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Ken Clarke's London home targeted by squatters' rights protesters | Society | The Guardian

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September 15th 2011. Activists against moves to criminalise squatting served the justice secretary a mock six-month eviction notice.

Protesters have targeted the London home of justice secretary Ken Clarke in protest against plans to make squatting a criminal offence.

Members of the Squatters' Housing Action Group clambered onto the porch roof of Clarke's terraced house in Oval, served a mock six-month eviction notice on him, and unfurled banners declaring "housing is a human right" before climbing down.

They are campaigning against a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) consultation on a proposal to criminalise squatting in England and Wales, as is already the case in Scotland, which is due to conclude early next month.

There was no sign of any police officers while the activists protested on Clarke's roof.

Joseph Blake, from Squatters' Action for Secure Homes (SQUASH), said Clarke was targeted "because by attempting to criminalise squatting he is essentially criminalising the homeless in the middle of a housing crisis and people are rightfully angry".

The government's proposals follow a spate of high profile squats in London, including one in the home of film director Guy Ritchie. Ministers say the new offence will help to prevent the damage caused to property owners by squatting.

Homelessness and squatting campaigners say the plans could change the law of trespass to a criminal offence, affecting the ancient land right to shelter in abandoned buildings. Currently if you enter a house which has been abandoned and unsecured and claim it as your abode, it is treated by courts as a civil offence.

Veteran squatter Phoenix, one of the activists involved in today's protest, said: "Poor, homeless people could end up being put in prison simply because they seek shelter in an abandoned building.

"The Empty Homes Agency estimates that there are 725,000 empty homes in the UK which should be brought back into use. We can't just stand by and let that happen.

"Some sections of the media run stories about people who go on holiday and come home to find their homes occupied by squatters. There examples are rare and there is already legislation allowing the police to immediately remove them from premises."

The activists also barged into a TV interview with former chancellor Alastair Darling on College Green and demanded to know whether or not he was backing the government's anti-squatting legislation. He declined to respond. They then visited the recently vacated Lib Dem HQ and made a failed attempt to squat it.

"It's now an empty property. It would make a perfect community centre," said Phoenix.

A group of about 25 protestors later gathered outside the Department for Communities and Local Government.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "Not everyone who squats does so through desperation or because the alternative would be rough sleeping and the reason people squat may vary.

"The consultation process will tell us more about the types of people who squat and the extent of squatting."

Sept 22, 2011
With an estimated 700,000 empty homes across England, the Government also has plans to allow councils to bump up council tax on dwellings that have been empty

Mr Stunell concludes with a rallying call: “There is a desperate need in this country for affordable housing, and yet for every two families that need a home, there is one property standing empty.”