London Action Resource Centre

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The London Action Resource Centre (LARC) is a social centre in Whitechapel, London which offers support for selected individuals and groups taking direct action on social and ecological issues, or enagaging in other radical projects. Its resources include an office, computer and internet facilities, a roof garden, library, banner-making space, and meeting rooms.

Groups using the space include the London sections of Queeruption, Indymedia and Rising Tide.

LARC was conceived as an idea by a group of friends in 1999. Most had a history of involvement in direct action throughout the nineties as part of the anti-roads movement, and Reclaim the Streets. It also functions as an "info-point for Peoples Global Action.

LARC is situated in the East End of London, an area with a long history of radical and anarchist activity. The building was formerly a synagogue and at one time housed the Louise Michel International Modern School.

Despite an expressed desire to run the building a non-hierarchical collective fashion, this policy was abandoned at the Annual General Meeting in December 2004 following controversy over fascist involvement with Peoples' Global Action. Since then power rests in the hands of the Board of Directors and the monthly users meetings have become a focus group.<ref> FemBlog: LARC statement</ref>. Fascist infiltration was later proven by the people expelled from LARC working with comrades in Poland and Russia<ref> On New Right infiltration in PGA</ref>

It was the original home of an Antisystemic Library, opened on June 18, 2003.

The address of LARC is 62 Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel, London, E1 1ES.