Space Hijackers

The Space Hijackers existed mainly to change the public's perception of spaces it regularly uses, mainly by staging unexpected events. Their explicit objective was "to effect and change the physical space of architecture", and, eschewing violent protest and other forms of transparent direct action, their methods aimed "to invade and re-brand corporate space". They believed that the use of physical space is becoming more and more politicised, and thus in order to break apart from that politicization they staged events that were typically 'unusual' for that particular space, 'hijacking' it and hoping to change people's perception of the use of that space forever. They believed that increasing politicisation usually leads to increased subordination and discrimination and other forms of domination and control and so Space Hijackers claimed to seek to break down and deconstruct society's notions of space. They sought to effect this by attempting to undermine the authority of the owner's "text", confusing and re-contextualising it and thereby making apparent the possibility of an alternative future. Protests tended to be non-violent and Space Hijacker projects usually involved a good sense of fun. Protest strategy includes involving passers-by. The Space Hijackers had many contacts with other groups, including but not limited to Critical Mass, Indymedia, Rhythms of Resistance samba band, free media collective iconscious, Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping and evoLhypergrapHyCx. The Hijackers pulled several of these groups together in Anarchitecture Week 2005, a week of anti-building related activities in response to, and hosted at the same time as Architecture Week. ==Projects==

Formed in 1999, their first major action was the Circle Line Party, a party on London Underground's Circle Line which attracted around 150 people armed with sound systems, disco lights and bars all disguised as luggage. Projects of the Space Hijackers included the following: • Becoming the Official Protestors of the London 2012 Olympics • Zapatista Army of National Liberation protests • Spoof Planning Permission Applications • A Second and Third Circle Line Party • Inner-City Midnight Cricket • Running a 'professional protest stall' on the London Police march for more pay, with advice for the police on their rights as protesters G-20 London Summit During the 2009 G-20 demonstrations in London, members of the Space Hijackers protest group drove their Alvis Saracen armoured personnel carrier (known to them as "the tank") into the City of London The Saracen, which had been painted bright blue with black and white chequer stripes in a mock police livery, was equipped with CCTV. The Space Hijackers won compensation from the police, but their names and biometric data were kept on file for 18 months, allegedly because of a dispute between the Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police. == Citations ==