Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh

Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh
Predecessor	Edinburgh Unemployed Workers Centre
Formation	1997; 27 years ago
Type	Infoshop and autonomous social centre
Headquarters	West Montgomery Place, Edinburgh, Scotland
Website	autonomous.org.uk

The Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh, also known as ACE, is an infoshop and autonomous social centre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1997, although it follows on from previous groups.

Antecedents

ACE formed out of the Edinburgh Unemployed Workers Centre of the 1980s, which was originally a non-partisan council office, which later split from the council when it became increasingly politicised due to the struggles of the period such as resistance to the poll tax.^[1]^[2] Glaswegian writer James Kelman gave a speech at the opening of the Edinburgh Unemployed Workers Centre^[3] which is featured in Kelman's book And the Judges said. Kelman has publicly expressed support for ACE.^[3]

Setting up

In a flyer circulated in 1996, ACE stated the following aims for the project:

Advice and solidarity against dole harassment
A meeting place for community-political groups
Radical books, 'zines, and information
A low-cost vegan cafe and drop-in centre
Local arts and crafts
Underground records, demos, t-shirts, badges
People's food co-operative
Socializing in an anti-sexist, -racist, or -homophobic environment
An epicenter of alternative/DIY kulture (Spelling and emphasis in original.)^[4]

2000s

In 2000 the following groups were using the centre: Autonomous Women of Edinburgh, Angry Youth, Edinburgh Animal Rights, Youth Solidarity Group, the Mutiny Collective and Prisoners’ Support, May Day Edinburgh, anti-terrorism bill. In 2005, the groups were as follows: Stop the War (Edinburgh), Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (Scotland), Independent Media Centre Scotland, No War but the Class War, Peace Camp, the A701 Protest Camp (the Bilston Glen antibypass campaign).^[5]

The revolutionary, class struggle anarchist news sheet Counter Information was based in the centre.^[6]^[7]

Recent events

In 2014 those involved with the ACE collective produced the statement "From Yes to Action", an attempt to understand the political context after the failed Scottish independence referendum.^[8]

In 2016 ACE supported University of Edinburgh students who occupied Charles Stewart House demanding divestment.^[9]

ACE is a founding member of Action Against Austerity.^[10]

References

^ Chris Atton, "Infoshops in the shadow of the state", in Contesting Media Power: Alternative Media in a Networked World, ed. Nick Couldry, James Curran, Rowman & Littlefield, 2003. pp 60–61
^ Young, Sarah (November 2007). "It's ACE !". Peace News. No. 2491. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
^ ^a ^b Kelman, James (10 August 2012). And the Judges Said&…: Essays. Birlinn. ISBN 9780857901415.
^ Atton, Chris (2010). Alternative Media. Sage. p. 48. ISBN 9780761967705.
^ Lacey, Anita (18 August 2016). "Networked Communities". Space and Culture. 8 (3): 286–301. doi:10.1177/1206331205277350. S2CID 145336405.
^ Couldry, Nick; Curran, James (1 January 2003). Contesting Media Power: Alternative Media in a Networked World. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780742523852.
^ Franks, Benjamin (2003). "The Direct Action Ethic". Anarchist Studies. 11 (1): 13–41. ISSN 0967-3393.
^ "From Yes to Action | Joint statement on post-referendum organising". edinburghanarchists.noflag.org.uk. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
^ "Statement in solidarity with the occupation of Charles Stewart House — National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts". anticuts.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
^ "Action Against Austerity". actionagainstausterity.wordpress.com. 5 July 2015. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.