Their papers were served.
Professional squatters who took over Gordon Ramsay’s London $16.1 million pub were forced out Wednesday after they were “served papers,” while part of the resistance seemingly remained inside the dining establishment.
Members of the Camden Art Cafe, a self-described “autonomous cafe in the heart of Camden,” announced they had to leave the celebrity chef’s York & Albany pub after being given the legal documents.
“We are sad to announce Camden art collective have left the building after being served papers yesterday,” the group announced on Instagram. “We wish those left in the building the best of luck in their endeavors.”
“We hope to be a part of the community again soon.”
The group claims to have occupied the British restaurant as a form of protest for the “victims of gentrification” and the country’s high-speed railway, H2S.
“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,” the group said in an earlier post to social media.
“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.”
The restaurant had been closed when the squatters took over, while the “Hell’s Kitchen” host worked to sign over the spot to new partners in a multi-million dollar deal.
“The pub was temporarily closed while he was finalizing a new lease, and during this handover period, a gang of professional squatters somehow bypassed all the security and CCTV, and got themselves in,” a source previously told the US Sun.
The squatters had initially boarded themselves inside the building using appliances straight from the kitchen.