Hat Factory

The Hat Factory was a squat and social center that was set up in 2001 and evicted in 2014 in Sydney, Australia.

History

The Hat Factory was established in 2001, as squatters set up a library, a free shop, kitchen, an assembly, movie theatre and places for people to sleep. It hosted movies, discussions, concerts, fundraisers and dinners. After the owner desired to sell the property in a context of rising house prices in the are, 50 riot police moved in, but the Hat Factory had reinforced its doors and built up barricades. The police eventually broke in with a battering ram and the squatters dispersed into the street. The house was eventually sold and the squatters were heavily demonized by the Australian media despite legal concerns being raised about the violation of tenants rights.