tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post2334461036823222482..comments2024-01-30T07:41:20.885+00:00Comments on Broken Barnet: The most there is - is silence: Bohemia, the end of an occupationMrs Angryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586223909475832791noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-6278711205532280092013-11-17T23:13:22.556+00:002013-11-17T23:13:22.556+00:00As I understand it, the administrators will return...As I understand it, the administrators will return the property to Mitchells and Butler within a couple of weeks. And yet on twitter, Antic London (now separate to Antic Ltd) claimed Antic Ltd was no longer in administration. There appears to be a pattern of short term pub businesses connected to this chain, the reason for which is not entirely clear, but there is some interesting stuff about the subject on the net. <br /><br />Why the agents acting for the property did not bother to ask the occupiers to leave before going to court, and then insist on such a swift and confrontational ending to the whole thing is difficult to understand. In court it was established that at no point were the occupiers told they were trepassing, and asked to leave.<br /><br />It will be anyone's guess what happens now, but rumour has it Tesco is eyeing up the site. This would be the last straw for many traders now struggling in the high street.<br /><br />It's not just Coleman who confuses civil disobedience with violence - and how amusing to see him concerned about fighting in the streets of North Finchley -it seems the police operation was organised on that basis too, possibly caused by a local press headline which threatened an 'unruly' end to the occupation. The dogs used were from a private security company: an utterly unnecessary and disproportionate action: in fact I had no idea private companies were allowed to use dogs in this way. One of the occupiers was a pregnant woman, and I imagine this was a very frightening experience.Mrs Angryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00586223909475832791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-37285588878540045572013-11-16T14:19:09.610+00:002013-11-16T14:19:09.610+00:00I can see that it's complicated, but that does...I can see that it's complicated, but that doesn't explain why someone (at Antic?) made a decision that would cost the company and the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds - not to mention the unnecessary conflict, distress, destruction, and so on. <br /><br />What? To gain possession a week or two earlier than they might if they had simply asked? It's bad management, at the very least.<br /><br />Brian Coleman may not understand the difference between civil disobedience and a fight [see twitter], but there really wasn't any suggestion that the occupiers were going to resort to violence. The siege mentality seems to have only emerged because of the unreasonable deadline.<br /><br />Unless they have a buyer who wants to move in on Monday, you'd have to say that the process has been more vindictive than practical.<br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-3338255487981441252013-11-16T10:54:10.984+00:002013-11-16T10:54:10.984+00:00I'm not sure if there was any strategy involve...I'm not sure if there was any strategy involved here, or simply a confusion between the web of interested parties responsible for the leasing arrangements. If you google Antic, you will find an interesting history which is much wider than what happened at the Bohemia.Mrs Angryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00586223909475832791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-7092579620257075772013-11-15T23:04:41.991+00:002013-11-15T23:04:41.991+00:00Have I understood this correctly,
Antic's refu...Have I understood this correctly,<br />Antic's refusal to communicate with the squatters has cost them £23,000? Are they stupid, or did they consider that it was worth the money, to make some sort of gesture? <br /><br />Doesn't this all seem like a piece of corporate street theatre, designed to discourage similar occupations, rather than a reasonable and practical response to a few squatters in an empty building?<br /><br />Finally, it should be noted that the occupiers have been occupying the hours playing chess and the board game Diplomacy. I have a feeling that they will be thinking a few moves ahead.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com