All London Squatters Meeting 1973
digital file Black & White Sound 1973 33:14
Summary: This black and white video captures an all squatters' meeting held in a lecture hall at Imperial College, London in 1973. Attendees from across the city gather to discuss housing struggles, political strategy, and grassroots organisation. Debates centre on communication between boroughs, alternatives to bed and breakfast accommodation, and solidarity across squatting groups.
Title number: 23017
LSA ID: LSA/30252
Description: The footage is occasionally difficult to hear and the image is dark and blurry.
The video opens with a technical moment as the camera image gradually stabilises, accompanied by the cameraman explaining its operation. A man with long hair addresses the audience from the front of the hall, explaining that the space was chosen because it was available, though one attendee complains it is harder to reach than the previous location.
The room is filled with squatters from across London. The purpose of the meeting is to explore the current socio-political challenges facing the squatting movement and to strategise for collective action. A speaker shares experiences from a squatting group on Bartholomew Road and calls for more organisational representation at future meetings. A panning shot captures a blackboard listing the groups in attendance.
Credits: Sue Hall (Filmmaker); John 'Hoppy' Hopkins (Filmmaker)
Keywords: housing; squat; homeless
Locations: North London
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