Police Storm Council Houses (1960)

Thu Sep 22, 1960

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Image: A crowd defends Kennistoun House 1960

On this day in 1960, bailiffs supported by about 800 police attacked both Silverdale and Kennistoun House in St Prancas, London in an effort to evict organized tenants who had been on a rent strike since January 4th.

The evening prior to the attack, a demonstration of about 500 tenants took place outside the St Pancras Town Hall, where a housing committee was being held, despite the police having banned demonstrations there. Police arrested eleven people, and there were reports of young children being charged at by mounted officers.

The attack on September 22nd began early the next day, at five in the morning. At Kennistoun House, the pickets put up a two-hour defense against the bailiffs and the police, pouring oil on them as they tried to get up the stairs, to the entrance to Don Cook’s (one of the organizers) flat on the top floor, however they were not successful in stopping his or fellow organizer Arthur Rowe’s evictions that day.