Squatters have vowed to remain holed up in one of Gordon Ramsay's London pubs until they're booted out, a friend of the group has revealed.
The crew barricaded themselves inside the York & Albany in Regent's Park, north London, just last week. Gordon Ramsay Holdings International Limited (GRHI) managed to secure a High Court order for possession of the property.
This move sets the stage for High Court enforcement officers to reclaim the Grade II listed establishment soon. Initially, some squatters agreed to abide by the court's decision, with four individuals vacating the building on Friday.
However, a man claiming to be a pal of a squatter popped into the York & Albany briefly on Friday and declared they're not budging. "They're going to wait for the bailiff," he stated, indicating that's their plan of action.
The unnamed friend, who admitted to being an ex-squatter himself, described those inside as young, homeless veterans of squatting in various spots for ages. "They are professional enough, have been doing it for years," he mentioned, also noting: "The building looks f****** pristine inside."
One of the squatters who had left came back on Friday with another chap. Following this, the squatters fortified the windows and flicked gestures at the press gathered outside. Judge Simon Brown granted lawyers for GRHI an order on Thursday to repossess the property, currently occupied by squatters including members of the Anarchist Association London Branch and the Camden Art Cafe since last week.
The Camden Art Cafe expressed their plans to vacate the premises on Instagram, stating: "We wish those left in the building the best of luck in their endeavours." The group had been running a cafe from the building, serving free food and drinks to local residents affected by 'gentrification and parasitic projects like HS2.
One squatter defended their actions to the PA news agency, saying: "We're not bad people. I pay my taxes, I've got a job, I work in a pub." They added, "We just need a place to stay that's it. We're trying to do a good thing here."
The property, formerly a pub and hotel building, is listed for sale for £13million following a long legal dispute between celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and film director Gary Love. In 2007, Mr Love purchased the freehold of the premises, leasing the pub to Ramsay for 25 years at an annual rent of £640,000. Despite attempts in 2015 to break free from the lease, Ramsay was unsuccessful in the High Court.
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