The Coopfunding campaign raised 98K euros, now closed, (14 July16), but the contribute pagelists various ways people for people to participate and help this cause. Also right now volunteers can`t get into as the siege is total.
Rojava Plan came to the attention of Plan C’s Rojava Solidarity Cluster earlier this year and as their Feed the Revolution fundraiserfinished ( the raised 98K euros) we contacted them to discuss their reasons for being in Rojava, what plans they have been developing, and the logic behind their fertiliser project.
We’ve also used this interview as an opportunity to find out a little more about the co-operative economy which is being developed in the region.
Information in English about the economic development of the Rojava cantons is quite limited but a useful primer by Abdurrahman Hemo, adviser for economic development in Cizîre Canton can be found here.
Plan C: Could you explain a little about the Rojava Plan: Who you are, past political experiences, what inspires you about Rojava and the logic behind the projects you are implementing.
by Darío Unai, Somonte (Córdoba)
The Andalusian Workers Union /SAT) has occupied the huge Somonte Estate for the third time
Somonte is a farm of 400 hectares located south of Córdoba in where summer temperatures reach 50C. It houses a handful of labourers, a pen of chickens and several million “wingback” mosquitoes infesting the few areas of shade.
Among the dry fields that extend beyond the horizon, the only landmark is the tower of the ultraq modern Abengoa photovoltaic plant projecting in all directions the sunlight of hundreds of reflective panels concentrated on its tip.
The anarchist unions in Andalusia campaign together with the communist SAT
Picture a day like this: You wake up and head to your job at a small company you own and manage together with your fellow workers, doing high-tech, advanced manufacturing that’s too specialized for bigger factories.
Council owned building occupied in Barcelona for Kids Learning Space
The occupation is of the former HQ of the Botanical Institute and the action is the starting point of a conference on alternative pedagogies and self-management organized by Co-maternity and shared parenting Collective Babàlia and the Ateneo Cooperative Base. (‘comaternitat i criança compartida Babàlia i l’Ateneu Cooperatiu La Base’) by David Bou
The building is located on Paseo de Jean Forestier at the foot of Montjuïc, it was mass occupied around 2 pm, after a magician and a graffiti tried unsuccessfully to open the wall doing various street theatre tricks .
An action was announced days had been via the Conference for Live Learning in Poble Sec barrio, promoted by the ‘La Base’ and their educational revolution section form Babàlia.
The ‘Fountain Square’ was the venue chosen to give the starting signal for a weekend full of activities such as lectures, concerts, workshops and a space for small children. According to the organizers, the aim of the conference is “to boost community building in the neighborhood, both among people and between generations for projects and spaces.”
La Cinètika Last Saturday a gigantic 10 screen cinema was occupied as an autonomous social center in Barcelona. The abandoned building is owned by the City Council who had failed to find a use for it. en català per sota
vegan lunch at the ocupied multi-cinema
The action began as an advertised 4 day series of debates and workshops, meals etc… with a whole range of strikers, squatters, immigrants, feminist struggles etc.. taking part.. all to be held in a local square, and beginning with a street parade around historic struggle sites.,.
The parade ended with the Cinètika occupation
The liberated area, with thousands of square meters and ten cinemas will become, henceforth, an open space in the neighborhood. The promoters of the project want to build a squatting assembly, feminist and outside the institutions. No alcohol will be sold at the venue, as the group believes that “alcoholism and drugs are a problem in the workers neighborhoods.”
True to its name (in classical Greek “that which moves”) the Cinètika hosted during the whole weekend a whirlwind of activities that have combined cleaning and clearance of the facilities with big publiv meetings on making the independent anti capitalist Palomar barrio, a series of lectures, meals and screenings of documentaries scheduled until Tuesday.( see poster)
The lobby was filled with talks and debates which have included the participation of the workers in the Telefonica struggle, the Barcelona Metropolitan Transport strikers(TMB), the Auditorium and Liceu conflicts, the movement against mortgage evictions PAH, the Union of Popular Street Vendors , All Strike, the Stop the Fare Rises platform, the writer Joni D. and the bus driver and the councillor Josep Garganté CUP.
the barrio ..’St Andrew of the Pigeon Loft’
“Refuse to continue watching passively the media circus of symbolic televised statements of the ‘new left’ institutions, while on the street there is no change in our living conditions which continue to worsen,” states the occupation manifesto entitled ‘End of the show: a letter to the districts from the new squatted cinema in Sant Andreu, published by Cinètika on Indymedia Barcelona.
“We want to equip ourselves with the tools and weapons necessary to build neighborhoods and strong communities […] able to build ways of living and meet their needs apart from and against relationships of domination and oppression that characterize today’s society “.
the agenda..to be held in a local square!
Regarding the legal aspects, sources have told the group that “although we have seen police and plain clothes patrols around the cinema, to date there has been no incident. Neither have we received messages from the City Council. ”
Indeed the City Council is in an awkward position, controlled by Barcelona en Común, and led by Ada Colau, herself an ex squatting activist against mortgage evictions , which makes an immediate eviction unlikely, but there must be intense pressure to stop the wave of occupations getting out of hand.
How is it possible to seize a multi cinema in Barcelona, but unthinkable in most other cities? The occupiers in San Andreu barrio have been active and trusted for many years, their tactics are excellent and there is a long history of anarchist type self organisation in the city.
Cinètika make this assessment of the progress of the project. “In the cracks of the Barcelona Brand Name we are making combative living spaces: a cinema opened up to fill it with life,”
The squatted bank Banc Expropriat, free social center in Gracia Barrio is threatened again after winning last year by huge public support.
a dozen demos called by the Expropriated Bank for if they are evicted
A large building in the city center has been occupied by students for autonomous assembly run living space, etc.
The Transformadors anarchist CSO was evicted while empty.
A center in Sabadell city was attacked by 50 nazis who were driven off quickly by 200 anti-nazis called on Twitter.
The classic Rimaia CSO, site of the Free University, has been re-occupied for the 5th time and is being refurbished.
the Rimaia is now re-occupied… again
The Can Vies anarchist social center, site of the 2014 eviction, riots, semi demolition and triumphant counter occupation is still being rebuilt amid a host of new activities……
Can Vies ‘Flowers from the Rubble’
original i més info en catalá
Primavera okupa a Barcelona
La Cinètika obre les portes dels antics cinemes Lauren a Sant Andreu de Palomar i l’Assemblea de Joves de Cassoles ja té casal. Aquest matí, l’Ajuntament ha desallotjat un CSOA Transformadors buit
Pas de la cercavila per la plaça Orfila, on es va fer memòria de les càrregues de la Guàrdia Urbana després del desallotjament del CSO La Galia, a principis dels 2000
1-2. No és el resultat d’un partit de futbol, sinó el balanç que fa dels darrers tres dies el moviment okupa de la ciutat. Dissabte al matí, una cercavila finalitzava amb l’obertura al públic del cinema abandonat del passeig de Fabra i Puig, rebatejat com la Cinètika, on se celebraran fins dimarts les Jornades per un Palomar Autònom i Anticapitalista. El mateix dissabte a la tarda, l’Assemblea de Joves de Cassoles alliberava un local al carrer Bertran, que esdevindrà el nou casal juvenil de Sant Gervasi. Avui al matí, al Fort Pienc, l’Ajuntament ha fet efectiu el desallotjament del CSOA Transformadors, i s’ha trobat l’edifici buit. L’assemblea del centre social ha convocat una concentració de resposta avui dilluns a les vuit de vespre davant la seu del Districte de l’Eixample.
Les darreres setmanes s’han obert les portes de grans edificis abandonats, com la Nova Rimaia, a Sant Antoni, o la Residència d’Estudiants Okupada, al cor del Raval
La revifada de l’okupació és un fet als barris de Barcelona. Les darreres setmanes s’han obert les portes de grans edificis abandonats, com la Nova Rimaia, a Sant Antoni, o laResidència d’Estudiants Okupada, al cor del Raval. L’alliberament d’immobles buits per transformar-los en habitatges també és una tendència creixent a barris com Vallcarca i Sant Andreu. Els moviments socials de la Vila de Gràcia s’organitzen davant l’amenaça de desallotjament imminent del Banc Expropiat, que crida a apropar-se a l’exsucursal de Travessera de Gràcia tan bon punt arribi la comitiva i a manifestar-se a les 20 h del mateix dia a la plaça Revolució. L’endemà, estan convocades, de moment, concentracions solidàries a mitja dotzena de barris de Barcelona.
Aquesta darrera onada d’usurpacions arriba marcada per un element característic: molts dels nous espais alliberats són propietat de l’Ajuntament de Barcelona. És el cas de Transformadors, la Cinètika, un immoble okupat a Sarrià o l’antiga comissaria de la Policia Nacional espanyola que acull des del novembre el Casal Popular Tres Lliris, al carrer Torrent de l’Olla. Avui a les 9 del matí, el govern de Barcelona en Comú complia amb el seu propòsit de desallotjar el primer d’aquests espais, el CSOA Transformadors.
Palomar autònom
Fa cinc anys que una tàpia envolta els abandonats multicines Lauren del passeig de Fabra i Puig. Durant aquest temps, l’Ajuntament de Barcelona, propietari de l’immoble, parlava de diversos projectes per donar-li ús, però tot havia quedat en res… fins dissabte. La inauguració de la Cinètika va posar la cirereta final a una cercavila que va recórrer els carrers de Sant Andreu de Palomar fent parada als indrets més significatius de la memòria anticapitalista i autònoma de l’antic poble del pla de Barcelona. El cinema alliberat, amb milers de metres quadrats i deu sales de projecció, esdevindrà, a partir d’ara, un espai obert al barri. Les impulsores de l’okupació volen construir un projecte assembleari, feminista i al marge de les institucions. No es vendrà alcohol al recinte, ja que el col·lectiu considera que “l’alcoholisme i les drogues són un problema als barris populars”.
A la Cinètika, no es vendrà alcohol, ja que el col·lectiu considera que “l’alcoholisme i les drogues són un problema als barris populars”
Fent honor al seu nom (en grec clàssic, “la que es mou”) la Cinètika ha acollit tot el cap de setmana una voràgine d’activitats, que han combinat les tasques de neteja i habilitació de les enormes instal·lacions amb els actes de les Jornades per un Palomar Autònom i Capitalista, una sèrie de xerrades, àpats i, projeccions de documentals, programades fins dimarts. El vestíbul s’ha omplert de xerrades i debats que han comptat amb la participació de les treballadores en lluita de Telefònica, TMB, l’Auditori i el Liceu, així com de l’Obra Social de la PAH, el Sindicat Popular de Venedors Ambulants, Vaga de Totes, la Plataforma Stop Pujades, l’escriptor Joni D. i el conductor de bus i regidor de la CUP Josep Garganté.
Una de les sales dels multicines Lauren del passeig de Fabra i Puig, abandonat des de fa cinc anys fins a l’okupació del passat cap de setmana / Marc Rude
“No volem continuar contemplant passivament el circ mediàtic de les declaracions simbòliques i televisades de la ‘nova esquerra’ institucional, mentre al carrer no canvia res i les nostres condicions de vida continuen empitjorant”, expressa el manifest titulat Fi de l’espectacle: una carta als barris des del nou cinema okupat de Sant Andreu, que la Cinètika ha publicat al servidor Indymedia. “Volem dotar-nos de les eines i les armes necessàries per a construir barris i comunitats fortes […] capaces de construir formes de viure i satisfer les seves necessitats al marge i en contra de les relacions de dominació i opressió que caracteritzen la societat actual”.
Pel que fa als aspectes legals, fonts del col·lectiu ens han explicat que “tot i que hem vist molta presència de patrulles i secretes als voltants del cinema, fins ara no s’ha produït cap incident. Tampoc no ens ha arribat cap missatge de l’Ajuntament”. A la Cinètika fan una molt bona valoració de la marxa del projecte. “En les escletxes de la marca Barcelona creixen espais vius i combatius: obrim un cinema abandonat per omplir-lo de vida”, expressava el col·lectiu des del seu compte de Twitter.
Cassoles ja té casal
Dissabte a la tarda, un grup de joves de Sant Gervasi de Cassoles –o simplement Cassoles, en toponímia laica– alliberaven un local per tal d’obrir-hi un casal, al número 24 del carrer Bertran. L’Assemblea de Joves del barri, impulsora de la iniciativa, feia tres anys que patia la mancança d’un espai on desenvolupar la seva activitat, després del desallotjament del Casal Popular Manuel de Pedrolo, situat al mateix carrer.
L’Assemblea havia engegat la campanya “No tenim lloc” per reivindicar la necessitat de locals, però denuncien que el govern municipal no ha respost a les seves exigències
Vinculada a esplais i caus de la zona, l’Assemblea havia engegat la campanya “No tenim lloc” per reivindicar la necessitat de locals pels col·lectius i entitats cassolencs. El govern municipal, però, no ha respost a les seves exigències. “Davant d’aquesta situació precària i indigna, hem decidit donar vida a un espai mort des de fa més de vuit anys. Entenem que la falta de voluntat resolutiva de l’Administració davant les demandes que hem presentat és un senyal inequívoc d’immobilisme enfront del jovent del barri, i la negació d’un dret bàsic com el que reclamem. La solució és clara: o ho solucionem nosaltres mateixes, o ens esperen més hiverns al carrer”, exposa l’Assemblea de Joves de Cassoles en un comunicat.
“Transformadors”
El juliol de l’any passat, una vintena de persones van okupar l’edifici de Transformadors, al carrer Ausiàs March. Els fets van generar una polèmica important al barri, ja que feia anys que diversos col·lectius i entitats reclamaven a l’Ajuntament, propietari de l’immoble, que els cedís l’espai. Avui a les nou del matí, agents de la Guàrdia Urbana han accedit a l’edifici, que en aquell moment era buit.
L’entrada al CSOA Transformadors, custodiada per la Guàrdia Urbana després del desallotjament / Jesús Rodriguez
A les dotze han arribat dos camions de BAGURSA, la societat mercantil encarregada de l’àmbit urbanístic de l’Ajuntament de Barcelona, i els operaris han començat a tapiar portes i finestres. Poca gent s’ha quedat a testimoniar el desallotjament. El col·lectiu ha valorat els fets a través del seu blog: “Tracten així de sepultar l’accés a una cultura lliure i llibertària per la qual nosaltres seguirem lluitant”. L’assemblea de l’espai convoca també una concentració avui dilluns a les vuit del vespre a les portes de la seu del Districte de l’Eixample, al número 311 del carrer Aragó, “en rebuig a aquest desallotjament i en suport a tots els espais autogestionats que practiquen l’autonomia real”.
lunatic police response to attack on traffic warden
Activists in Berlin warned on Sunday that they would exact €1m in revenge for any more mass police raids on their squats and other ‘projects’ in the capital, after luxury cars were burned at the weekend.
Burned-out cars in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district.
“With the burning up of excessive luxury cars, the destruction of a surveillance camera and the smashing in of display windows, we refer to the call of autonomous groups on January 21st to cause €1 million of damage for any attack on projects in Berlin,” the unknown authors wrote on indymedia.
On Friday and Saturday nights, dozens of cars were destroyed ar damaged in the capital by hooded attackers, none of whom were arrested.
The claim of responsibility posted online on Sunday seemed to confirm city interior senator Frank Henkel’s belief that “left-wing slobs” were behind the attacks, with the authors saying they would cause €1m of property damage for attacks on left-wing ‘projects’ in Berlin.
Police reported that between 20 and 40 masked people on bicycles had burned four high-value cars and damaged 24 others on Friday night around the Gleisdreieck park in the south-central Kreuzberg district.
Late on Saturday, a similar incident occurred, with witnesses reporting a crowd of between 50 and 100 masked perpetrators damaging around 20 cars.
More cars reportedly burned over the weekend in the Charlottenburg and Gesundbrunnen districts.
“We won’t leave the streets to this far-left mob,” Henkel said on Sunday, adding that the city’s internal security services – who are responsible for politically motivated crimes – were investigating.
Confrontation in ”danger zone”
Henkel, who is responsible for city security policy, has become a particular target figure after declaring the Nordkiez area in eastern district Friedrichshain a “danger zone” in November.
Friedrichshain remains one of the strongholds in Berlin of the squatter movement, with a number of buildings that have remained occupied since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and German reunification.
Occupied buildings in the district are seen as landmarks in the left and anarchist scene in the capital.
Many left-wingers and mainstream politicians criticized the raid as disproportionate at the time and reminiscent of past incidents when squats have been completely cleared to make way for development.
Sunday’s claim of responsibility left no doubt about a link to the raid in Rigaer Straße.
Left-wing demo mostly peaceful
Anger over the “danger zone” and continuous police pressure were also the basis for a demonstration on Saturday under the title “Rebellious Neighours, Neighbourhoods with Solidarity, City from Below”.
Left-wing activists in Friedrichshain believe that the city is using police and security policy to clear them out in preparation for the area to be gentrified like other nearby districts.(Full of luxury cars).
“For people like Frank Henkel… the Nordkiez is an area which has to be totally pacified or a problem that has to be sorted out,”the organizers wrote.
“For those of us who live, reside and work here, the Nordkiez is above all one thing: a place of resistance with a long history and the most variied ways of life based on collectivity and solidarity.”
The demo went ahead under heavy police control, with dozens of police vehicles and around 1,200 officers flooding the streets of Friedrichshain.
While it was mostly peaceful, some bottles and rocks were thrown at police. Five police officers were reportedly injured and two people were arrested.
Squatting & the property question – Personal Possessions & Communal Property v Private Property
After an illegal eviction on Phibsborough Rd. in June much debate arose surrounding the legitimacy of the squatters and their rights to take over empty and unused properties and put them to use. This piece looking at the issue of squatting and property rights was written by a WSM member and an An Spreach member who were evicted on that day from the property.
—Personal Possessions & Communal Property v Private Property—
While one’s immediate reaction to using and living in an empty home or putting workplaces/land to use that is legally owned by another individual or company may immediately be that it is illegitimate or morally wrong, this article aims to deconstruct the argument that individuals, legal or real should be able to dominate and/or control property for their exclusive use, or to leave it rot at the expense of others.
The ideas and justifications for private property go to the heart of the capitalist/statist system and its ability to control resources and the means to life to the exclusion, exploitation and detriment of the majority of the planet’s population.
What is private property?—’property is theft!’
Within the capitalist world, capitalist ideologues use the word ‘property’ to mean anything from a toothbrush to a workplace, this understanding of the word property has filtered into everyday use—however this is a false use of the word property. Its use in this context convinces people to associate their personal possessions with the monopolization of the means of life (private property). Essentially, private property is the domination and control of resources (land/workplaces/food ect .) by individuals, which is backed up overwhelming by force (the state). Take, for example, Irish water. Denis O’brien and his cohorts control (dominate) the company to their own ends and profits and the state uses the gardai to back it up when their operations are disrupted by legitimate protestors fighting for their rights and livelihoods. This the how the relationship between private property and the state operates.
The quote above, ‘property is theft’, which is taken from the French anarchist Proudhon forms the basis of the anti-capitalist attack on private property. The reasoning behind the statement that property is theft is that the Earth and all of the things produced by humans are the cumulative products of thousands of years and generations of work, science, innovation and production. Continue reading The 1% own half the World: Property is theft: here’s why…→
PAH Barcelona 
