Centro Iberico, London, in the 1970s was a Spanish anarchist support centre, which after moving into a

squatted Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there ...

school building in

Notting Hill Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Roa ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

became a self-managed social centre, a live venue and a studio.

Origins

Centro Iberico was initially established at

Chalk Farm Chalk Farm is a small urban district of north London, lying immediately north of Camden Town, in the London Borough of Camden. History Manor of Rugmere Chalk Farm was originally known as the Manor of Rugmere, an estate that was mentioned ...

early in the 1970s by

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlism, Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebeli ...

veterans, principal among them

Miguel García García Miguel García García (1908–1981) was a Spanish anarchist and writer. He was a political prisoner during the Franco era. In his youth, García became affiliated with anarchism and his family belonged to the Confederación Nacional del Traba ...

, twenty years a prisoner of

Franco Franco may refer to: Name * Franco (name) * Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975 * Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître" Prefix * Franco, a prefix used when ...

. Garcia and his comrades were active in the prisoner-aid group, the

Anarchist Black Cross The Anarchist Black Cross (ABC), formerly the Anarchist Red Cross, is an anarchist support organization. The group is notable for its efforts at providing prisoners with political literature, but it also organizes material and legal support for c ...

. Later, when also known as the Anarchy or Alternative ‘A’ Centre, it met in a parish hall in

Holborn Holborn ( or ) is a district in central London, which covers the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Camden and a part (St Andrew Holborn (parish), St Andrew Holborn Below the Bars) of the Wards of the City of London, Ward of Farringdon ...

, before moving in 1982 to the school building, 421 Harrow Road,

. Its original political activity would have wound down following the restoration of parliamentary government in Spain, and Garcia's death in 1981.

Bands

The centre in Notting Hill put on

anarcho-punk Anarcho-punk (also known as anarchist punk or peace punk) is ideological subgenre of punk rock that promotes anarchism. Some use the term broadly to refer to any punk music with anarchist lyrical content, which may figure in crust punk, hardcor ...

gigs by the

Mob Mob or MOB may refer to: Behavioral phenomena * Crowd * Smart mob, a temporary self-structuring social organization, coordinated through telecommunication Crime and law enforcement * American Mafia, also known as the Mob * Irish Mob, a US crim ...

, Conflict, Poison Girls and the Subhumans.

Throbbing Gristle Throbbing Gristle were an English music and visual arts group formed in 1975 in Kingston upon Hull by Genesis P-Orridge, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Peter Christopherson, and Chris Carter. They are widely regarded as pioneers of industrial music. Evolv ...

played and recorded at the centre. Future Madonna producer William Orbit began his recording career and

Guerilla Records Guerilla Records was a British record label that was founded in 1990 by Dick O'Dell and John Gosling, with William Orbit. It specialised in a style of progressive house that they preferred to call "dub house", with artists such as Leftfield, ...

whilst living there.

References

{{SquatE&W Social centres in the United Kingdom DIY culture Anarchist movements Information centres Underground culture British culture History of subcultures Counterculture Former squats Squats in the United Kingdom William Orbit Anarcho-punk venues Infoshops Social centres

Origins

Bands

See also

References