From 1981 to 1999, 121 Railton Road in Brixton operated as a squatted autonomous centre known as the 121 Centre. The address had previously been squatted, in 1972, by members of the Brixton Black Panthers:
Olive Morris and Liz Turnbull became the first successful squatters of private property in Lambeth when they occupied a flat above a launderette in Railton Road. Successfully fighting off attempts at illegal eviction, they set an example for hundreds of homeless young people in Brixton and the flat remained squatted for many years.
The address became a lasting symbol of resistance, later hosting Black community meetings and the Sabaar Bookshop.
There is a single SDS report dating from 1976 when the Sabaar Bookshop operated from the building.
From 1981, 121 Railton Road became a community hub, housing a bookshop, café, gig space, printing facilities and meeting rooms.
It hosted activist groups such as Anarchist Black Cross, Brixton Squatters’ Aid, and AnarQuist, and ran regular events including punk gigs, queer nights, women’s cafés and political meetings.
The address was spied on by HN85 Roger Pearce (‘Roger Thorley’) during this time, appearing as a named target in SDS annual reports from 1981.
It also featured in Metropolitan Police and in MI5 analysis of the 1981 Brixton Riots (or uprising) investigating ‘subversive’ and anarchist influences on the riots.
After Lambeth Council obtained a possession order in 1999, the squatters launched a public resistance campaign with protests, publications, and creative actions.
As eviction loomed, the squatters barricaded the building and hosted a large street party with music, performances, and community activities, drawing more than 500 people.
Despite 86 days of resistance, the squat was forcibly evicted on 12 August 1999 by bailiffs and armed police.
Sources:
Various. Squatting: The Real Story.
Urban75. Brixton: 121 Centre: urban75 remembers one of Brixton’s finest squatted community centres.