Community protest planned over Black Cap closure
By Nick Bond
Londoners were left in shock after iconic Camden venue The Black Cap abruptly shut its doors for good over the weekend.
Now, community members have mobilised under the banner of #WeAreTheBlackCap to organise protests and events to defend the venue “that was a home and community centre for so many people”.
First up, organisers are planning a protest this coming Saturday, set to take place outside the venue. The event will double as a protest against The Black Cap’s closure and a defence of other London queer spaces under threat.
“The Black Cap is an historically significant bar and club within the LGBTQ+ community and has played a huge role in queer culture over the last 50+ years. It has been home to legendary drag queens such as Mrs. Shufflewick and Regina Fong, to name just a few. Its loss to the regular community who attend the venue is profound,” say organisers.
“The protest on Saturday is to express our anger at the unceremonious closer of such an amazing venue, to remain visible in the eyes of the public and the owners, and to mobilise the community surrounding The Black Cap to fight for its survival. We stand in solidarity with venues such as the RVT and The Joiner’s Arms and fight against the wider gentrification and closure of LGBTQ+ spaces in London.”
Following the venue’s sudden closure on Sunday, the owners, Faucet Inn Limited, issued a brief statement thanking customers for their support and explaining that “it is no longer able to operate[venue]; a site it has operated on behalf of the freeholder for the last five years.The building which was exchanged by the freeholder in December last year will complete imminently which has meant the site has had to be closed as of today. The building had been the subject of a planning permission application request to convert the upper floors which was subsequently rejected by the council.”
Organisers ask those who want to take part in the protest to head to The Black Cap (171 Camden High Street) from 1-5pm on Saturday April 18, “dressed in all your finery and fabulosity.”
