OCCUPY THE FOREST
a new leaf
In Edinburgh a disused space, formerly used by the Forest Café, has been occupied by a group of optimistic young activists. Who are the occupiers, what are their objectives, and how long are they going to be there? David Pollock finds out
‘I used to come to the Forest a lot,’ says one of the occupiers, a mental health charity worker in her twenties. She isn’t – nor is anyone else involved – a spokesperson for the group, only offering her own opinions. ‘On the day of the strikes I heard it had been occupied, so I came along straight from the march. I saw it as an opportunity to reclaim something which had been taken away from the community.’
‘YOU ARE NOW ENTERING AN AUTONOMOUS ZONE’
logistical and legal advice. So, what is it the People’s Café is trying to achieve? One aim seems to be to challenge the fact there are no squatter’s rights in Scotland. ‘Based on my limited legal understanding,’ says the charity worker, ‘there are no trespass laws in Scotland, but there are against burglary. So breaking into the building would have been a crime, but because it was open when we entered, none of us are committing a crime by being here.’ She says she had expected them to be ejected very quickly, but that the police appear uncertain about the legal footing and have so far left them alone. Instead, the owners have instigated civil proceedings.
‘We’re here partly to protect the building and to keep it in good repair,’ says Christopher, a systems analyst, who says that the legal petition raised by PWC is the first of its kind in Scotland. ‘Personally I see [the People’s Café] as a pillar where the charities and community projects of Edinburgh can make presentations, have gigs with talking time or large conversations – where they can make a connection with people in the city centre who have a high disposable income to spend on luxury items.’ It’s an ambitious hope, but he gives the example of a hypothetical community group in Broomhouse looking for three hundred pounds for a projector for local film screenings and weighs it against the millions spent in the city’s clubs and bars every week. ‘You could literally fund all of these community projects for a year with half of what’s spent on one Friday night. And I just want people to believe in their own power to manipulate society.’
The young charity worker would also like to use this space as a centre for marginalised groups, for homeless people or those in fuel poverty to meet up, for example, and there have already been workshops and radical film screenings here. Against such altruistic designs, though, there also seems to be an undercurrent amongst the old Forest heads that another party of the sort the venue was famous for would be the ideal attention raiser. ‘I’m less interested in reclaiming this place in the name of the Forest,’ says the charity worker, ‘as I am in highlighting the fact we’re losing our community spaces all the time. This opportunity isn’t about putting on exciting, arty things, the value of it is that we can provide for people.’ ‘The thing about the Occupy movement,’ says Christopher, ‘is that it’s slowly becoming a stationary part of culture. If this building ceases to become available as a hub, I’ll use my house if I have to.’ The People’s Café’s doors might be locked again by the time you read this, but at least it made one final point before it went.
peoplescafe.noflag.org.uk
A mong the colourful handwritten signs plastering what used to be the Total Kunst gallery’s storefront window, one stands out. ‘Opening soon under new management,’ it boldly declares. Further along, the red door of what used to be Edinburgh’s most diverse alternative community space hangs open, secured by a piece of rope. Across this door and within the lobby area, more handwritten signs advise visitors what is expected of them.
Strictly no drugs or alcohol are permitted. The ‘Safer Spaces’ policy tacitly forbids aggression, discrimination or ‘any behaviour that demeans, marginalises [or] dominates.’ One prominent notice tells us we are now entering ‘an evolving space’ and ‘an autonomous zone,’ advising, ‘if you see something that needs doing, feel free to do it yourself.’
It had to happen: the Forest Café has been occupied. Closed down at the end of August by Price Waterhouse Cooper, the administrators of the bankrupt Edinburgh University Settlement, the much-loved building has stood derelict ever since, a sad monument to the dearth of truly counter- cultural community space there is in Edinburgh. Until, that is, the 30th of November.
On The List’s first visit to what has now been rechristened the People’s Café it’s busy with a diverse array of people, many chopping vegetables for a communal dinner. We’re invited back to attend a General Assembly later in the week, a loose but democratic affair attended by roughly twenty people. Points are put forward and people raise their hands before making a response, with some issues subjected to a ‘go-round’ (everyone in the circle responds with their opinion one after another) or a ‘temperature check’ (flat, raised palms are shaken in agreement). The issues discussed range from maintenance and safety – the fire brigade have already installed alarms – to whether or not it’s discriminatory to forbid the cooking of meat in the kitchen. Those involved are young and generally well-informed; activists, students and people in work, with a broad sweep of European accents. Although the occupation seems to be a campaign focused on the status of this particular building and isn’t officially affiliated with the Occupy movement, a couple of those here are clearly part of Occupy Edinburgh and one is a regular at the St. Paul’s camp in London. Each offers
20 THE LIST 15 Dec 2011–5 Jan 2012