GORDON RAMSAY'S LONDON PUB TAKEN OVER BY SQUATTERS PROTESTING GENTRIFICATION

Camden Art Cafe and Autonomous Winter Shelter have identified themselves as the squatters.

One of Gordon Ramsay's London pubs has been overtaken by a group of squatters.

A group of at least six people have taken over the celebrity chef's York & Albany Hotel in central London, which has been vacant amid the building's sale. (It was listed for £13 million last year.) The group — who've reportedly boarded themselves in the building and glued the locks — put up a notice on the front door stating that they had the right to occupy the venue as a non-residential building, skirting legislation that bans squatting in residential buildings, according to The Sun, which first reported the news.

A spokesperson for Metropolitan Police confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that they've been made aware of the situation. "This is a civil matter and so police did not attend as an emergency call out," the spokesperson said. "However, we are in the process of identifying if any subsequent offenses have occurred and will take action where appropriate."

A rep for Ramsay declined to comment on the legal matter.

Two Instagram accounts, Camden Art Cafe and Autonomous Winter Shelter, have identified themselves as the squatters, detailing plans on social media to turn the space into an art cafe. The Camden Art Cafe account said they were protesting gentrification in a statement explaining why they've occupied the venue.

"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," they said, referencing England's controversial high-speed railway project that has drawn the ire of some environmental activists. "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 group continued, adding, "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."

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• Gordon Ramsay reveals new Idiot Sandwich show inspired by famous Julie Chen Moonves meme
• Gordon Ramsay previews the twist-filled new season of Hell's Kitchen
• EW takes a trip to Hell's Kitchen for a special challenge — get a sneak peek of the episode

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.

2024-04-15T20:24:45Z dg43tfdfdgfd