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Squatters take on hotel chain over bar with its own Banksy
Mark Blunden30 Jun 2010
Squatters are preparing for a stand-off with bailiffs and police over plans to turn an east London bar and arts venue into a designer hotel.
Up to 50 people have barricaded themselves inside The Foundry in Shoreditch, which features a six-metre-high Banksy mural of a rat with a knife and fork on one of the walls.
Park Plaza hotels plans to demolish the building and build an 18-storey, 350-room hotel and retail complex within an aluminium-clad cylindrical building, to be called an “art'otel”. Banksy's work will be preserved.
The squatters, who moved in two weeks ago to protest at the gentrification of the area, are a collective, known as 84 Great Eastern Street. They were issued with a court order last week
telling them to leave.
One of the squatters, 24, said: “We've secured the building. There are people outside now keeping a constant vigil and we want people to come down to help us protest.”
The group's spokesman said: “Shoreditch used to be completely different and The Foundry was the centre of everything. There's a Banksy on the back wall and now guests will pay hundreds of pounds to be the only ones to stare at it.”
The painting is one of the biggest created by the reclusive graffiti artist. There are seven art'otels in cities including Berlin and Budapest, each decorated by a famous artist, with the website explaining: “At art'otel, we bring the art gallery to you!”
Critics argue that the hotel, expected to cost more than £100 a night, is another blow to one of London's artistic centres, known for its gritty feel.
The squatters say they have turned the building into a “social space”, including a free café, open mic nights and jamming sessions, and last night hosted a film screening outside. A party on Friday drew 100 people and was broken up by police, but ended peacefully.
The Foundry, which closed last month, was a centre for fashion, design and music as well as alternative art. Pete Doherty used to host poetry nights and the band Hot Chip formed there. Tracey and Jonathan Moberly, who rented the building and opened the bar, are said to be seeking another venue.
Park Plaza said it was working with local community groups, after Hackney council agreed planning permission in February. The Foundry will become a “world-class hotel that will be a showcase for artists and bring jobs to Shoreditch”, the company said.
Reader views (12)
Anyone who wants to check out the legal realities for themselves will find out that what Alan says about the law on squatting is totally inaccurate and legal fiction, fed by gullibility and swallowing press lies. Squatting is occupation of genuinely empty property - ie, no one living there - no point in occupying while someone's on holiday as eviction is available within 24 hrs or less.
These arty squatters want it both ways - they're the type who helped gentrify the area, moving in when studio space was cheap in warehouses etc, now they've been priced out by the gentrification process the arty bohos started. A curse on the gentrifying rich and the arty farties who attract them - and on redneck ignoramuses who talk uninformed nonsense about squatting - when usually it's used by the homeless to house themselves.
- Bob the gob, Larndern, 02/07/2010 15:06
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The middle England reactionaries swipe away at things they do not understand. The Foundry wasn't a trendy art venue full of poncy art students. There are loads overpriced places like that in Shoreditch. It was a social and community hub. Like all pubs once where. Organic, scruffy but real. It wasn't about Pete Doherty or Banksy. The squatters recongnise this. This development is all about money and will do nothing for local people living there.
- Junior, Hackney, England, 01/07/2010 11:21
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Alan,
I believe the Tories changed the law on squatting as part of the criminal justice act in the 90's, squatters can now be evicted with 24 hours notice. Perhaps Labour changed the law back again?
- Bob, Cheam, 01/07/2010 10:57
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The only people who oppose the Hotel are the Squatters. There has been a full process and the Council and local residents fully support the Hotel. These squatters are ignoring the legal process and now illegally occuppying the builders are being a menace to the local community..! At the moment the only people using this 'Arts Space' are toe squatters friends. No one in their right mind will enter the building in the state it is in...
- Joel, Shoreditch, London, 01/07/2010 08:38
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Strange - 20 years ago none of this lot would have dreamt of drinking in Hoxton or Shoreditch as it was much too dangerous. In recent years the Foundary has been a tip frequented by cycle couriers, the majority of which seem to be complete strangers to soap and water.
- BJ, East London, 30/06/2010 16:46
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Poseurs.
Little mummy's boys.
- Nora Kane, London, 30/06/2010 16:24
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i know a lot of old east end people, they're decent hard working people, how are these wasters preserving their east end legacy. They're just selfish, masquerading as some kind of saviours
- George, London, 30/06/2010 13:41
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The simplest solution here is to chain the doors and send in the bulldozers.
Goodbye over-rated Banksy tut, a rundown eyesore, and some unwashed vermin; hello to swanky new hotel and more jobs.
- Wispy Wonder, London, 30/06/2010 13:32
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what's the betting none of the squatters was born in the eastend. A bunch of self interested arty types wanting to preserve the venue they made money from. The eastend is changing the poor being driven out but these art school ponces are not protesting that, get the them out by force and soon.
- joe, Stepney, 30/06/2010 13:27
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................"Pete Doherty used to host poetry nights"..............
Is hosting one in there now ?...
If so, could the RAF send 3 Harrier jets down there immediatly & drop 3 or 4 Napalm bombs on it....please!
- Terry davis the"rewarding talent" guvnor, london east, 30/06/2010 12:44
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I suppose they had to go somewhere from Parliament square!
- bobby, berks, 30/06/2010 12:35
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WHY HAS NO GOVERNMENT CHANGED THE LAW ON SQUATTING. ANYONE CAN GO AWAY ON HOLIDAY AND RETURN TO FIND SOMEONE ELSE LIVING IN THEIR PROPERTY AND IT COULD TAKES YEARS TO GET THEM OUT. THEIR WAS EVEN A CASE OF A WOMAN LIVING IN A HOUSE WORTH MILLIONS WHO FOUND ON RETURNING FROM LUNCH THE FOREIGN BUILDERS HAD CHANGED THE LOCKS. YEARS AGO WHEN THERE WAS A LOT OF EMPTY SHOPS IN THE WEST END SQUATTERS USE TO SET UP MOCK AUCTIONS . WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES WHY IS GOVERNMENT SO LIMP?
- Alan., ENGLAND, 30/06/2010 12:22
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