Give Us Some Space: New Initiative to Create Dublin Social Centre

by darren - direct action against apathy Wed Dec 01, 2004 04:15 directactionagainstapathyagainstapathy at yahoo dot co dot uk

You can find more info about the films on Social Centres as well as images reports & interviews from various spaces on the direct action against apathy site.

If anyone else around the country is interested in helping organise a screening or if you'd like to get a copy of the films give me a shout.

Belfast Screening coming soon. Watch this space...

More details on Friday Nights event in Dublin here:
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=67604

by Brian Cynic Wed Dec 01, 2004 11:52

There was a social centre on Leeson Street for 7 months, as discussed in a previous thread before this did absolutely nothing to advance the cause of squatting/political ideology, instead it was a place for bored middle class dropout punks to hang out and drink their cans of beer or smoke dope. Obviously they tried to hide their existence there as much as possible (did they ever have one public event there??) and when it came to taking a stand against the Corpo, they all went back to their mammies houses on the southside, continuing to pretend to be interested in revolution.

by conor (wsm personal capacity) Wed Dec 01, 2004 12:31

Hardly even sure if Brian the cynic even desereves a response but quickly

1. People actually lived in the squat in Leeson street - very difficult to run a full social centre and actually make your home in a building at the same time

2. One of the resons we are looking at getting a place is precisely the difficulty of getting a squatted space due to Irish trespass law being so ferocious

3. DESPITE this the people lived in Leeson Street they went out of their way to facilitate meetings, and help various groups organise, there were many great events there, bad books was set up, excellent contact made with the neighbours and locals but I wouldn't want to endanger Brian's carefully crafted cocoon of pointless, cynicism too much


4. There may well have been dope smoked there, they may well have been people whom Brian regards as "middle class" there are even rumours that people had fun in there !

big deal !

Conor

by Wed Dec 01, 2004 13:06

Well here's the perfect chance for you to air your grievances. Come along on friday, make yourself known and I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding someone willing to engage in a discussion with you.

by Acid Wed Dec 01, 2004 20:04

There were loads of open meetings. For a month or so there were meetings or workshops going on everynight. It's just that you wernt cool enough to know about them. You should definelty come on Friday. Tell us all how a squat should REALLY be run....sap

by hs - sp Wed Dec 01, 2004 23:19

Came across alot of them over there, every city of a decent size has at least one or two, Bologna had seven or so mind you. A few quick points to make on them, firstly Italy has an awful lot of derilict factories, factory complexes and the like. They haven't witnessed the celtic tiger property boom. A second point is they have a mass movent over generations, who support occupations. (For one personal example a mate of mine arrived home from a school trip one year to find his mother waiting with a bag packed, his school had been occupied in his absence and he was in no uncertain terms going to join in. I can only imagine what my own mothers reaction would have been in the same situation! ) The police do always try to shut down the centres but the centres will have hundreds if not thousands (in bigger cities) mobilised to protect them. I think if the survive six months or so they're left alone. But lately the police have been cracking down
harder.

The centres themselves are wonderful, no too excatly alike, and some very well organised. For example the C.P.A in florence while I was there was in a huge factory complex with a massive soundproofed indoor area which could fit a couple of thousand people. And regulary held gigs and festivels usually charging about 3 euro in. You were also allowed bring in your own drink. The centres in Milan and Rome are bigger again.

And its to say nothing of a space for meetings, "social dinners" and everything you can think of. And just nice friendly places to hang around in. And keep the "yoof" off the streets.

They also introduce a massive amount of people to progressive politics of all colours, although mainly organised by communists, often anarchists and maoists and all the rest are involved.

by pot Wed Dec 01, 2004 23:37

it was empty because it was so quiet. There turned out to be about fifty people sitting around in silence having a drink and speaking in sign language. They did it every week.

The industrial building is really huge and was an Aquarium Factory at some point in the Past. Oh yeah - and it was on via lenin.

by bling blang blong. thoughts rattling inside my head. - not really sure any more. none, i guess. back to the beginning. Thu Dec 02, 2004 12:25 odd-numbered postcode. got my number? use it.

Hmm... dont know what to think anymore about the chances of a proper squat/social centre/autonomous centre existing in this city. As the SP swocialist says, there is much bigger support (from long leftie histories) in other euro countires. Not sure if there exists same levels of support here (cant see many FF-brand Bertie "socialists" coming to a social centre night to be honest..!)

Not wanting to piss on a parade but I just wonder sometimes if we havent been here before (and when the economic climate would have made for better conditions for it happening - rent for spaces nearer the city centre would have been within affordable ranges) - the Garden of Delight closed down for various reasons, but talking to the people that ran it, by the end they were jaded by the lack of support from the city. ("young people here dress in an underground way, but they are not really underground").

Other countries centres seem to be tolerated to a point because there's a lot of them, and property laws are different (think it will be a VERY, very long time before the collective Irish pysche breaks out of post-Land War mode of private ownership - perhaps never) but those laws were changed because squatters went through legal/physical/prolonged battles to get them in the 70's, so as dumb and tired as Brian Cynic's points are, maybe there is a minute grain of truth in there. It might be a question of years rather than months.

by Aline Thu Dec 02, 2004 13:43

To Conor: don't know about here but in France a squat can't work if people don't live in it - for practical/legal reasons in fact. If you just hang around they can kick you out and close the place down straightaway - and that doesn't leave much time to organise events.
If you can prove the place is used for accommodation (furniture...) then they can't kick you out until a legal decision is taken, which means they have to leave you alone for a few weeks/months. The decision is usually eviction - (appeal is possible + no eviction can take place during the winter months) but it also means that when the eviction takes place eventually they have to give you some notice and leave you time to collect your belongings. Basically it's about staying in a place as long as you can and find a new one when you're kicked out, and any squat lasting for over 2 months is considered a great success...

by Michael Thu Dec 02, 2004 17:53

Sustainable Ireland have an amazing space in Temple Bar (see link below this comment) called Cultivate which should be supported before another under-resourced libertarian activist-community space is created.

by pc Thu Dec 02, 2004 18:05

its exspensive to use and and there has to be someone willing to wait around to close up... a big groups of orgs tried to lease out that entire complex last year and were unsucessful...

by L Thu Dec 02, 2004 18:08

sustainable ireland is a great space & sharing a space with other groups or using a space generally only used daytimes etc. are possibilities which can be discussed tomorrow night & beyond.

that said what we have in mind may be something a bit different and may need our own space. we'll find out.

by padraic - wsm Thu Dec 02, 2004 18:41

while cultivate might be great and all its hardly the same as whats being talked about. I guess people are looking for a social space where they get to decide what goes on, cultivate is more or less closed and while they might be open to helping people out or allowing people use the space sometimes its not really providing the functions people are talking about

by hs - sp Thu Dec 02, 2004 21:24

point is it isn't just lefties that go to social centres, if you're into live music (of any kind) most likely you'll be going there, anybody in a amateur band can do tours of italy. Also think about it you're in some suburb like blanch or tallaght and what is there to do for a 16 year old? Nothing, in the italian suburbs they have the giant social centres, so there always full of teenagers and not just political one's. keeps the brats off the streets.
I'm sure if there was a social centre in dublin it would be popular, the main problem i would see is security, a few locked shitheads coming along could pose problems. Especially as the places are by nature voluntry and by nature outside the law.

by grand-da Fri Dec 03, 2004 01:29

I've started worrying about where my grandchilder are of an evening, if there was an autonomous centre open in my neighbourhood, @ least I'd know they weren't on cocaine, and probably learning how to fix their bike or hang off a trapese or make a stencil and hopefully someday get up on a perfectly working bicycle, and find some real world precarious work.

by Corran - P.F.J / J.P.F Sat Dec 04, 2004 02:56

that was an amazing meeting/event thing! really inspiring to see such a crowd turn up... anyways, just sayin : )
....iv had my fun & thats all that matters...

by pc Sat Dec 04, 2004 16:07

yeah great night, there was supposed to have been a big discussion but people were getting restless, perhaps we won't get all those people in the same room together again, so it might have been a lost opportunity but hey is great just chatting to people... but keep in touch, don't hesitate to give advice, suggestions...

join mailing list is at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gimme_space/

and there's a meeting at the EENGO offices on Camdem Street. at 7pm the thursday the 9th of December... its opposite the Palace above the Bounty Store.

Don't forget the Gig on the 21st December Voodoo Lounge.

by dunk Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:43

fri was great

1- id like to put on films again on wed in bolton street college in attempt to get some of the architects, sustainable development group, and others interested in coming down, so if its possible to get copies for this it would be great

2-a but of urban gardening- is there a crew on for doing something now, is there tools etc, is time right?

if not still could do something to act as catalyst for discussion and further interaction for development of social centre

3- le petit cinema screening of "social centre vids"- showing the city the vid of what we would like to add to the city ie :: http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=67670#comment93770

attempting to tie this back into ideas of "catalyst @ botanic spine"
http://easa.antville.org/stories/960542/#994319

social spaces, guerilla gardening, funny buildings

by conor (wsm personal capacity) Mon Dec 06, 2004 15:34

Absolutely Dunk good idea. We hope to make Francis street a monthly thing.

Also don't forget the gig in the voodoo lounge 21st December 8 pm.

Great turn out Friday (100??) - thanks to indymedia for leaving the feature up!

krossie

by dmc Mon Dec 06, 2004 17:29

here are the details for the benefit gig on the 21st:

playing are:

The Boy You Hit Is Dead (Galway harsh n' heavy metallic hardcore)
Burn It To The Ground (Dublin abrasive emo HC)
Transmundane (Young pups playing basic old-skool punk)
Captain Moonlight (Live hip-hop from former Homebrew MC)
DJ Krossphader (Radio Na Life)

hopefully some more DJs and other fun stuff will be confirmed soon too.

The Voodoo Lounge, Arran Quay.
Tue 21 Dec
Doors are 7.30, show starts at 8 and goes on till the wee small hours.
Admission is €6.

by dunk Fri Dec 10, 2004 14:42

wont it be lovely in the months after the arrival of spring; critical mass`s followed by social evenings, in the centre or in temp spaces as part of the process of the creation of the space

@ 15 people turned up last night, young, older, usual crew, new faces. concrete discussion, workgroups, discussion continued in anseo after

one lad came up all the way from clare for the chat

food not bombs christmas benefit
thr 16th dec 04, bohs bar, admission= 1 kg of food + euro

by redjade Thu Dec 16, 2004 17:56

15.12.2004:
This last year has been a pretty active and productive year for the social centres movement in the UK...

At the begining of the year, the Wombles occupied 93 Fortess Rd for several months before moving into the ex-Grand Banks in Tufnell Park. Both occupations saw successfully resistance against eviction and were highly successful and popular. After eviction in August the wombles took a break to concentrate on the 'Beyond ESF event' but they'll be back in 2005.

[....]

In Hunguary a vast supermarket in the centre of Budapest which had been empty since 2001 was occupied just days after people returned home inspired from the ESF in London. Plans were to create a social and cultural space and a place to organise established projects such as food not bombs, indymedia, and other cultural and political collectives. They recieved a great deal of media attention and were evicted just two weeks later.

read more, with links @
→ http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/12/302806.html

by crimethinc Fri Dec 17, 2004 15:19

For ten long years, our operatives have honed their skills, testing their wits and mettle against the global capitalist empire, the most formidable adversary in the history of life on earth. We have learned how to redecorate the walls of cities occupied by armies of riot police, to transform random groups of damaged, isolated individuals into loving communities capable of supporting one another through the most severe bouts of repression and depression, to shut down corporate summits and franchises armed with little more than plastic piping or eyedroppers of glue. Now, the notorious CrimethInc. ex-Workers’ Collective has compiled many of the techniques that made these feats possible into a 624-page manual entitled Recipes for Disaster.

http://www.crimethinc.com/a/cookbook/

by dunk Thu Jan 06, 2005 18:05

another little bit from the night
berties support for the idea

maybe another night last friday of january?

"god bless DGN"

by Starstruck Thu Nov 29, 2007 20:58

And now the Seomra.

by Soundmigration - WSM, Seomra Spraoi Fri Dec 03, 2010 17:09

Thanks to all and everyone who has contributed in any way over the last 6 years

by BArry - seomra spraoi Wed Dec 03, 2014 16:05

today is the tenth birthday of Seomra Spraoi! hurray!