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Edinburgh Unemployed Workers' Center location 103 Broughton St., Edinburgh Tel. (031) 557-0718 mail address: 11a Forth St., Edinburgh Scotland We are the only broad based autonomous centre in Scotland & we are in danger of being shut down. Our lease has expired, but we are occupying the building 24 hrs/day to confront the threatened eviction. We ask @ists and others to: - Visit us if you can - circulate info about us in your zines and by word of mouth - send letters acknowledging solidarity The Centre is open M-F (everyday during this situation) 12-4 and offers - cheap vegan cafe - space for community and political groups (theatre group, earth 1st, hunt sabs, etc) - advice/support on benefits (welfare), and avoiding VATax, and poll/council tax, etc. - childrens playroom - info shop Brief History - 1981 Centre founded as Labour party charity during 1st wave of mass unemployment - mid-late 1980s: Centre sees an influx of independents: Claimants union, anti-work folks, anti-poll tax axctivists. This leads to 2 strands:Labour hacks and independents. - 1990 Lothian Regional Labour Council withdraws funds because of anti-poll tax activities. Official reason is "lack of funds". Centre continues with all volunteer activists. - 1991 The 7 trustees for the center are 4 independents and 3 Labour hacks. Labour hacks enter the building, change the locks, & close the bldg to the public. A couple of days later, independents reenter bldg and reopen centre. Shortly thereafter, Labour hacks break in and under the eye of the police, steal $40,000 worth of equipment. They also freeze the centre's $16,000 bank account. Centre continues to run anyway. -1994 February Labour Council inspects bldg and issues fabricated report that bldg is a fire trap and the kitchen is unhygienic. Centre volunteers get bldg inspected, prove the Labour hacks knew it was a fraud and force them to publically admit that they were lying. During this time centre workers talk to Community Council which agrees to ask for the lease and keep the centre functioning as a collective. June 14 Lease expires, occupation begins (squatting is completely illegal in Scotland) June 28 Labour COuncil meets to decide on lease issue, but Convener Brian Cavenaugh, who hates the centre, refuses to bring the issue up until centre is vacated. June 29 3 police show up at the door claiming to have received a bomb threat. We have barricaded the door and tell them we won't let them in. They go away. It is possible that the bomb threat had nothing to do with the council, but who knows.