ANAL Squatters Strike Again!
A group of squatters has occupied an empty £15m London property owned by a Russian oligarch, Andrey Goncharenko, and opened it as a homeless shelter.
The squatters – Autonomous Nation of Anarchist Libertarians, better known as ANAL – said they gained access to the building through an open window on the 23rd of January and have housed 25 homeless people so far, many of whom had been sleeping rough around Victoria station.
One homeless mother and daughter who had been sleeping around Victoria station said they were delighted to have been offered shelter in the oligarch’s home. “Westminster council wants to send homeless people like us out of London and there isn’t much provision around for homeless women,” she said.
ANAL member, Tom Fox, said: “It is criminal that there are so many homeless people and at the same time so many empty buildings. Our occupation is highlighting this injustice. We have squatted many other high-profile buildings in central London in the past,” said Fox. “Admiralty Arch, Mayfair and Pall Mall. There are so many empty buildings like this one in central London.”
Figures published last week show that rough sleepers of have increased by 16% since last to more than 4,000. Perversely, there are more than 200,000 empty homes in England, according to the government.
Fox added that ANAL members had set up a projector so they could hold movie nights, provided portable cookers to make hot meals for homeless people and are planning to host talks about homelessness and other issues. They have also opened a shop offering free clothing.
The house, which was built in 1825, has many listed features such as ornate, hand-carved fireplaces – and now planning permission has been granted for a swimming pool in the basement. The property is one of four purchased by Goncharenko over a three-year period. His portfolio also includes Hanover Lodge, in Regent’s Park, for which he paid £120m – making it one of the UK’s most expensive homes.
