Pictures of attack on Squat

by Felicity Ford - none Sat Jul 26, 2003 12:06 felixbadanimal at hotmail dot com 086 3000134

I am really interested in this story, especially in talking to the people who actually squatted the Disco Disco building.

It has been my suspicion for a long time, that long-term squatting would be an extremely difficult and dangerous pursuit in this country because of Police behaviour, and the kind of violence and battering of activists which is implicitly condoned (endorsed?) by a general public who put posts on Indymedia like the one above.

I think that it is quite hard to gain sympathy amongst the general public for the idea of Squatting, because everyone is brainwashed into thinking that they are supposed to accept not having any space in the city that is not colonised by Landlords, property owners, shopping precincts, roads and adverts. As well as people finding the whole Landlord/tenant thing too familiar (comfortable?) to question, there is also a massive fear of freedom. People complain about rent, but feel powerless to change it; as well as this, there are misconceptions about how much time and effort and work organising something like Disco Disco takes, and the fear of loosening control on urban spaces, which are, of course, heavily mediated environments. Until something like this happens...

I am interested in developing artistic/political strategies which confront the concept of free/controlled space within cities; I want to set up a Squatter's Estate Agent, which can function as a meeting point/information post relating to derelict properties, etc. this project would necessarily have to be undertaken collectively. Anyone want to play?

I have read everything about Disco Disco, especially your manifestoes, with great enthusiasm and interest, (The Situationists?) and would love to meet up at some point to talk about liberating space in the city and the mind.

Please feel free to contact me at the above email address.

by Collette Ferguson Mon Jul 21, 2003 00:42

What an absolute joke. These people need 2 stop giving their so called rights and mouths such a work out.It is truly disgusting that another persons private property was crimanally vandalised in such a manner.

Do these people not have jobs to go to? Do they not have a constructive activity to contribute to society? Obviously not. They are outsiders, using hard earned tax payers money to buy paints and protest banners for their useless banter.

I must get back to work, millions of protesters and squatters on welfare depend upon hard working, repectable citizens such as myself.

by Paul Moloney Tue Jul 15, 2003 18:17 paul_moloney at hotmail dot com

http://www.archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2159

There's a forum on Irish Architecture where I mentioned the occupation, and there's a few interesting comments about the illegality of keeping buildings derelict and also about how these building are protected.

P.

by Gaz - independent libertarian socialist Tue Jul 15, 2003 16:04

anyone that was there should apply to the garda complaints board if they believe the pigs were misusing their power, you can even make a complaint about garda discoutesy. Although its probably likely your complaint will end up in a bin or will be completely ignored. The Board deals with complaints that contain allegations of criminal offences and improper conduct. Improper conduct consists of:

Discourtesy
Neglect of duty
Falsehood or prevarication
Abuse of authority
Corrupt or improper practice
(thery're the ones that seem to apply from the reports)

Anyone over the age of 17 (or a solicitor acting on your behalf) can make a complaint to the Board, however, you must have either witnessed the incident in question or been directly affected by it. The parents or guardians of individuals under 17 can make complaints on their behalf.

If you wish to make a complaint about any member of An Garda Siochana, you may do this in several ways:

Put your complaint in writing to the Garda Siochana Complaints Board .

Call into the Garda Siochana Complaints Board at the address below and make your complaint in person. Opening hours are from 10:00a.m. - 12:30p.m. and from 2:30p.m. - 4:30p.m. Monday-Friday.

Call into any Garda Station in Ireland and request Form GSC1 - this is the official form on which you should outline the nature of your complaint. The completed form is then sent to the Garda Siochana Complaints Board.

Garda Siochana Complaints Board
Block 1
5th Floor
Irish Life Centre
Dublin 1
Tel: (01) 872 8666
Fax: (01) 874 6249

by *$* Tue Jul 15, 2003 13:16

a few barrels of piss on standby next time this experiment goes forward... will do wonders for these burly types armed with sledgehammers.

by Sos Tue Jul 15, 2003 09:59

There was a report on News talkfm earlier before the attacks and a man called Killean from the OSC was interviewed, there was a lot of support from callers and maybe if someone called news talk today even just to report and follow up what happened, I myself was not involved in the squat but know many people who were, an eye witness should maybe call up the radio stations, get the publicity o this, speak out, that was one of the aims of the squat in the first place. Well done to all of you and my sympathy to those who were injured. sos

by Seáinín Tue Jul 15, 2003 04:16

All this unpleasantness could have been avoided by NOT breaking and entering somebody's property in the first place.

I believe that something should be done about house prices but you lot deserve all your heads being banged, might knock some sense into ye.

Tony Martin RULES!!!!!!

by Acid Tue Jul 15, 2003 01:43

I arrived at the house around 2.45pm. I had brought water containers for the residence to use. I approached the house and noticed a passer by reading the statement attached to the door. I continued to wait on the pavement until the passer by had finished and walked off.
2.47.
I walked up to the door, with containers in hand, and tried to get the residences attention on the first floor. One of them looked out the window and told me to watch my back. I didnt understand them until they pointed across the road. I turned around and saw 3 men running towards me. One with a sledge hammer, another with a 3 foot crowbar, and the last with a 4 1/2 foot crowbar.
2.48.
An man in a blue shirt (mid-late 50's, 5'9, country accent, over-weight, bad breath) started to shout abuse towards me, and stated he owned the building. He ordered me to get off 'his' property. I took 2 steps back onto the pavement, well off 'his' property. He seemed fairly pissed as he knew he could do fuck all to me now. By this stage I noticed a fourth party member, standeing in from the railings, who has now become known as 'the architect'. (This man was approx, 6'1, mid'40's, had a blue shirt tucked into his blue jeans. He carried a clipboard and had a mobile attached to his belt.)
2.50.
After shouting at the residence up on the 1st floor, one of the men ( tanned, 5'8, severly over weight, late 20's, bad english, ) started to bang the door with his sledge hammer. (It is here that I will note that this man was the most agressive of the four and did not return later with the two older men. Quite possibly a 'rent-a-thug'.) The man in the white & brown squared shirt stood beside him.
The third man continued to shout abuse at me.
2.53.
I walked over to the left of the house, after having enough, and placed my containers on the ground. I opened my backpack, took out my camera, and walked back to the gate entrance. The man in the blue shirt had turned around to watch the other two make a small whole in the wooden panel at the entrance to the house.
I started to take pictures of the actions from the pavement. As soon as the men saw the camera, the man in the white & brown shirt came over to me, punced me in the face and pushed me back. I studered and turned around in a bit of shock. He walked back over and started to help the 'rent-a-thug' with his 4'1/2 crowbar.
2.55.
I continued to take photographs while being told that what I was doing was illegal by the man in the blue shirt. I assured him that as long as I was on public property, I had every right to take photographs.
2.57.
After the two men at the door made a head sized whole, I was advized by the residence up on the first floor to call the cops. I hesitated as I believe they would do fuck all to help the situation, but did so on a 4th request. A bottle of water was poored ontop of the men (but somehow missed!!) from above.
3.00.
Some of the residience that had left the house at 2.35, returned running after being alarmed by phone of what was going on. They began to talk to the men.

I'm pretty fucking tired now, and will continue this tomorow.

But just some facts.
I am not 100% sure which man was involved, but the whole was made and the men had stopped work on it. When people could be seen inside, the 4'1/2 crowbar was used to hit the people on the inside like a snooker pole, resulting in a resident being injured and hospitalized. The injury that occured was NOT accidental, and was fully intended.

The Gardai spoke to the men involved for about 10 minutes. The same men that had caused an injury, resulting in hospital teatment being required, made numerous lethal threats with their tools towards me, shouted abuse to practicly everyone opposing them, and also threatened to call a known terrorist group to help them. (IRA)
While this was happening, 2 people were arrested for doing nothing illegal, under the public order act. section 8. Sarcastic comments were made to anoyone else who tried to gather information.

It should also be made clear that the Gardai did not move when asked by people trying to get at the injured resident.

I am sure that the three men left, (not sure about 'the architect') knowning they would get into trouble if they stayed as things began to heat up.
They returned later to take down the banners, minus the apparent 'rent-a-thug'.
I make a personal statement, in saying that this man was most likely the man involved in the attack as he did not return, hoping to avoid trouble.

by Ailín Tue Jul 15, 2003 00:30

Last year there was a family of scumbags squating in a house on my road. There would be arguments every week and the neighbours would call the police who would refuse to help the landlord evict them because it was out of their jurisdiction. They were "evicted" by the neighbours and local republicans in the end. It seems if you are a big business man you will get help to evict peaceful occupiers in less than a day while the common man is on his own.

by Indymedia Kevin - IMC Éire Mon Jul 14, 2003 21:04

three eyewitnesses and two disco dancers give a rundown of what happened.
Five audio reports in MP3 format:

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/07/274215.html

by experienced Mon Jul 14, 2003 18:52

landlords return to their squats within 24 hours to board the windows, check the locks, remove the big wattage fuses and piss on the door.
often...
landlords collect cheap properties in areas such as London's Hackney, Brixton and Dublin's 01 area in groups.
sometimes...
they chose the same agents who collect the rent "meat for the dog" to assist in breaking the door down.
occasionally...
what goes around comes around.

by ipsi-history. Mon Jul 14, 2003 18:44

It is well known that Gardaí in Dublin and Ireland take part regularly in extra-official evictions. This is not part of their normal duty.
It constitutes an __illegal__ use of their uniform.

The Garda Code makes no provisions for assisting in eviction. Normally after a garda has taken part in such evictions at the invitation of his landlord pal, the evicted is "arrested"/"detained" and then released without charge.
why?
becuase no charge may be made.

So. if you are in rent arrears.
and a Garda comes to your door, claiming to be acting on a trespass complaint, you must ignore them. You are not obliged to comply with any unlawful direction from a Garda.
Just because a Garda tells you to do something doesn't mean he has a right.

It has long past time, that such abuse of Garda Power were investigated.

Is it consistent with law and order, that a landlord may evict with armed assistance trespassers or sqautters with the added presence of a "guard in uniform"?

Numerous complaints of intimidation of this nature have been made to all political parties of the left, and to the Gardaí themselves.

·we must pursue this·

(& next time, if no sitex door is available, borrow a few suitably bred dogs)
& always keep cameras and mobiles in operation.

If you pass through this type of extra-official eviction, no Garda will come to the scene of complaint again. And eviction is settled through civil law. But this requires braving the shit.


c/f
Ryan v. Macdiarmada 1994 44SCR dublin 8.
Ryan v. Doyle 1995 Harcourt St Dublin 2.

we have precedent.
we have right.

add your comments

by ? Mon Jul 14, 2003 18:31

one two and three?
it is possible he is a landlord of readers or reader's friends in the Dublin 1 area.
does anyone recognise him?
any more information?
contact details for interview?
telephone number/address/ fax/email/ education/RSI/local pub/ car registration/
etc....

by Chekov Mon Jul 14, 2003 18:27

A few more pics of the sorry events.