no-one else would be getting in that night.

A Noise Abatement Order was made by the local council and so the decision was taken to wind things down and pull out around 6am before the cops could seize the equipment.

So, once again Holloway Road police took a perfectly peaceful night out and created civil disorder on the streets. Several people were injured and at least 3 were arrested.

The annual London Anachist Bookfair will take place further up Holloway Road in October. Maybe we'll have a chance to experience local plod's incompetent crowd control yet again.

More reports and photos about RTF 4 will follow on this site, or check out Indymedia.org.uk.

RTF 4 articles on Indymedia:

Bookfair 2006:

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