Massive Police Raid On Antepavilion Premises Was Unlawful

The June 2021 raid on Antepavilion’s Hackney premises by the Met Police’s Territorial Support Group has been declared unlawful by the High Court.  The Court Order comes after 18 months of Judicial Review proceedings brought by Arts and Architecture charity Antepavilion. The raid involving over 100 police targeted the 2021 Antepavilion commission ‘All Along the Watchtower’.

Under the terms of the Order the police are now required to pay Antepavilion compensation for the damage done to the buildings in the forced entry and to return all items seized from the premises, including tools, materials, documents and mobile phones.  Several people on the premises who were unlawfully arrested and detained overnight will also receive compensation.

The raid specifically targeted Watchtower, a tensegrity structure by Project Bunny Rabbit displayed on the canalside roof of Hoxton Docks, Antepavilion’s studio and Exhibition spaces.  The then Home Secretary Priti Patel had taken a close personal interest in the bamboo and tension-wire structures as one had once been used in a climate change protest.  She was even photographed at a police training centre she set up with an in-house tensegrity tower of their own construction – but which photographs show being held up by a crane.

The raid was originally claimed to have been carried out under s.18 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act but that was a legally indefensible pretext as the Police themselves eventually admitted;  they declined to defend the proceedings brought by Antepavilion and premises owner Shiva Ltd.  Antepavilion has now sought from the Met Police disclosure of documents that show who and what was really behind the decision to launch such a costly and high-profile raid on an art exhibit.   

Hackney MP Meg Hillier is being re-approached to use her parliamentary powers to get to the bottom of the Home Office involvement in the decision leading to the raid.  At the time she declined to interest herself but the court Order is expected to cause her to reconsider her obligations to a charity in her constituency subjected to such police excesses.