Abstract

In Govanhill it's getting grim,
The Cooncil says we cannae swim
But if they willnae dae oor biddin’,
We'll pit the Cooncil in the midden
People Power is gonnae rule,
Gi'e us back oor swimmin' pool! In the early hours of Tuesday 7 August 2001 approximately two hundred and fifty police officers - including mounted officers and an aerial surveillance unit - converged on Calder Street in the Glasgow neighbourhood of Govanhill. Accompanied by eight sheriff's officers bearing court orders for eviction, they had come to bring to an end the longest public occupation of a civic building in British history. For the previous 135 days up to seventy local residents at a time had occupied a building described by Historic Scotland as 'an architecturally and historically important part of the city’s history ... particularly important culturally in that until recently they offered a valued and distinctive facility open to all members of the community.' It took almost twenty hours to evict the protesters and seal the building with steel shutters. By late evening a crowd of approximately 200 people had gathered on the streets outside. Eggs, flour bombs and fruit were thrown at police officers, and the air was thick with the overpowering stench of garlic powder, three catering-sized tubs of which had been emptied around the building to confuse sniffer dogs sent into to locate the last of the protesters.

How to Cite:

Brown, J. & Warren, T., (2009) “Let Loose the Loganberries of War: Making Noise and Occupying Space in Govanhill”, field 3(1), 125–132.