Leeds nostalgia: Squatters took over a building in Leeds in 1984 and did what...?

Leeds, 5th April 1984

Used YEP letters page

Park Lane.

Leeds City Council was today granted a possession order for the former Rates Office in Leeds City centre, occupied earlier this week by a group of "squatters".

Squatter's supporters festooned in the old rates office in Park Lane with paper today as a protest against and eviction ruling. — Leeds, 5th April 1984 Used YEP letters page Park Lane. Leeds City Council was today granted a possession order for the former Rates Office in Leeds City centre, occupied earlier this week by a group of "squatters". Squatter's supporters festooned in the old rates office in Park Lane with paper today as a protest against and eviction ruling.

Squatters who tried to take over an empty council building in the centre of Leeds were threatened with court action.

The 20-strong group, some of whom are pictured opposite looking rather relaxed, occupied the old five storey City Treasury building on the corner of Park Lane.

They were handed court summons demanding they vacate on April 4.

But the squatters were in defiant mood and pointed out they had done quite a bit of tidying up since moving in (although unfortunately the picture does not appear to bear that out).

One of their number commented: “The building was empty, we wanted to put it to good use. We occupied it on April 1, we have swept up broken glass, debris and tidied up.”

As it turned out, the paper trails seen in the picture were not of the squatters doing but were, in fact, put there by their supporters, in protest at the council’s eviction ruling.

A wave of ‘protest squatting’ swept the UK from the late 1960s and into the 1980s.

If you we recalling the incident, please get in touch with us.