Occupy Squatters Liberate Library, Locals Overjoyed

There will be more details and background information to follow.

On the 5th of Septembers 4 squatters looking for an alternative  home after being made into criminals on the 1st of September entered the closed Friern Barnet Library. After entering they realised that the the  building was not suitable for living and it’s importance to the  community. They quickly contacted members of the Occupy movement to see if they wanted to care take the building.

Occupy in association with the Friern Barnet Community have now reclaimed the Friern Barnet Library. The library which shut it’s doors in April this year after a long  campaign which saw 7000 signatures backing the library staying open was  occupied last Thursday. Monday saw 30 locals and the council attend a  meeting in which the council tried to coerce occupiers out by offering  an alternative building. While we welcome the council working with us the local campaigners were adamant that this  building was built to be a library and should not be pawned off to  private contractors so occupiers have decided to hold their ground at  the request of the community.

As the anniversary of the Occupation of the London  Stock Exchange approaches Occupy London have set their sites on  outreaching to London’s 33 Boroughs where constituents are being hard  hit by the governments austerity measures. Occupy Activist Leon said “I  believe Occupy is about connecting the local to the global we are here  to help the local community with their plight in anyway we can, but it  is important for us to make clear that similar struggles are taking  place all over the world. Wherever profit is put before people in a  system designed and managed by the 1% we can expect to see loss of  public services like this one. We need to take action and reclaim our  world.”

Many members of the community are offering their  services and have started restocking the library with 750 books donated  so far and the rota is filling up quickly. Over the coming weeks a  series of discussions, skill shares and assemblies are planned  to address issues that effect the community and the future of the  library.

Facebook group

http://www.facebook.com/groups/154712924667611/(contact if you have a similar project in your area of residence that you may feel that this group can help)

The community would really like people to sign their petition, it is something they have been asking us to share from day 1.