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Interview with Autonomous Community Space

After several months of planning by ‘Autonomous Community Space’, ‘Disco Disco’ became Dublin’s first liberated space in many years. Although the life of the squat was short it fired the imagination off many & has but squatting back on the map in Ireland. I fired these questions at one of the Disco Disco kids over the interweb.

Why do you feel the need for a squatted social space in Dublin?

In Dublin there is very few places where people can gather in a non-commercial space.  People organising anti-capitalist meetings in pubs etc and paying to do so seems pretty ridiculous.  There are few creative spaces for people to paint, show films, write, or play music for free.  Organisations like food not bombs have problems finding a space to use for cooking and many organisations lack office space due to lack of cash.  Those wanting to organise libraries or info-shops have no money to rent a place for this purpose.  Rents are so high in Dublin that without charging high prices for any activities within a space, it cannot be sustained.  We need to use the spaces that are lying empty, not pay extortionist rent for tiny spaces and compromise our beliefs by charging people to use them.

How long had the group been planning this action? How much work went into setting up disco?

A lot of preparation and research went into Disco Disco.  Many other properties were also considered, but none found suitable.  We all looked at buildings and tried to find out as much as possible about their structural state, ownership and previous uses, when and for what.  Two of our group, ACS (Autonomous Community Spaces) went to Amsterdam to meet with members of the squatting community there and see what kind of uses they have made of their spaces.  We had arranged a group of people to speak with the police, one person to speak with the media, people to get in contact with lawyers, a group in charge of barricades, one in charge of food etc.  It was all quite organised.

So what’s the score with the Dutch lot, how useful did the group find this kind off ‘cultural exchange’?

The cultural exchange was very useful for various reasons.  We met people in Holland who had these amazing spaces with cinemas and cafes and theatres and pirate radio stations and clubs and bars and housing and all sorts – very inspiring.  The Dutch people who came here had a lot of expertise of the locksmith variety.  They knew a lot about connecting up water supplies, wiring electricity, and barricading, among other things.  We had a lot we could have learned from them as regards the actual fixing up of the house but unfortunately, in Disco Disco, it never came to that.  Most of the stuff I think we could have handled ourselves, but it was difficult to get in contact with any experienced squatters in Ireland and was useful to have people with some practical know-how.  It was also useful to have people there who were positive about the experience and excited to be here.  They completely believe that squatting is possible anywhere.

I think we learned a lot just in actually going out and doing this but we still have a lot to learn.  They way of squatting in Holland is different to anywhere else.  They have fought for their squatter’s rights over the years and won them.  We have to figure out what is the best way we can do this in Ireland dealing with Irish Law. 

Give us a feel for the exciting 24 hrs that was the life of Disco Disco.

Getting in was an amazing feeling.  It only took about 3 or 4 minutes to get the door open and the people in.  We had some problems with people being in the wrong places, being left outside when they should have been inside and vice versa.  Once the door was closed we had the idea that we would be barricaded in for hours if not days.  Only one Garda arrived on the scene and was later joined by two more, all seemed baffled.  Our police communication group explained to him that this was not a police matter, but a political one and he soon left.

I was inside the building from the beginning in the scouting group looking around the house and seeing what barricades where there already and what the place was like from the inside. 

It was amazing.  Just walking around the house you could imagine the kind of space it could become.  The rooms were huge and although after 11 years it was obviously in a state of disrepair it clearly had potential.  The fireplaces had all been stolen as had all the metals, copper etc. We set to work making some of the rooms upstairs liveable.  We swept them and brought in the food and mattresses as others worked on barricading the door.  The house was huge and it took a long time to fully explore.  We chose the second floor as its windows were left un-barricaded and the rooms were bright.  We made a low table and turned a wardrobe space into storage for food and cleaning materials.

It was great.  People who remained outside brought us things that we needed, cleaning products and extra food and some beer to celebrate.  We soon realised there was no police outside at all and we began to allow curious friends in to look around.  There was a large area at the back that was once a disco hall and looked like there had been a fire there.  The roof was no longer there and a kind of indoor garden had begun to grow where the dance floor had been.  We spent too much time showing people around I guess, but it was an exciting time.  Behind the disco hall was another building which did not seem structurally sound so we sealed off the disco hall and the building at the back. 

People were coming and going so much we had to make a rule to open the door only once an hour, as it was hard work removing and replacing the barricades.  A metal door with hinges and all was being made for us.

Eventually all the visitors left and there were 15 of us there that night.  We decided to have shifts of people staying awake on guard.  Most of us were exhausted but too excited to sleep.  I felt like I had just closed my eyes when I was woken for the 5-7.30 shift.  We spent the morning taking the plywood away from the windows at the back to allow more light in and examining the state of the window frames.  Others worked on attaching hinges to the door and making it easier to open as well as improving the barricades. 

I had just left the building to buy some supplies in the shop when the so-called owners arrived with a sledgehammer and crowbars.  We ran back to find a hole in the door and the Gardai ordering our friends out of the house.  I told them that this was our house and they had no right to evict us.  They threatened those of us outside with section 8 and those inside with trespassing (but wouldn’t be more specific).  Two of those outside were arrested for refusing to move from the footpath but released immediately.  One, a Dutch woman, gave her address as Disco Disco, 41 Parnell Sq West.  One of ACS inside had been hit in the head with a crowbar by the thugs and had they had to open the door to allow him to leave.  At this point one of the Gardai put his foot in the door and we knew that was the end.

What lessons have been learned?

I think we have learned a lot from the experience, I always felt that the only way to do this was just to go out and try it, there’s a lot to be learned from others but I think we really needed to give it a shot ourselves.  It was an amazing experience.  We learned that initially you cant get overwhelmed by the excitement and have to concentrate on barricades and knowing the building well.  We learned by all the things we hadn’t brought, more cleaning materials etc.  We know a lot more about barricades and how to deal with the press and the Police.  We had someone ask if it was a squat and if they could come and stay on our first day in here and we realised that there needs to be consensus on that kind of thing as soon as possible.  It is very important to go and visit your neighbours and get to know them, explain what the social space is for and why it is needed.  Different people had different ideas on what the space was about, activist space, housing, subcultural space, and this all needs to be discussed.  Also I guess we learned to be very careful about who owns the building or who has interests in it because you can put yourselves in serious danger by having to deal with the wrong people, as we found out.

What’s next?

Next we try again, and again and again if need be.

What encouragement/lessons can you give to others planning to set up similar ventures?

I think I’ve covered pretty much everything, be careful, find out everything you can about the building, share your information and look for information from others.  Get in quickly, get the barricades up, check all entrances, have an escape route.  On the day you get in co-ordinate well, mobile phones are pretty important for that.  Transport is important.  Bring in the basics, worry about the rest once you’re in.  Plan it well and get in touch if you need help.

iwannaspace@wildmail.com

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