It was Once Much Easier to inhabit public space.

December 2, 2011 2:14 PM

Seeing so many Occupiers getting evicted made me think of this short 1988 documentary by Nancy Kalow on homeless squatter punk teens in the Bay Area (warning:cringe-inducing rapping in the opening scene). From their stories, it seems as if they had free reign of the abandoned Berkeley Polytech building for a while. Readers of Cometbus who aren't from the Bay Area can see a bit of the scene he made sound so attractive. 1993 sequel, The Losers Club.
posted by shushufindi (5 comments total)

I say homeless squatter punk teens are a terrific addition to a beautiful urban environment.
posted by Yakuman at 2:41 PM on December 2, 2011 [2 favorites]

Oh man, I can't wait to watch this (with more time and a better connection). Years ago (about 2 years after this film was made) I worked with street kids in Portland, OR while working on my Social Work degree. Just watching the first couple minutes was like a huge flashback in time for me.

So many cool kids, coming from such unbelievable backgrounds, and rising above so much. It inspires me still to think of them. Thanks for posting this.
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 2:52 PM on December 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

Ya'll Cometbus readers should come over and help flesh out his TvTropes article.
posted by wayland at 3:37 PM on December 2, 2011

Does it make sense to draw a distinction between squatting in an abandoned building and taking up residence in a public park, thereby preventing non-residents from enjoying it?
posted by DC Centrist at 4:01 PM on December 2, 2011

Does it make sense to draw a distinction between squatting in an abandoned building and taking up residence in a public park, thereby preventing non-residents from enjoying it?

This is why we can't have nice things.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 7:03 PM on December 2, 2011