121 Centre was a squattedself-managed social centre on Railton Road in Brixton, south London from 1981 until 1999. As an anarchist social centre, the venue hosted a bookshop, cafe, infoshop, library, meeting space, office space, printing facility, and rehearsal space. Organisations using the space included Food Not Bombs, Anarchist Black Cross prisoner aid chapters, an anarcho-feminist magazine, a squatters aid organisation, and an anarchist queer group. Regular events at 121 Centre included punk concerts, a women's cafe night, and a monthly queer night.[1] The centre kept a low profile[2] and was one of the longest-lasting squats in London.[1]
121 Railton Road was first squatted by Olive Morris in 1973. Sabaar Books was established there before moving elsewhere. The centre then became an anarchist social centre.[3]
Activitiesedit
During the 1981 Brixton riots, the centre was left untouched.[4] In 1983, the centre hosted people coming to London for the Stop the City demonstration.[5] The Kate Sharpley Library (KSL) was founded at the 121 in 1979 by, among others, Albert Meltzer.[6] From 1993 onwards, the venue hosted industrial, speedcore, and gabber electronic music events, such as the Sate industrial nights. The social centre was a networking centre for these experimental subgenres.[7] The Dead by Dawn club hosted London's hardest and fastest music between 1994 and 1996. Attendees shared aesthetic interests, including zines, lectures by Sadie Plant, and intellectual literature by the Situationists, Deleuze and Guattari, and William Burroughs. Unlike other club or party series, Dead by Dawn was conceived to be unique in its combination of discussions, videos, films, exhibitions, Internet access, and stalls.[8] The first Queeruption festival was held at 121 in 1998.
The centre was set on fire during a rise in right-wing violence in 1993.[9]
Evictionedit
The Lambeth London Borough Council obtained a court order to repossess the building in early 1999. The squatters responded with multiple actions to rally opposition: modifying billboards, wheatpasting protest fliers, publishing the South London Stress, and occupying Lambeth Town Hall with a "drink-in" protest of a new law against drinking in public. The Evening Standard reported their campaign as "highly efficient". As the eviction date approached, the squatters barricaded themselves inside and held an all-day street party in April. An armed police force later removed the remaining occupants.[10] Rising property values were a core impetus for the building's repossession.[11]
^ abMcHenry, Keith; Bufe, Chaz (2015). The Anarchist Cookbook. Tucson, Arizona: See Sharp Press. p. 243. ISBN978-1-937276-78-2. from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
^Allotey, Emma. "Morris, Olive Elaine (1952–1979)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/100963. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^Meltzer, Albert (1996). I Couldn't Paint Golden Angels: Sixty Years of Commonplace Life and Anarchist Agitation. AK Press. ISBN9781873176931. from the original on 25 February 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
^Cross, Rich (2016). ""Stop the City showed another possibility": Mobilisation and movement in anarcho-punk". In Dines, Mike; Worley, Matthew (eds.). The Aesthetic of Our Anger. Anarcho-Punk, Politics and Music. Minor Compositions. ISBN978-1-57027-318-6.
^Goodway, David (2008). "The Kate Sharpley Library". Anarchist Studies. 16 (1).
^Monroe, Alexei (2002). "Bread and (Rock) Circuses: Sites of Sonic Conflict in London". In Gilbert, Pamela K. (ed.). Imagined Londons. Albany, New York: SUNY Press. pp. 151–154. ISBN978-0-7914-5501-2.
^St. John, Graham (2009). Technomad: Global Raving Countercultures. Studies in Popular Music. London: Equinox Publishing. pp. 228–229. ISBN978-1-84553-625-1.
^Bennett, John (2017). Mob Town: A History of Crime and Disorder in the East End. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 272. ISBN978-0-300-22195-4.
centre, squatted, self, managed, social, centre, railton, road, brixton, south, london, from, 1981, until, 1999, anarchist, social, centre, venue, hosted, bookshop, cafe, infoshop, library, meeting, space, office, space, printing, facility, rehearsal, space, o. 121 Centre was a squatted self managed social centre on Railton Road in Brixton south London from 1981 until 1999 As an anarchist social centre the venue hosted a bookshop cafe infoshop library meeting space office space printing facility and rehearsal space Organisations using the space included Food Not Bombs Anarchist Black Cross prisoner aid chapters an anarcho feminist magazine a squatters aid organisation and an anarchist queer group Regular events at 121 Centre included punk concerts a women s cafe night and a monthly queer night 1 The centre kept a low profile 2 and was one of the longest lasting squats in London 1 121 Centre121 in 2023Address121 Railton RoadLondonEnglandTypeSquatted autonomous social centre Contents 1 Original occupation 2 Activities 3 Eviction 4 Legacy 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksOriginal occupation edit121 Railton Road was first squatted by Olive Morris in 1973 Sabaar Books was established there before moving elsewhere The centre then became an anarchist social centre 3 Activities editDuring the 1981 Brixton riots the centre was left untouched 4 In 1983 the centre hosted people coming to London for the Stop the City demonstration 5 The Kate Sharpley Library KSL was founded at the 121 in 1979 by among others Albert Meltzer 6 From 1993 onwards the venue hosted industrial speedcore and gabber electronic music events such as the Sate industrial nights The social centre was a networking centre for these experimental subgenres 7 The Dead by Dawn club hosted London s hardest and fastest music between 1994 and 1996 Attendees shared aesthetic interests including zines lectures by Sadie Plant and intellectual literature by the Situationists Deleuze and Guattari and William Burroughs Unlike other club or party series Dead by Dawn was conceived to be unique in its combination of discussions videos films exhibitions Internet access and stalls 8 The first Queeruption festival was held at 121 in 1998 The centre was set on fire during a rise in right wing violence in 1993 9 Eviction editThe Lambeth London Borough Council obtained a court order to repossess the building in early 1999 The squatters responded with multiple actions to rally opposition modifying billboards wheatpasting protest fliers publishing the South London Stress and occupying Lambeth Town Hall with a drink in protest of a new law against drinking in public The Evening Standard reported their campaign as highly efficient As the eviction date approached the squatters barricaded themselves inside and held an all day street party in April An armed police force later removed the remaining occupants 10 Rising property values were a core impetus for the building s repossession 11 Legacy editThe Kate Sharpley Library collection is now held in California 12 See also editRailton Road 56a Infoshop 491 Gallery Centro Iberico Spike Surplus Scheme St Agnes Place Wapping Autonomy CentreReferences edit a b McHenry Keith Bufe Chaz 2015 The Anarchist Cookbook Tucson Arizona See Sharp Press p 243 ISBN 978 1 937276 78 2 Archived from the original on 27 March 2020 Retrieved 15 October 2018 Monroe 2002 p 151 Allotey Emma Morris Olive Elaine 1952 1979 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 100963 Subscription or UK public library membership required Meltzer Albert 1996 I Couldn t Paint Golden Angels Sixty Years of Commonplace Life and Anarchist Agitation AK Press ISBN 9781873176931 Archived from the original on 25 February 2019 Retrieved 8 April 2019 Cross Rich 2016 Stop the City showed another possibility Mobilisation and movement in anarcho punk In Dines Mike Worley Matthew eds The Aesthetic of Our Anger Anarcho Punk Politics and Music Minor Compositions ISBN 978 1 57027 318 6 Goodway David 2008 The Kate Sharpley Library Anarchist Studies 16 1 Monroe Alexei 2002 Bread and Rock Circuses Sites of Sonic Conflict in London In Gilbert Pamela K ed Imagined Londons Albany New York SUNY Press pp 151 154 ISBN 978 0 7914 5501 2 St John Graham 2009 Technomad Global Raving Countercultures Studies in Popular Music London Equinox Publishing pp 228 229 ISBN 978 1 84553 625 1 Bennett John 2017 Mob Town A History of Crime and Disorder in the East End New Haven Yale University Press p 272 ISBN 978 0 300 22195 4 McHenry amp Bufe 2015 pp 243 245 Monroe 2002 p 154 Kate Sharpley Library www katesharpleylibrary net Retrieved 28 December 2021 51 27 28 N 0 06 27 W 51 4577 N 0 1076 W 51 4577 0 1076External links editReflections on the 121 Centre Scanned flyers from 121 Centre on Archive org Portals nbsp Anarchism nbsp London Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 121 Centre amp oldid 1139719295, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
