Forward Union
18th June 2007, 15:47
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// Common Ground Community Garden Eviction Resistance!
// FUCK THE EVICTION, SAVE THE GARDEN!
// WEDNESDAY 20TH JUNE
// Meet at 9.30am, in Common Ground Garden, through the alleyway next to the
Womens Information Centre, at the bottom of Silver Street, Reading.
************************************************** ***
They left the land to rot, covered in trash and needles. They hope the
buildings will fall down, so they can justify flogging to the highest
bidder. They hope to see more unnafordable prison-block apartments. Reading
Borough Council call it development, regeneration. We call it
gentrification, exclusion. Just profit and power.
The land is ours. We occupied it, we cleared it, we worked it and we made it
bloom. We recycled and re-used, and on our squatted land we created
sanctuary from the rampant capitalism of Reading. Our friends, family and
neighbours chipped in, and through direct-action and self-organisation, we
created a community garden in our neighbourhood, Katesgrove. The land is
ours? Well, not exactly. The land is nobody's, because it is everybody's.
And so we called it Common Ground.
On 19th May, we opened the garden to the public. We invited our friends,
families and neighbours. Embarassed and scared, the Council tried to stop
us. Their court gave them an injunction against us, making it illegal to
open the garden. So, we informed our community and re-invited em. Fuck the
injunction! 200 people came and enjoyed the garden that day, laughing at the
Council and meeting others people who think the same things they do. Even
the media told the truth about us.
Then the Council got their injunction extended. They told us it was illegal
to open our garden at all and they want 'their' land back. They dont
understand, it has never been theirs, they were just looking after it for
us. And since they don't do a very good job, we've found a better use for
it. For ourselves, our neighbours and local workers, for young and old, the
garden is open everyday. So, now they say they will take it back by force,
and demolish our garden and give it to the rich. Their courts have given
them the law, and their thugs will evict us on Wednesday morning - if they
can...
For us, existance is resistance - and Common Ground Community Garden exists.
Our self-organisation and direct-action exists. On Wednesday and forever,
our resistance exists. Demonstrate, barricade, blockade, occupy - we will
resist in different ways, because 'we' is made of different people, and now
hopefully will include one more - you.
In Love n Rage,
Gerrard Winstanley.
[email protected]
// Common Ground Community Garden Eviction Resistance!
// FUCK THE EVICTION, SAVE THE GARDEN!
// WEDNESDAY 20TH JUNE
// Meet at 9.30am, in Common Ground Garden, through the alleyway next to the
Womens Information Centre, at the bottom of Silver Street, Reading.
************************************************** ***
They left the land to rot, covered in trash and needles. They hope the
buildings will fall down, so they can justify flogging to the highest
bidder. They hope to see more unnafordable prison-block apartments. Reading
Borough Council call it development, regeneration. We call it
gentrification, exclusion. Just profit and power.
The land is ours. We occupied it, we cleared it, we worked it and we made it
bloom. We recycled and re-used, and on our squatted land we created
sanctuary from the rampant capitalism of Reading. Our friends, family and
neighbours chipped in, and through direct-action and self-organisation, we
created a community garden in our neighbourhood, Katesgrove. The land is
ours? Well, not exactly. The land is nobody's, because it is everybody's.
And so we called it Common Ground.
On 19th May, we opened the garden to the public. We invited our friends,
families and neighbours. Embarassed and scared, the Council tried to stop
us. Their court gave them an injunction against us, making it illegal to
open the garden. So, we informed our community and re-invited em. Fuck the
injunction! 200 people came and enjoyed the garden that day, laughing at the
Council and meeting others people who think the same things they do. Even
the media told the truth about us.
Then the Council got their injunction extended. They told us it was illegal
to open our garden at all and they want 'their' land back. They dont
understand, it has never been theirs, they were just looking after it for
us. And since they don't do a very good job, we've found a better use for
it. For ourselves, our neighbours and local workers, for young and old, the
garden is open everyday. So, now they say they will take it back by force,
and demolish our garden and give it to the rich. Their courts have given
them the law, and their thugs will evict us on Wednesday morning - if they
can...
For us, existance is resistance - and Common Ground Community Garden exists.
Our self-organisation and direct-action exists. On Wednesday and forever,
our resistance exists. Demonstrate, barricade, blockade, occupy - we will
resist in different ways, because 'we' is made of different people, and now
hopefully will include one more - you.
In Love n Rage,
Gerrard Winstanley.
[email protected]