Police Evict 12 Bar Squatters

James Drury
By James Drury Last edited 109 months ago
Police Evict 12 Bar Squatters

The 12 Bar club before police evicted the squatters. Photo by by HanWhittle via the Londonist Flickr pool

The squatters occupying the former 12 Bar club on Denmark Street have been evicted, bringing to an end two weeks of parties, impromptu gigs, and essentially sounding the final death knell for the music venue.

The group was protesting against the building being sold to developers Consolidated Group, a symptom of a wider 'blandification' of Soho which includes the closure of Madam Jojos and other independent businesses in the area in favour of modern developments.

A spokesman for the Met said: “Police were made aware of a number of squatters inside a commercial premises in Denmark Street, central London.

“Approximately 15 to 20 people were inside the property. The majority left voluntarily and without incident.”

You can watch the police storm the building via this recording

There's still another protest squat taking place — the Aylesbury Estate in Southwark, where a group have been occupying the empty buildings on the site which is has been sold to developers. They hold daily open meetings at 6.30pm and are planning an open day for this Sunday.

Last Updated 06 February 2015