[Squat!net]

We forward a communiqué related to a spontaneous demonstration in the streets of Kreuzberg, Berlin, and send comradely regards:

On the January 17th a spontaneous demonstration in solidarity with the squats in Athens took place in the streets of Berlin-Kreuzberg.

At 8 pm around 50 people gathered to show their solidarity with Villa  Amalias, Skaramanga and  Lelas Karagianis, walking through the main  street of Kreuzberg.

The demonstration was not registered and most of the comrades were masked. Slogans were spray-painted, an ATM got destroyed, fireworks went off and some stuff was pulled on the street. The demonstrators were shouting “From Berlin to Greece: Fight the police!” and “Cops, Pigs, Murderers” (in Greek). A civil car of the police showed up and got chased off with stones. [Read More]

Part of the constant flow of solidarity demonstrations with squats that happen on a near-daily basis across the entire country.

Demonstration in solidarity with K-Vox [the occupied anarchist social centre by Exarcheia square]. Hands off occupations. Saturday Feb 2, noon, Exarcheia square.

Signed by the K-Vox solidarity innitiative
[Occupied London]

In January several actions took place in solidarity with the evicted and threatened spaces in Greece:

• On five houses and social centres banners were placed with solidarity messages for Villa Amalias and later also the other squats.

• On the 17th of January a banner drop took place in the city centre; the banner read: ‘Against state and fascist plans, Villa Amalias will stay a squat!’

• Anarchist poster-newspaper ‘Zwart behang’ appeared on the 18th of January with a text on the recent developments in Greece, calling out for solidarity.

• On the 24th of January comrades made a solidarity demo at night. Note that it has been very difficult for anarchists in the Netherlands to openly announce a demo and then actually make the demo without being beaten up/arrested by the police. [Read More]

“We call for a worldwide campaign of direct actions in solidarity with liberated spaces from the 2nd to the 12th of February 2013.

But we don’t want to stop after a couple of actions, because this is much more than just a reaction to repression. This is a call out to all anarchists and anti-authoritarians to fight now across the world.

Even though the recent onslaught of the Greek State against the anarchist/anti-authoritarian spectrum was the initial spark for writing this call, several examples around the globe show us that the police and municipal authorities along with giant corporations are cooperating excellently with each other, attacking solidarian structures and pacifying societies at a transnational level. During the past few weeks and months, in parts of the world, where people suffer from the systematic impoverishment and extended gentrification plans, it increasingly came to State/Capital’s attacks on radical movements, including repression against concrete forms of resistance such as land occupations, autonomous projects, company headquarters’ occupations, or strike actions. It thus deems important that we also connect our struggles worldwide, and fight back in the here and now. Action in response to attacks on squatted spaces at your location could be the spark for you. Take action on the streets and let your imagination run wild to spread the message of active resistance. [Read More]

The Autonomous Centre in Köln-Kalk is existing since almost 3 years as a space for uncommercial art, culture and autonomous politics.

The city now aims to cancel the usage contract for the building and treatens with violent eviction – in order to construct a park.

WTF?! That we won’t let happen. Expect resistance.
[Read More]

On the 19th January 2013, homeless activists and their allies squatted an empty building in the 7th district of Budapest. The squatters demanded the institutionalization of a right to housing and an extensive system of social housing instead of punitive measures and overcrowded shelters. The activists were arrested and now face misdemeanor charges because of disobeying police instructions.
[Read More]

Saturday January 19th 2013, Solidarity action took place in Zagreb in support of these spaces: Villa Amalias, Skaramanga, Radio 98FM (Greece), SJZ, LIZ (Germany), the ZAD (France) and the Assentamento Milton Santos (Brazil). Wagenburg Atlantide.
DIFFERENT PLACES – SAME BATTLE!
Stop threats, fascist attacks and evictions!

ReciKLAONICA squat, Zagreb, Croatia http://reciklaonica.blogspot.com/,

On January 14th, 2013, the 491 Gallery closed its doors for the final time.

It is now in the possession of its new owners, who intend to demolish it and build a generic block of flats. Its sister building, Vertigo, will remain. The contents of the community garden are currently subject to a preservation order, and are being transferred to a new community garden on the other side of the railway bridge.

Our home may be gone, but the family we created will live forever. Thank you everyone for twelve incredible years. You made it what it was. [Read More]

Communique originally sent to Act For Freedom Now:

In the early hours of January 16th 2013 we found a suitable canvas to express our rage and solidarity with the recent wave of attacks on anarchist/autonomous spaces in Greece.

On the pristine white wall of the Halifax bank on London Road (central Brighton) we painted “Solidarity with squats in greece” in large green letters, accompanied by A.C.A.B, a large squatter symbol and circled A in black paint. This is only a small expression of our desire to strike back in what are difficult and oppressive times for all of us. Unfortunately we do not have any pictures of our art. [Read More]

dear beloved friends of all squats and self-organised spaces,

we are absolutely impressed by the 10000+ people that have been on the streets last saturday in athens and other cities[1], showing their solidarity with all squats and self-organised spaces, with the 92 prisoners of the evicted and re-squatted Villa Amalias[2], the evicted Skaramanga squat[3] and the evicted pirate radio 98FM.. massive! [Read More]

On January 15th, at about 12.00pm, cops raided Greece’s oldest anarchist squat, Lelas Karagianni 37. Solidarians and neighbours gathered at Amerikis square and then outside the squat, trying to prevent the eviction. There were several comrades on the rooftop of the building chanting slogans, who were caught by the police. Also, two solidarians were beaten by cops on the street and detained as well. Heavy repressive forces were deployed downtown, plus a police helicopter.

Soon thereafter, more people were assembled near the evicted squat. A gathering was called for 15.00pm outside the police headquarters on Alexandras Avenue, in solidarity with the 14 squatters who were arrested from inside Lelas Karagianni, and a discussion was announced for 19.00pm in the Athens Polytechnic (entrance from Stournari street).

All of the arrested comrades were released at about 17.00pm, cops left the vicinity of the squat, and Lelas Karagianni 37 was reoccupied! [Read More]

Timeline from Contra Info, see Athens Indymedia for pictures from solidarity demo that reached the area of Evelpidon courts.

[15.36pm] Since the morning of January 12th, few hours before a large solidarity demo took place in downtown Athens, the 92 arrestees from the re-occupation of Villa Amalias were brought before an interrogating judge in the Evelpidon courthouse. Approximately 25 comrades have been released so far, without monetary bail but under the restrictive term to sign up at a police station once a month. The court proceeding will be long.

Meanwhile, solidarity actions for squats and liberated spaces took place in various Greek cities, e.g. in Thessaloniki, Patras, Chania, Rethymnon and Heraklion (on Crete), Mytilini (on Lesvos), as well as on Naxos. [Read More]