The scene this morning in Stokes Croft (Picture: jontangerine)
Following a fresh night of trouble in Stokes Croft, and as the eyes of the country were on the Royal Wedding, police in Bristol have moved in to raid a squat in Cheltenham Road.
More than a dozen police vans appeared outside the Telepathic Heights squat from about 9.30 this morning, and moved in in an attempt to evict the remaining squatters. A police helicopter monitored the scene from above.
Reports from the scene suggest three or four squatters were on the roof of the building, throwing roof tiles at the police camped out on the street below.
A statement from Avon and Somerset police said the action was in connection with the disturbances last night, when up to 400 people were forced from Cheltenham Road by police wearing riot gear.
“Police believe there is a direct connection between this property and the disorder, which saw more than 400 people clash with police, resulting in injuries on both sides,” the statement read. “A number of people have been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder.
“In light of recent events police have worked jointly with Bristol City Council to bring forward the eviction process around that property.
“The action has been taken as part of our aim to help the wider community return to peace and normality as quickly as possible following the disruption caused by the disorder, and also part of our commitment to identify and arrest those suspected of being involved in the recent disturbances.”
If you are homeless and have tried all the accepted ways of getting a home, don't be afraid to take matters into your own hands instead of letting the system grind you down. Everyone has the right to a home. If others can squat, so can you. Take control of your own life instead of being pushed around by bureaucrats and property owners who are more concerned with money and status than the quality of people's lives or their happiness
down with authority
As a resident I say let Tesco Express open, if we don't want to support Tesco we don't go there. We definitely don't want these thugs breaking up our streets, getting innocent people hurt, giving the place a bad reputation and driving up the costs of all Bristolians. I agree with the local resident commenting above in saying that I, also, think the police have a very difficult job to do and are only trying to keep peace. Yes, it was a bad time to choose to evict the squatters, but if they had just heard that someone was on the top of a building with what looked like incendery devices, then what choice did they have? I don't like to think of the injuries that may have occurred if a bomb had gone off at a building in that area.
Whose streets? Our streets.
The people of Bristol currently own the 'Telepathic Heights' building – since the council compulsory purchased it. Bristol City Council had a good relationship with the squatters over the past year, who had agreed to leave peacefully last week – most of them stuck to their word on this.
ddd and others, who cares if the squat was 'anti-tesco' or not, the council are selling it so it will be renovated and rented out/ sold – and the income made will be used by our council for the people of Bristol.
OK I would personally prefer the council developed it themselves as social housing, but that is not on the cards; squatting is fine as long as the building is not being used and the appearance of the squat itself is not 'bringing down the area'
I have family members in the police force (none who were violent towards protesters/rioters I may add – my whole family are firm believers in PEACEFUL protests), and they have had a lot of problems with some squatters in TH – a lot of criminal activity goes on there. This is not to say that all squatters there are criminals though. So don't think your statement that 'Bristol City Council had a good relationship with the squatters over the past year' is true, unfortunately.
As far as the council getting on with the squatters – that was what the council property services representative said in a public meeting last week. Its not all that straightforward, because the people who have been at TH the last few days are not necessarily those same inhabitants that the council had been in constructive talks with over the past few months who had agreed to leave already. As other news reports have said, many of the inhabitants had already left the property before the eviction date.
So will the building return to being a derelict hang out for crack heads with a bad shop lifting habit? If the council don't see to it that this building gets put to good use then it should get squatted. While the community try and sort out Stokes Croft it feels like the police just want to kick it back to the 1980's.
The authorities are reaping the reward of their policy of not policing Stokes Croft. These squatters should have been arrested long ago along with all the other criminals and drug dealers in this area. I hope this is a sign of better times ahead and all the other squats in the area are shut down.
These squatters should have been arrested long ago…
It seems to have escaped your notice that squatting is a civil matter, not a criminal one.
brazen police brutality.
How was that brazen police brutality. The thugs like you started it. And now thugs are being arrested left right and center. Most of them are well known yobs with asbos and criminals. Some will go down for attempt murder, throwing concreate at people is a disgrace.
Hang the lot of them i say
they are squaters, they are not meant to be there..end of
seeing how the squatters aren't anything to do with the say no to tesco campaign i cannot see why they choose now to raid the squat….. obviously using the riot as an excuse, and turning up early whilst everyone else is admittedly still hungover from last nights ruckus, but there is still a large crowd gathering which will only get bigger. will only take a spark to give the police another excuse to charge us with horses.