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© 2021 Corinna Kern
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 12, 2013: A resident relaxes after a rave in a squat called ‘The Castle’ on May 12, 2013, in London, United Kingdom. Once used as a five-storey office block, the building became home for more than 100 squatters and was used as a location for parties. Squatting is often a conscious choice of an alternative and communal way of living. On 1st of September 2012 the new section 144 of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill (LASPO) came into force rendering squatting in residential buildings a criminal offence. Hence, squatting can legally only be attempted in commercial premises with the result that squatters often occupy unusual premises that contradict the conventional idea of home.
