Video footage forwarded to Brixton Buzz shows builders and/or representatives of property developers Lexadon using violence to enter the squatted Walton Lodge building on Coldharbour Lane, Brixton.
An axe can be seen swung by one man, as up to five men – four in high viz jackets – attack the locked door of the premises.
Above the sound of the the door being smashed and breaking glass can be heard the voice of the person filming the action saying, “This is illegal. I’m filming you.”
BBC Q&A on squatting laws provides some background to the current situation for squatters in the UK:
What rights do squatters currently have?
Since 1977, it has been illegal to threaten or use violence to enter a property where someone is present and opposes the entry.
The law was introduced to stop landlords from using violence to evict tenants. It is what is commonly meant when people talk about “squatter’s rights”.
One builder was arrested by police on the scene, while one squatter claims that he was attacked and kicked by builders during the eviction.
View the video here:
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