Green Solidarity: Learning from the GRASS experience - GAF does Bookfair 2020

At the end of February 2020 individuals organising under the GAF banner squatted the The George pub near Holloway Road in London. Initially it was used to host talks, workshops and all kinds of events as part of the GAF Week of Action that was taking place at the time. Afterwards, it was kept open as a social centre with regular events. Under normal circumstances, the building would have most likely been evicted only a few weeks after. But instead the pandemic happened, evictions were postponed and the people living there found themselves in a privileged position to respond to it by organising with the local mutual aid networks that were appearing all over the country. By doing this, they were able to put their ideals to test and get a glimpse of what autonomous community spaces can offer to the British left. We will look at the inspirations for the GRASS projects, the circumstances that made it possible, the lessons learns from its achievements and mistakes and then give the space fo