Squatting Information on the Web

9) Important Extra-Legal Stuff

Just because the law doesn't offer much help - by granting squatters any
kind of legal rights - doesn't mean that there is nothing that can be done
to avoid or delay eviction.

Barricades

If a day has been set for eviction then barricading yourself in and
refusing to leave is a tactic that you can adopt. Physical resistance is a
common practice in many squats overseas - which have large and defiant
squatting movements - and has been used there to effectively stall eviction
for some time. In Australia, you will usually get thrown out even after
trying to resist. Physical resistance will generally attract a lot of
attention - which can be a good thing - and give you a chance to voice your
opinion in the media. It can also be a good way of releasing some
frustration and anger. It will piss off the police - which can be fun but
dangerous. Be aware that the NSW special police group and other specially
trained paramilitary thugs have been used to empty otherwise empty houses
from squatters who physically resist. Waiting for eviction in these cases
can be stressful, so be organized and prepared. Have a collection of
things - including water bombs, flour bombs, rotten food etc - ready to
throw at the evictors. Also, have a supply of food and water stored (in
case you succeed) and an escape route planned so you don't get caught.

Good luck if you try but be well aware of the risks - ie, almost certain
arrest.

Media -Print/Television/Radio

One of the most important tools in avoiding or resisting eviction is the
media. We are living in a televisual culture - a society of the spectacle.
Governments respond to 'public issues' measured through opinion polls and
ratings and the voting/television-watching public give them/help them
create the 'opinions' they need. Private companies have public images that
can either make them or cost them money, depending on how they used and
abused. You can organize events/stunts to get exposure (and public
support) for your squat and to highlight the nasty plans that the
government or private owner has for it. Discretion and invisibility can be
the most useful tactics of successful squatting. At the appropriate time,
however, it's well worth making it all very visible. Tactical and
well-timed use of the media can go a long way toward prolonging your stay
in your squat come eviction time.

It's worth having a camera ready to go in your squat at all times.
Whenever there is any heated dialogue/confrontation with the owners or
police, having a camera - and the threat of exposure that it carries -
handy can go some way toward defusing a potentially violent situation. A
tape recorder can also be useful in this respect. In particular, pictures
of angry and violent police can go down well in the visual media. Sound
recordings may work well on radio.

Squatters are usually represented in Australia as drug-addicted bludgers
that make life difficult for everyone in the area except themselves. There
are, however, a whole range of different images that you can generate
instead [and remember that unless you try to represent yourself differently
the media can easily represent you as the drug-addicted good-for-nothing
squatter] Some of the most successful squats in Sydney - such as the
Pyrmont squats of 1978-1993, and the Glebe Estate squats of 1984-1985
were able to generate popular and political support through using the media
effectively. In so doing, they were able to defer the threat of eviction
for some time.

Making contact with journalists/reporters/freelancers in both the
mainstream (SMH, Daily Telegraph) and alternative (City Hub) press can be a
good idea. Let them know that you are squatting and ask if they would be
interested in doing a story or covering the eviction. Be careful that you
do it in such a way that the location of your squat is not disclosed. Have
their numbers handy so that you can call them when you need them. Also,
try and get the phone and fax numbers of some television reporters/stations
and radio journalists/stations. A sympathetic radio or television story can
go a long way. And the threat of media exposure can work to your advantage
against an owner desperate to avoid tarnishing their public profile.

Press releases are an important first step in generating media interest.
To learn how to write a good press release, check out the public relations
site at http://www.netrageousresults.com/PR/pressrelease.html

This PR site also provides you with a sample
release, a template to use for your own release, and good ideas on how to
best distribute your press release once you have written it. Contact
activists/organizations that have used the media effectively. See if you
can get media contacts and tips from them.

Getting in touch with sympathetic politicians may or may not be useful as
well. Whilst they will ultimately try to use the exposure you generate for
their own political ends, they generally do have a good media network of
journalists and reporters in place that you may be able to use to get your
messages/images across.

Internet

The internet can be one of the most useful tools in generating support for
your squat. Most public and university libraries have some kind of free
internet access that you can use. Often the university libraries will want
student ID, so try and work out the where the best - and most hassle-free -
places to go are.

Make yourself an email address on one of the scores of 'free' web- based
email sites and get in touch with other squatters by contacting the sydney
housing action collective! - their email address is
shac@kittymail.com. You can use the links on
the SHAC web site to contact squatters/activists groups across australia
and overseas for solidarity and support. In sydney, c@talyst

at http://www.cat.org.au hosts a wide range of
activist web sites and groups that may be worth contacting for support.

If you can get access to the internet, and have a little bit of time, then
making your own web site can be a good way of getting some exposure,
sharing information with people, and generating support for your squat.
There are plenty of web site building guides available on the internet.
Try going to
http://www.hunterlink.net.au/~ddsbh/media.html and clicking on the

Octapod Internet Guide. This is an excellent source for DIY web site

construction and other handy electronic hints.

Be aware, however, that police intelligence units routinely monitor email
communications with known activist groups/organizations for 'security' and
'counter-terrorist' surveillance purposes. But don't let that stop you
from using the internet as a communicative tool. Just make sure you give
false name and details when signing up for any free web-based email
address.

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