Apollo House: ‘It feels like a very, very sad victory’

As all but one of the Apollo House activists marched out of the building for the last time yesterday morning, the tears being shed were not because of defeat at eviction but for the loss of a place they had finally been able to call home.

“It feels like a very, very sad victory because the amount of emotion and love — love isn’t a word we use often enough in this country — the amount of emotion and love that went into that building in the last few weeks,” said Brendan Ogle, activist and trade union official.

At 11am yesterday, a day after a High Court judge refused the activists an extension to remain in Apollo House, its occupiers vacated the building claiming victory.