(ConservativeSense.com) – A group of squatters who have taken over a historic $16.1 million restaurant building in London owned by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey were recently served ejection papers, prompting some of the activists to leave as others have decided to ignore the notice and stay.
The group who took over the York & Albany gastropub building are behind the Camden Arts Cafe, which appears to be a small club of bohemians based out of the borough of Camden and describes itself as an “autonomous cafe.” The group posted an announcement on Instagram from the Camden Arts Cafe page that they were “sad to announce” that the “art collective” had “left the building” after they were served on Tuesday, April 16. They then wished those remaining “the best of luck in their endeavors” and said that they “hope” to rejoin the community “soon.”
The group previously justified their actions of setting up shop in the closed restaurant space, which was in the middle of a new lease negotiation, by claiming they had the right to occupy it. The group told reporters at The Independent that because the property was not a residential building it wasn’t protected under a 2012 UK law that barred squatting in private residences.
Each squatter who spoke with reporters refused to give their name and instead called themselves “Gordon.” They said they took over the building to protest “gentrification” and the UK’s plans to build HS2, a high-speed railway, in the next few years. The railway is estimated to be completed sometime between 2029 and 2033. The squatters said they intended to open the space up “regularly to anyone and everyone,” but “particularly” to people from Camden whom they consider “victims of gentrification and parasitic projects” such as the railway project.
The group also claims to have targeted the restaurant owned by Ramsey specifically to bring attention to the problem of wealth inequality in the UK. The restaurant was closed temporarily as Ramsey was in the process of finalizing a lease with new owners. The squatters managed to evade security measures and took up residence inside.
The iconic building dates back to the 1820s, surviving multiple wars and bombing campaigns.
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