Reclaim Brixton protest marred after ‘idiot’ smashes estate agent window

One man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after a protest organised against the gentrification of Brixton turned violent.

The demonstration, organised by Reclaim Brixton, was attended by thousands of people but was overshadowed by an attack on the store front of estate agents Foxtons.

On one side of the road, the hated Foxtons. On the other, a steel pan duo playing ‘Karma Chameleon’. #reclaimbrixton! pic.twitter.com/ffHGDQvyKe

— Rhoda Dakar (@RhodaDakar) April 25, 2015

Police were forced to use CS spray to disperse a group of violent protesters, who also sprayed ‘yuppies’ and ‘no evictions’ on windows.

A group of protesters also forced their way into Brixton Town Hall and were forcibly removed by police.

1000s of homes demolished, families driven out to Stoke/St Leonards; but #TwitterYuppies upset Foxtons window get put in #reclaimbrixton — glyn harries (@hackneyglyn) April 25, 2015

Organisers claimed there were ‘saddened’ by the violent actions of ‘one idiot’.

They claimed Foxtons had a reputation for expensive properties but insisted the rest of the protest was peacefully observed.

This comes after Palme D’Or winner Ken Loach told SW Londoner that he was proud of Brixton’s ‘history of resistance’ and strong socialist voice.

Grime superstar Big Narstie also threw his weight behind the campaign saying that he worried that creative potential and Brixton’s identity was under threat due to the ‘hollowing out’ of the community.

#reclaimbrixton #wordonthestreet #savebrixtonarches ‘are you listening Lambeth?’ pic.twitter.com/3bHEBs4uWJ

— Reclaim Brixton (@ReclaimBrixton) April 25, 2015

A statement on the Reclaim Brixton Facebook page read: “The fight against gentrification starts here! Brixton is widely known for its vibrancy, which is another word for social and cultural diversity.

“But Brixton’s vibrancy now has a question mark on it. Will Brixton turn into a living museum or will it live?”

Today Brixton’s community has come together to protest against the evictions & gentrification. It’s not about Foxtons #reclaimbrixton — Vanessa Furey (@VanessaFurey) April 25, 2015