As you may be aware, Sainsbury’s have applied to the council for permission to open a new supermarket on the site of the old Taj shop on St James street.
We have seen that there is a widespread opposition to this in the local community.
Another supermarket owned by a big corporation will put even more pressure on the local independent businesses in these already harsh economic times. After all, Taj itself closed down because of the recession.
As our city and our lives become increasingly commercialised in the wake of all of this, the last thing we need is another clone supermarket muscling in on what was once a unique and independent local street.
So we have decided to take direct action to try and stop these plans going ahead by occupying the building to make it available for free to everyone. This was a tactic that successfully managed to prevent a Tesco being built on Lewes Road last year and it can work again with enough support.
By occupying the building, we are reclaiming a private commercial space as a community one. Somewhere where we can find one another, make it our own, use it, and even organise collectively against cuts and corporatisation and for our communities.
By coming down to the building, signing our petition, lending a hand or creative input, and showing your support in other ways, you will be helping to demonstrate in a practical way that economic crisis is not an excuse for corporate takeover of our city.
So please feel very welcome to come down to the old Taj shop, talk to the people there and get involved in creating this as an open community space!
In Solidarity
The Taj Occupiers
For access or any other information, call: 07968 389056.
https://kemptown.wordpress.com/
sabotaj@riseup.net
kemptown 
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We don’t need yet another supermarket in Brighton to contribute to the stifling of small, local shopping outlets.
I used to live in Kemptown and used the Taj all the time for buying those huge sacks of rice and all the great spices they had (and the amazing array of veg they had!). It was always a nice atmosphere so very sad to hear they went bust.
Just an idea but the New Economics Foundation (NEF) did a report on ‘clone town britain’, perhaps you get some response from them to boost your press?
http://www.neweconomics.org/projects/clone-town-britain
Please note the petition to sign is the official City Council one which will trigger a Council Enquiry when it gets to 1250 before 14th March (currently at 484 today 21st Feb)
DOH!! Here is the Petition link: http://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=184&RPID=916828&HPID=916828
I think a great use for this space would be get all the local businesses , green grocers, butchers, hardware, bakers, and give them all a stall inside the shop. It would be like a supermarket but with the best of everything all in one place!