Squatters move into the Black Cap against ‘massive gentrification’ of Camden
A group of a dozen squatters have moved into the Black Cap pub in Camden, in a protest against the “massive gentrification” of the area.
The Black Cap pub closed its doors in April after a battle over a proposed redevelopment which lasted several months.
The pub, based in London’s Camden area was built in 1889, and is one of London’s oldest continually operating LGBT venues, after it became popular with gay men in the 1960s.
The twelve squatters moved into the pub yesterday, and said it was not in protest against the iconic gay pub’s closure, but because of the gentrification of Camden.
One man, identified as George F, told the Camden New Journal that he and the eleven others had been evicted by bailiffs from the Marine Ices building on Chalk Farm Road.
He said: “It’s the same as Marine Ices. They had been serving ice cream to people for 80 years and this place had been a queer cabaret for 50 years.”
“The people living her are poor people, creatives, artists, struggling people and that’s what Camden is all about. There is too many people on the streets, sleeping rough and there are too many empty properties. We say ‘build houses or we will take the buildings ourselves’. Everybody needs a roof over their head,” he continued.
A sign above the pub door now reads: “Camden Queer Punx 4Eva”.
Despite the pub closing suddenly, the new owner said the decision to close its doors was made “long ago”.
Around 200 members of the protest group “#WeAreTheBlackCap” gathered in April after the sudden closure of the historic venue. It is closely linked with the popular drag night The Meth Lab.
