.jpg) Hand and Racquet before occupation | |
| Abbreviation | RFS |
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| Formation | 2011 |
| Founded at | 5 Bloomsbury Square, WC1A 2LX, London |
| Type | Social centre |
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| Website | web |
The Really Free School was a learning collective who gained notoriety after squatting in a series of buildings in central London in 2011 with the intention of using them as "free schools." They organised lectures and workshops, stating "in this space, aside from the fact that you will not spend one penny inside these doors, you can also come and engage in a collective learning process directed by your own desires, ideas, questions and problems."[1]
The firstsquattedfree school was at 5Bloomsbury Square in central London, close toUniversity College London andBirkbeck College. Speakers includedPaul Mason.[2] The name "Really Free School" was intended to mock the contemporaneous interest from theConservative Party (ruling the country in theCameron–Clegg coalition) infree schools.[3] The owner of the property,Peter Nahum, said that the squatters were "essentially nice, middle-class kids, who would go and wash at friends' flats nearby." He complained that it cost a lot of money to evict them and asked "Why have a free school in central London? Why not go to the poorer districts if you want to educate people?"[3]
The second occupation was at 34–35Fitzroy Square, two adjoining townhouses owned by film-makerGuy Ritchie which had previously been a language school.[1][4] When Ritchie sued for possession, the group attended the court wearingVinnie Jones masks (since Jones has appeared in several of Ritchie's films, includingLock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels).District Judge Marc Dight was unimpressed by the squatters' defence, which was presented by a law student. He ordered the squatters to leave by the evening, so they organised a peaceful leaving party which spilled over into Fitzroy Square.[5] TheFitzrovia News praised the squatters for making a stand against austerity cuts to education facilities.[6]
The group then occupied two pubs, firstly The Black Horse at 6Rathbone Place and then The Hand & Racquet at 48 Whitcomb Street.[7] The Black Horse was inFitzrovia and received support from the Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association when bailiffs attempted an illegal eviction.[8] The Hand and Racquet was in central London, next toLeicester Square and behind theNational Gallery.[9] TheDaily Telegraph wrote that "A ragtag bunch of up to 40 activists and undergraduates has exploited legal loopholes to live for free in a string of historic buildings in London. Dressed in scavenged clothes and ripped vintage tweed jackets, the squatters have struck four times in the past six weeks."[7]
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