[Squat!net]

27 november 2008 – On this day we will conduct a protest march against the eviction order for our house. Everybody come!

25 november 2008 – We have now hung several banners in front of our windows! https://squat.net/celebes/spandoeken/banners.jpg

8 november 2008 – This letter has been distributed in the neighbourhood. Read the full background story here: https://squat.net/celebes/background8nov.html

Neighbourhood letter and summary of background story

November 6th, 2008

Dear neighbors,

We, the squatters of Celebestraat 33/34 ground floors, are being evicted from our home. The new owner claims that he plans to renovate the social housing apartments and sell them at a high price. The judge has decided to evict us but is her decision just? We disagree and therefore we refuse to leave voluntarily.

[Read More]

On Thursday 27th of November an open public meeting is being held in The St Pauls Learning Centre at 6.30pm to discuss this situation. Supporters of the rooftop protesters will be in attendance to answer questions, respond to local concerns and open a dialogue with PfP.

Places for People are publicly invited to state and openly discuss what their intentions for 87 Ashley Road are. This will help assure everyone that they are in fact going to rehouse people on the housing waiting list.

We hope you can attend. For further information contact: Email: 87AshleyRoad [at] gmail [dot] com Phone:07722 786 379

Background:

On November 12th 2008 Places for People (PfP) executed an eviction order on 87 Ashley Road, a squatted building occupied by 20 people who have been made homeless by this action. This building was unused by PfP for four years and left empty until May 2008 when squatters working to house as many people as possible moved in. PfP have refused all attempts to negotiate a mutually benifical agreement, repeatedly submitted incorrect possession claims to Bristol Magistrates courts and threatened illegal eviction. At one stage the sitting magistrate called PfPs representation “a right dog’s breakfast.”

[Read More]

Wednesday November 19, 2008

They’ve been up there for a week! To draw attention to the continuing roof top occupation of 87 Ashley Road there will be daily demonstrations outside from 4pm-6pm. All welcome. Spread the word.

http://bristol.indymedia.org/attachments/nov2008/460_0___30_0_0_0_0_0_dscf0004.jpg

Resistance is fertile and on roof tops.

Indymedia-Bristol

On Friday 14th November 2008, late in the night, police violently – and without any notice given to the owners – entered the building Cibulka in Prague. A part of the large building was inhabited by a group of autonomists, who had a sort of a verbal agreement to occupy the building and recently, they introduced the project to the public as a social and cultural space. Allegedly, the police was searching for a criminal who was supposed to be hidden in the yard. But according to people occupying the house, they haven’t noticed them of anything like that. Three of the squatters, afraid of a nazi attack or an attempted eviction, climbed up the roof. The police started to smash the roofing tiles of the already neglected building and later reported that those on the roof attacked them with tiles and bricks. The situation got even worse when one policeman did a warning shot in the air, this was followed by verbal threatening and made the squatters come down, where other aggressive behavior continued. The supporters arrived quite early, some 30-40 people tried to blockade the police cars. Four other people were arrested. Then, the police left the place and they drove to the police station. When supporters arrived in front of the office to protest against the intervention, riot police was ready and some other police violence occurred without any reason, two people were detained. Some people were released after few hours, one stayed in custody until Sunday and the three squatters were released in the morning after the incident, but charged with an attack upon a public agent.

[Read More]

November 18, 2008

The roof of 87 Ashley road St Paul’s Bristol continues to be occupied 120 hours (5 days) after the attempted eviction of the residents. The people on the roof are staying put in protest at the gentrification and destitution of our area. And defence of homes for all.

We call on P4P Individual Support (the charity which owns the building) to reveal their plans for this building in an open way to the community of St Paul’s and everyone who is concerned about the future of our city.

Daily solidarity demonstrations will take place from 4-6pm outside the house. All are welcome.

Hope to see you there.

Indymedia-Bristol

12th November 2008

The inhabitants of 87 Ashley Road woke up this morning to a garden full of cops and bailliffs here to evict them from the house that is a home to around 15 people, and make them homeless.

Rooftop occupation happening right now!

As I arrived on the scene(around 10.30 am), Ashley Rd was cordoned off both sides of the house, and there was also police presence behind the house. The bailiffs were already in the building at this point, and all inhabitants had left, apart from 2 that managed to get onto the roof. They even called a helicopter in to ‘check that there were 2 people on the roof’ (I thought that’s what eyes were for!) As I was leaving to come and write this (12.30pm), 3 more heads popped up over the roof! Hopefully, by the time i’m back, that roof will see a number more occupying it. A bailiff apparently told one squatter, that there are plans to turn the building into offices – so not social housing for those in need at all!!

[Read More]

On the 29th of November Bristol Space Invaders will be holding a day long event of art, activities and workshops aimed at creating DIY solutions to the problems facing many of us as the economic crisis begins to bite.

Our group formed in April 2008 in response to an international call-out for actions in defence of squats and autonomous spaces and held an event on Colston Street, Bristol in a disused building in which we installed art, info, ran workshops and put on cabaret and live music for the evenings entertainment. This was tied in with a carnival parade through Stokes Croft and St Pauls against gentrification and closure of clubs in this area.

This time we want to share the practical know-how to reclaim the city and begin to live outside of the economic exchange – we have put on art and music before and done it well but we’re less interested in providing another experience to come and consume – instead we aim to provide the tools to participate.

[Read More]

On the night of Nov. 5th, 2008 windows were smashed and paintbombs thrown inside and outside of the Ymere office at Mauritskade. There were still unreplaced windows from when they were thrown in a few weeks ago. We made so that they would have to replace them all.

There is no attempt on our part to make a very deep political explanation of this action. It is in direct response to their visit and distruction of the recently squatted apartments in Van boetzelaerstraat. It is clear that our enemies have decided to continuously show violence against ourselves and our spaces, carrying out the cities gentrification plans enforced by the police.

Symbolic resistance doesn’t actually effect the people in charge behind our displacement and the city’s gentrification. WE would like to propose that spectacular battles (that will never be won) against riot cops during evictions should be in combination with direct actions against the poeple and companies that want to have control over and buy out our lives and spaces.

THIS IS PERSONAL. YOU COME VISIT US WE COME VISIT YOU. BRING THE WAR TO THEIR HOMES!!!!

Source Indy NL

15 police cars arrived during a party on 2th November 2008 to check the house, they explained that the reason was the loud noise of the party. But they didn’t bother and solve the problem with the DJs, instead of this, they got into the house, waking people up and asking everybody to gather in front of the building. One of the squatters moved to the roof and refused to go down, until replaced by others, those already searched. This person was later detained in the police station for several hours and threatened e.g. with transport to the psychiatric hospital.

The house is officially not existing, as it’s not in the real estate register, but the parcel is, and as there are building plans for the near area, it seems that the whole place might become worth selling.

And with the state preparing for the EU presidency (january – june 2008) and thus increasing police forces and security measures, it’s not surprising that the intimidation of any spaces and initiatives with a potential for confrontation is coming right now.

Please stay alert in case of an eviction attempt!

Website: http://milada.org

cz

Hello, my name is Sam, one of the people living in 87 Ashley Road, St Paul’s, Bristol.

Firstly thank you very much to the large number of people from the local community who came down to show their support and resist the eviction attempt last Tuesday (28.10.08).

Since then, many interesting points have been raised online: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/joepublic/2007/dec/05…pires http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/689144 http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/689143 http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Squatters-delay-Bri….html

I’m going to try and give few of my own thoughts on the situation. Who we are, what is the situation with this house, why do I squat, when: now. I speak for no one other than myself though I communicate and share thoughts with my fellow squatters. For the record I’m not educated beyond GCSE level other than my vocational qualifications and work with my hands.

[Read More]

1st November 2008

Two appartments in these houses got squatted last year and evicted on the basis of article 429 on the 30th of October – for emptiness. The appartments belong to “Block AB24″, owned by Ymere, and will be demolished in the future. When exactly, nobody seems to know, not even Ymere, as the project has been postponed time and time again.

The renters of the block were forced to move out already quite some time ago, only to be replaced by antisquatters. Now even the antisquatters have moved out and if Ymere will have their way the whole block will remain empty until the demolition will start.

And that’s where we step in! In our eyes it is not a crime to squat a house, no matter how long or short time it has been empty, especially during these times of housing shortage. People need houses to live in. 429 is just a number.

Source+photos: https://indymedia.nl/nl/2008/11/55483.shtml

AC*AB 24