"Professional Squatters" Have Taken Over Gordon Ramsay's $13 Million Dollar Restuarant In London And Posted Signs Saying It's Theirs Now
BBC - Squatters have taken over a pub owned by Gordon Ramsay in central London, which is currently up for sale with a guide price of £13m.
The group of at least six people have boarded up windows and put up a "legal warning" defending their occupation of the Grade II-listed York & Albany hotel and gastropub near Regent's Park.
The BBC understands they want to use the space as a community art cafe.
Gordon Ramsay Restaurants has been contacted for comment by the BBC.
BBC reporter Alison Earle, who is at the scene, said a notice asking for food and donations had been ripped down.
Two accounts on Instagram called the Camden Art Cafe and Autonomous Winter Shelter have posted about a "new squatted community space" at the York & Albany hotel.
I decried the state of the ounce proud city of New York, it's lawmakers, and pretty much the entire human race for allowing the entire notion of common sense and logic to evaporate from our brains completely.
Well that's all changed thanks to the fine hard working folks at the camden art cafe.
Just check out their explanation/official statement and I'm sure you'll agree.
Read our official statement !
"We are occupying the York and Albany Hotel in Camden as the collective Camden Art Cafe. We aim to open our doors regularly to anyone and everyone, particularly the people of Camden who have been victims of gentrification and parasitic projects like HS2. We provide free food, drinks, and a space to display their art without the ridiculous red-tape that galleries require people to jump over. We believe all of us and our art deserve dignity.
Camden is a borough with one of the biggest wealth disparities in London, so it seems only fitting that £13 million properties that most locals would never be able to afford to visit should be opened up to all. The York and Albany is an iconic building in Camden since its opening in the 1820s; it has withstood wars and bombs, and despite what the media says, it will withstand the potentially short but hopefully long stay we squatters have here. At a time when Camden market has been bought out by a billionaire and many longstanding local businesses are being evicted from their units, it’s even more important that we all band together in all the forms of resistance that we know and can.
We extend our particular solidarity to the Palestinian people and the longstanding residents of Drummond Street and the surrounding estates who have had their whole lives upturned by HS2.
Contact us on Instagram to get involved, share your support or donate."
https://freedomnews.org.uk/2024/04/14/why-we-squatted-gordon-ramsays-pub/
So, you thought Gordon Ramsay's wrath was reserved solely for undercooked scallops and soggy risottos? Can you fucking imagine the rage filling this guy right now over this? If Fox studios executives had a brain amongst them they'd fire up the cameras for this shit, watching Ramsey personally evict these pieces of shit.
Fuck "The World's Worst Chef" or whatever version of the same 10 shows he hosts on the network. Give us Ramsey dealing with these socialists.
The squatters, described as a merry band of at least six individuals, have wasted no time in making themselves at home. They've boarded up windows, slapped up legal warnings and even set up a makeshift wannabe art cafe.
What a noble cause – they want to turn the place into a "community art cafe." Because nothing says community like commandeering a celebrity chef's property, am I right?
Of course, Ramsay's team has been contacted for comment, but I can only imagine their reaction. Picture Ramsay himself, veins bulging, face turning the shade of a perfectly cooked lobster, as he tries to wrap his head around the fact that his pub has been hijacked by a bunch of aspiring baristas.
The scene outside the pub is straight out of a sitcom, with journalists scrambling for quotes and masked squatters sneaking in and out like characters from a low-budget heist movie. It's the kind of chaos Ramsay would probably appreciate if it weren't happening on his doorstep.
It turns out we're not the only country run by fucking idiots who write laws that hipsters who want to stick it to "the man" can find loopholes in easily.
AND, just like here, their police's hands are completely tied because people would rather infringe on somebody's property rights for the sake of respecting some piece of shit's self-proclaimed "personal right".
The Metropolitan Police have assured the public that they are aware of the situation. However, since squatting in a non-residential building isn't technically a crime in the UK, they've decided to sit this one out. Because why bother enforcing the law when you can let squatters turn a Grade A-listed property into a makeshift art gallery?
A notice taped to a door said the group had a right to occupy the venue, which they said was not a "residential building" and was therefore not subject to 2012 legislation which bans squatting in a residential building.
Signed by "The Occupiers", the notice said there was always "at least one person in occupation" and claimed any attempt to enter the premises without their permission was a criminal offence and could result in a prison sentence or fine.
"If you want to get us out you will have to issue a claim for possession in the county court or in the High Court," the note added.
Can you believe the fucking balls on these guys?
It's like that gif from the Tom Hanks stinker Captain Richard Phillips come to life.
Occupation of a person's non-residential property without their permission is not itself a crime in the UK, though police can take action if crimes are subsequently committed, including damaging the property.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said it was made aware of squatters on 10 April.
"This is a civil matter and so police did not attend the property," the force added.
Yo Metropolitan Police! Trespassing. ever heard of it?
The saddest part of all of this is we can't even make fun of those goofy British for thinking they're so much smarter and more progressive and advanced than the rest of the world, but really being fucking morons because we're guilty of this same exact shit here.
This is one of those stories that you seriously have to be alive here and now in 2024 to believe. If my grandfather was still alive today and I tried to explain this entire scenario to him I think his head would honestly explode.
The world's gone mad.
p.s. - I fuckin love Gordon Ramsey. Used to think he was all an act but I've eaten at a few of his spots and they're surprisingly pretty solid. His burger spots fucking crush and I know people that have worked at them and they rave about how they treat their employees. That said, if Gordon Ramsey needs help getting rid of these fucks, I nominate Barstool to help by making the Barstool London Satellite Office set up shop at the Camden Art Cafe.
Picture it. Ship Frank, White Sox Dave, Rico, a few other wildcards, and a dozen of the slobs who work in New York and Chicago offices and can't clean up a thing after themselves over there and those hipster socialists would clear out in a couple of days. One week tops. Especially with it now being baseball season and Mets games on a tape delay for Frank. Let's make this happen Gordon. Have your people call my people.