Belgrade: Refugees evicted from the squatted warehouses

20170511_eviction_belgrade_8Serbian authorities evicted the barracks behind the main train station of Belgrade today. During the eviction officials of the commissariat sprayed insecticides in the barracks at a time as many refugees were still inside.

The eviction of the barracks behind the main train station started at 07:30am this morning. The ministry of Labor, Social and Veteran Affairs announced the “relocation” of refugees from the barracks on May the 5th. According to Nenad Ivansevic, State Secretary of this Ministry, the plan was to complete the eviction within 20 days. Authorities were misleading reporters by saying that they would not use force to “transfer” the refugees. An eviction is always forced when people don”t leave voluntarily but because of an eviction order.

Yesterday it already became clear that Serbian authorities would evict much faster as Ivansevic said. Several kitchen collectives were told by Serbian authorities to stop providing food to refugees by the weekend and yesterday authorities announced that they will start to demolish the barracks at 07:00am. [Read More]

Vienna: Squat in Kienmayergasse 15 evicted. And now?

201704_Kienmayergasse_15_ViennaThe occupation of the house in Kienmayergasse 15 is over, but the struggle goes on!
Noone left the house voluntarily! Noone fulfilled the demands of the owner and noone left voluntarily! At the time of the eviction there was noone home, but that doesn’t mean that the occupiers didn’t prefer to stay! That the police evicted the building based on an action for eviction of the owner „Vestwerk“, shows clearly who the law and the its executioners are protecting: property, profit, power,… Those who don’t these things loose, get displaced, become the affected ones of a capitalist logic of exploitation, which they didn’t choose.
To live a self determined life noone needs neither a law nor executioners, noone who decides over our homes to make profit out of it. What we’d rather need is solidarity within the neighborhood, a net of mutual support and an atmoshpere in which the police and the owner know, that they can’t play with our lifes and do what they want with us.

This was stated in the public announcment of the occupation „In these days it’s not about raising awareness of empty houses or demand something from the city. But it’s about raising awareness of the conditions and starting something, getting aware of the own strength, not letting ’em take anything from us, not letting ’em displace us, celebrating the neighborhood and supporting ourselfs mutually.“
And if this occupation succeded in anything, than it was this!
It’s a pity, that the house is empty again now and that the owner put a private security company in front of it. But what they cannot take from us is, that people got to know each other, started connecting, expressed mutual solidarity,… [Read More]

Thessaloniki: About the eviction of the squatted house Albatross

albatross_evictionIn the morning of Wednesday the 5th of April, the police, led by an OPKE unit, evicted a house in Ano Poli, Thessaloniki. Under the threat of fire-weapons, 13 people were arrested and brought to the police station in Monastiriou. The cops refused to let the arrested use their right to contact a lawyer and get translators for 5 hours. 9 people that came to in solidarity were also brought to the “megaron” and kept 3 hours for identity control. One of them now faces the charge of resistance after the pigs beat him up.

During the day, 2 people had to be transferred to the hospital : one with a severe head-wound after the treatment he received in the police station (the physical and psychological violence of the cops following him even in the walls of the hospital) ; the other because of his health, the pigs refusing for hours to take in consideration his signed appointment with a doctor for this precise day, and for hours refusing giving their prescribed medication to him and another person.

After 32 hours, only 12 people were set free before the trial, one being kept imprisoned for having no paper. He may stay in up to six month for this only, and is also accused, like the others, of both squatting and damaging private property. The asylum process in Greece is still so insufficient that thousands of people are not able to obtain a “legal status” and have therefore no possibilities to get access to accommodation or other forms of support. Living in a squat is often the only option they have. [Read More]

Amsterdam: News from Wijde Heisteeg 7

We, the living group of Wijde Heisteeg 7 are facing the court case against our evection. This is a call out for everybody to come and show support on the 8th December at 09:30 at Parnassusweg, for the court case of Wijde Heisteeg 7 against the state. The O.M. decided that we should leave the house, for the very important reason of putting antikraak inside. We kind of disagree with this idea of being on the street just because, so we will go to court. If you want we can meet at 08:45 at Wijde Heisteeg 7 Amsterdam, to go together.

Update 25/12/2016 - Eviction Wijde Heeisteg 7 - On Friday 23rd December, less than 16h after the negative verdict for WH7 the cops and construction worker show up at 8 am and evict the house with the inhabitants and their animals inside. Everyone gets arrested and the dog and cat were put also in the police van and transport to Marnixstraat main police station. the animals could go from police station free after one hour. The 4 arrested were kept in custody for squatting until 10.30 at night. 3 of them were released . The last one because unpaid fines was sent to Zuidoost cellencomplex and then to different prisons in center Holland. Today midday that person also get released, so right now everyone is free.
Kraken gaat door. [Read More]

São Paulo (Brazil): Dozens of buildings are squatted against the backdrop of social movement against austerity

Une

During the night between Sunday 30 October and Monday 31, dozens of buildings were squatted in São Paulo. The action was coordinated by several homeless movements, including the FLM (Frente de Luta por Moradia) and the MMPT (Movimento de Moradia Para Todos).

Beyond the struggle for housing, the action was also made in solidarity with the current social movement against austerity measures taken by the government.

[Read More]

Dublin: Huge Grangegorman squat complex evicted for second time

201608_Dublin_Grangegorman_2nd_evictionThe massive complex of squatted buildings at Grangegorman was evicted for a second time in early August, this time its likely to be permanent at the plan is to build a huge number of expensive to rent student apartments on the site.
The eviction was anticipated and a lot of material was moved over the days around August 11th when ‘heavies’ broke through the gates but were told to back off and allow time for material to be moved out when the Garda arrived. The squatters were quietly moving to another large abandoned building nearby that had been squatted recently, the Debtors Prison on Halston street. Central Dublin is full of such abandoned buildings despite the worst housing crisis in the history of the state. Welcome to Ireland 2016 where protecting the rights of vulture funds to make millions come far, far ahead of needs of those without secure accommodation.

Parts of the Grangegorman site had been abandoned for 20 years as they were assembled into a speculative land package. The total site included 3 very large warehouses, 3 houses and 2 office buildings and a shop as well as one enormous central courtyard and a number of smaller ones. With the 2009 crisis the original developer ended up in NAMA who evicted the site a little over a year ago and then sold it to more property speculators, details below. This new group then abandoned the site so was occupied once more a few months ago and has provided housing to up to 30 people since then as well as being the site of art performances and solidarity fundraisers. [Read More]

Warsaw (Poland): We do not agree with the destruction of the ROD gardens!

Warsaw, August 10th 2016

 ROD is the name of a community garden project located in Warsaw city, Poland. It is cared for by a collective linked to the European network Reclaim the Fields. RTF opposes itself to land-grabbing in Europe and to the global food market. On the area of abandoned allotment gardens, the collective garden allows for the production of high-quality food, independent energy sources and technologies alternative to those having a destructive impact on our environment. ROD is a horizontaly-organized open space in which knowledge and skills are transferred freely and in an accessible way.

  [Read More]

Thessaloniki: Orfanotrofio evicted. Black & Red Call for transnational solidarity

20160727_Orfanotrofio_squat_evicted_3Since this morning (27/07) the cops have invaded 3 housing squats, which host refugees and immigrants, these are orfanotrofio, the one on Nikis boulvrd. and the recently squatted on C. Dill str. (Hurriya). 83 people were detained and there is information about over 75 arrests with the accusation of “civil peace disturbance”. The procedure of the demolition of Orfanotrofio has already started, while people who were in the building and were in need of medication were not allowed to take it. —- The refugees and immigrants are transferred to detention centers and the solidaries were dragged into police detention buildings and courts. Some time later comrades have clashed with the cops in front of the entrance of syriza’s office in Thessaloniki and occupied it. The far-right bastards of syriza go smoothly hand in hand with ND (nea dimokratia, right-wing party in power before syriza’s election), anthimos (the metropolit, church’s highest officer in Thessaloniki) and all the rest pile of shit, consisting the long arm of repression. With a non-seen before operation of revenge against no border camp, they attack in the crack of dawn on families of refugees in their own homes and on the solidaries. Power reveal its teeth again and they are completely rotten, as the bankrupt world of state and bosses is. None of us is afraid of them. Our comrades through syriza’s office occupation demand the immediate release of all the arrested locals and migrants, the stoppage of the demolition of Orfanotrofio, cops out of our homes and lives. [Read More]

Thessaloniki: Squats raided and evicted

20160727_Orfanotrofio_squat_evicted_1In a move unprecedented in times of “democracy”, the Greek government raided and evicted today, 27 July in the early morning, three squats in the city of Thessaloniki, which were being used as shelter for refugees.
The message the left wing government wants to transmit is that there is no space for solidarity and self-managed responses to the ordeal of the refugees, only the state’s charity and the confinement, marginalisation and selective deportation carried out by a government that follows to the letter the criminal immigration policies of the EE.
The eviction comes only a couple of days after the end of the No Border Camp in Thessaloniki, which united thousands of activists from throughout the continent to protest these very policies.
One of the squats, Nikis, has been a long standing squat in Thessaloniki, which was opened up to refugee families with the onset of the refugee crisis. Another one, Orfanotrofeio, was (re)occupied last year with the express purpose of giving shelter to immigrant and refugees in a self-managed way. The third one was occupied only a few days ago in the very centre of the city for the same purpose.
Orfanotrofeio was evicted and immediately demolished. Under the rubble were buried tons of medicine, food, clothes and first necessity items that were destined for refugee families, as well as the occupants’ personal belongings. [Read More]

Utrecht: Squatters trying to resquat a house

Today a group of squatter tried to resquat an unused building in utrecht. The first cop that arrived told the officer of duty that they went to the building because they got a phone call from the squatters, saying that they (the squatters) squatted the building. The officer of duty replied that this was not the case: they got a phone call from a neighbor that there were burglars. Coincidentally, a call concerning burglary is a reason to enter a house, a call explaining a squat is not. Was this miscommunication?
The cops found an empty window, called the anti-squat company (who was doing a very good job) to come and accuse everyone inside of burglary, so the cops could ‘lawfully’ remove them. When the anti-squat company came, the squatters went out by themselves. There were no arrests or fines. We will see what happens to the building now… [Read More]

Hungary: Call for support from Occupy City Park Budapest

20160318_Varosliget_BudapestHello! We in Hungary are in deep protest. The government decided to demolish part of our City Park (Városliget). We don’t like this. So on march 17th 2016, when they started to cut down trees, it was enough. Men and women jumped over the fence, broke the barrier and it was over. Since then, we occupy the area. It is a pretty big complex more than 5 buildings, several floors with its own garden and parking area in the middle of this huge park. There are over 20 people living here now. We build, create, imagine. We started actions outside of camp too, with more or less success. This created lot of attention from the public, so the power holders decided to take action. This is where everyone comes into picture. We need help. We need to grow rapidly, to transform. We need people from all over the globe with experience in nonviolent protest. We have food, place to sleep, love to share. Please please help us with your presence.

Statement from Ligetvédők, Occupy City Park Budapest

We the Ligetvédők (Occupy City Park Budapest) have been occupying this area for more than 100 days, for we think it is unjust and harmful to transform Városliget (City Park) into a museum district (Liget Budapest Project). We are locals, civilians and experts, among whom many have been protesting for years against this huge prestige-investment. [Read More]

Berlin: Dispatches from occupied Rigaer94

R94

It has now been over a week since our doors were first cut off, cops and security intruded into our housing project, installing themselves in our stairways and other previously collective spaces. From then, the speedy and aggressive eviction and destruction of the ground level of our home began. Our social space, the Kadterschmiede, along with our workshop, laundry, attic and garden were stripped of all recognition in clouds of dust and mortar, while rubbish skips were filled with our belongings and collective histories.
[Read More]