The buildings are owned by Marcel Paping, who has multiple real estate companies. He was present during the action, being aggressive and annoying towards people supporting outside. We got a lot of support from the neighbourhood. Many of the neighbours are bothered by the empty, neglected, run down buildings and shops. Although a few neighbours expressed aversion to the situation, others mentioned being happy that people finally took action against emptiness and housing need.
The 5 monumental buildings have been empty for 5 years. The owner wants to demolish them to create new apartments, a shop, and a garage, but his plans are so intrusive that the neighbours are against it.
The squatters have had house peace since 2 days, so the police was acting in name of the owner once again. This resulted in an illegal eviction and damage done to the building. After the owner did not succeed to enter with the key, cops broke windows and kicked in a door on the back, neither without a warning or wanting to talk to the spokes people or the squatters. [Read More]
Utrecht: Illegal eviction at Burgemeester Reigerstraat
Zeist (Netherlands): Krakelingenweg evicted
Around 16:30 yesterday afternoon, the eviction at Krakelingweg 19 came to an end. From 8:00 in the morning onward the police, BraTra, fire brigade, together with some cherry pickers were busy getting people out of the house (including a safe!), the basement, the roof, and of tree houses built on the terrain. During the whole day, the police blocked several parts of the forests in order to prevent anyone (‘looking like a squatter’) coming close to the building. Once the eviction got called to and end, security company Andor (a dog brigade) and DGR Dienstverlening started to clean and secure the building.
According to the police, 14 people got arrested, of which; 6 people inside or around the building; 4 people in tree houses; and 4 people wandering around the forest. The police mentioned that they were not sure whether these hikers were indeed people from “our group”. Also, they mentioned that 2 people had been brought to the hospital, one becoming unwell, and one suffering from hypothermia (low body temperature). We do not know whether both people were checked by an ambulance, and indeed brought to the hospital, or if this was a rumor. As far as we know, 12 people are in the police station (and not 14, as the cops mentioned). They are all doing fine.
After tree intense weeks of resistance, building, creating, and a lot of waiting, we have lost our goddamn cold but lovely home in the forest. Although the law is not on our side and cops seem to make it a little (lot!) harder for us each time, we will not stop. [Read More]
Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany): Mozart3 and Klara17 squats evicted!
Since the early morning hours the police have been clearing the two occupations at Mozartstraße 3 and Klarastraße 17. The fact that the owners, with the support of the police, are now putting an end to this is an expression of Freiburg’s misguided housing policy: the city supports profit-oriented companies in their activities, while the active design of open and free spaces and the use of empty buildings are criminalized.
Over the last few days, a free space has developed in both spaces which has been gratefully used by supporters, interested parties and the neighbourhood: Whether animated discussions, exciting lectures or simply coffee and cake, the programme was as varied as the people in it.
We feel that the fact that the owners are now putting an end to this with the support of the police is an expression of Freiburg’s misguided housing policy: profit-oriented companies are supported in their activities by the city, while the active use of open and free spaces and the use of empty buildings are criminalised.
We wish a broad public attention for both occupations during the eviction and refer here to the action “day X+2”, which will take place two days after the eviction. There we would like to make clear our support for Mozart3 and Klara17 and set a clear sign for affordable living space. [Read More]
London: Squatter’s Digest: Grow Heathrow halved, ciao to Asilo
I do have a pretty good excuse for being a little late in writing this month’s column, namely being arrested and remanded for a squatting-related offence (of which I am not guilty for the record, as I will be testifying at trial later in the year).
At least I’m not all talk and no walk huh.
A couple of nights in the cells isn’t so bad though – let’s start this round-up with some hard-hitting news from abroad. The Fraguas case in Spain. For those not aware of the situation, since 2013 a group of squatters calling themselves the Association of Rural Repopulation of Sierra Norte, more commonly Fraguas Revive, occupied an abandoned village in Guadalajara near Madrid. The intention was to breathe life back into the village that was left empty since the expropriation by the Franco regime, and to provide space for people to imagine and act out utopias of the future through self-organisation and sustainability. [Read More]
Zagreb: News from the BEK collective
Around a year ago, an idea was born in Zagreb, aiming to fulfill the emptiness caused by a lack of free and widely accessible subversive content, and the lack of spaces to host it.
A building was squatted in Nazorova street 53, Zagreb, and around this space assembled the BEK collective with the vision of creating a social center open to the community, to be used for organizing different and broad alternative content with the focus on arts and political action, skills exchange, creating a self-sustainable platform, critical rethinking of society, raising awareness of the problems of autonomous spaces, and all that with the wish to spark some of the burning questions such as the rising housing crisis in Zagreb and Croatia, and the marginalization of homeless people, refugees and asylum seekers, and lgbtiqa+ persons.
Soon after opening to the public, the space activated in different areas, such as the public kitchen where vegan meals, made of food recycled from Zagreb farmers markets, were cooked and distributed, workhops (circus, yoga, composting, zines), DIY gigs, film projections, discussions, exhibitions, DIY festival, lectures, art studio, info shop, free shop, library, jam sessions, involvement in protests, and food distribution on the street. [Read More]
London: Urgent support call-out as Grow Heathrow eviction looms
The squatted site, which was founded to oppose the nearby airport’s destructive expansion project, is facing a bailiff assault either tomorrow or on Wednesday.
In the shout out for “urgent support against a land squat eviction” earlier today organisers at the four-acre camp [map] noted that the threat comes shortly before their ninth anniversary, which is due to be celebrated with a weekend gathering on March 8th-10th.
Lead owners Malik took the group to crown court at the beginning of this month and have brought in the National Eviction Team to carry out the eviction, which affects the front of the property.
Talking to Freedom, the collective said: “The writ of possession on Grow Heathrow’s front land was updated at the start of this month. That means that a ‘legal’ eviction involving high court bailiffs could take place at any time.
“We are a strong lot of people of all ages and a bunch of animals … but if you have time over the next few weeks, please come and hang out and help out. We don’t know when they’ll come… but we’d like to make some noise when they do!
“As far as we are aware the back lands are safe, although there is also a writ of possession from the High Court – we don’t believe that they will act on it, though it it’s possible.”
The group, who run a large community garden on site, have weathered repeated legal efforts to push them out over the last two years following an original 2017 ruling that they would have to leave in 14 days. Grow Heathrow has worked under the threat of eviction ever since. [Read More]
Call for Solidarity with the Imprisoned of Operazione Scintilla, Italy
Summary of the recent repressive operation in Italy in connection with the resistance against the Italian migration regime.
On Thursday 7 February 2019, at 4:40 a.m., the eviction of the squat Asilo Occupato in Via Alessandria 12 in Turin, occupied since 1995, began. The eviction was carried out as part of the Operazione Scintilla (Operation Spark). Several hundred Carabinieri in riot gear, police officers and Guardia di finanza with machine guns and plain clothes police not only evicted the house, but also arrested six anarchists. A seventh person is still being searched for.
The charges are serious: formation of a subversive association, incitement to crime and the possession, manufacture and transportation of explosives in a public place. The charges are related to the resistance against the Italian migration regime, namely against the deportation camps/prisons CPR and CIE (Centro per l’Immigrazione e il Rimpatrio, Immigration and Repatriation Centre: Centro di identificazione ed espulsione, Identification and Deportation Centre).
The Asilo was evicted as part of this operation because the state regards it as the logistical and operational base of this subversive, insurrectional association. The eviction of the Asilo was delayed by the squatters for 36 hours because some of them had retreated to the roofs. In the meantime, sympathizers organized wild demos in the city, where there were clashes with the police. The Asilo was made uninhabitable in the last few days (destruction inside, bricked up windows, etc.). [Read More]
Prague: Call for support from Klinika
In January 2019 Prague’s only political squat Klinika was evicted by a private executor (debt-collector) and a private security service. For four years this autonomous social centre had been a place for meetings of emancipatory social movements, neighbours and independent culture.
Klinika was one of the first centres of refugee help in the Czech Republic, and after this it was attacked by neo-Nazis and became a target of permanent pressure from Czech right-wing politicians.
The executor has claimed 1,600,000 CZK (62,000 Euros) as the costs for the eviction. He blocked the personal bank account of one member of Klinika’s collective who had signed the contract that legalised Klinika for one year in 2015. As a consequence, her wages go straight to the executor (debt collector) and she cannot use her bank account. We understand this as an attempt to exact the exemplary punishment of political activists. All this is happening in the context of the Czech Republic being discussed as an executors’ mafia state – which has brought almost 10% of the population into insurmountable, precarious life situations. [Read More]
Squatters Of London Action Paper – Issue 10
SLAP! (Squatters of London Action Paper) is a monthly DIY newspaper for squatters in London. It is available in print and online as a PDF. The paper combines news, pictures, analysis and humour and aims to strengthen connections between squatters in London in order to encourage direct actions and other forms of anarchist organising. Download here.
The above info was taken from NFAAF.
In SLAP10 there is the following news about changes to practical squatting nights in London:
<
Turin (Italy): Asilo Occupato and CSO Giulio Cesare evicted
Thursday February 7, early in the morning, the cops with the help of the fire brigade, stormed the Asilo Occupato, a place that has been occupied since 1995 and been scene of organisation of social struggles (against evictions, against prisons for migrants, still a few years ago against the TAV…). People climbed on to the roof, where they remained for over 24 hours. In the end, the cops managed to get everyone out and condemn the building. Same thing for Le Serrande, the occupation of Corso Giulio Cesare.
Several solidarity gatherings took place in the neighbourhood, which had been completely cordoned off by the cops. Apparently some people have been arrested for resistance or violence against the blues. The evening rally to discuss the situation at Radio Blackout turned into a wild demonstration.
In addition to evicting the premises, the aim of this repressive operation was to arrest persons accused of subversive association. The 6 arrested (another person, under arrest warrant, wasn’t found) are accused of a series of explosive attacks against companies and institutions (including the French Embassy and several Post Offices) related to the detention and expulsion of migrants. [Read More]
Amsterdam: Mobiele Eenheid Evicted from Gedempt Hamerkanaal 86
On Friday first of February, the Mobiele Eenheid left Gedempt Hamerkanaal 86 and the adjoining Spijkerkade 2 following an eviction ruling from civil court proceedings. Six people have been made homeless and Amsterdam has lost yet another non-commercial social space.
The original eviction verdict was made on the basis of the property owner’s supposed plan to begin renovation works on the building for the purposes of building a hotel.
Though the owner has a permit from 2013 – prior to the city’s policy not to build more hotels – he has taken no further steps since this time, nor did he present any concrete plans or contracts in court demonstrating this intent. The contention of Mobiele Eenheid was that the owner has been speculating on the property for the more than 12 years in which it has largely been empty, since it was last squatted in 2006.
Mobiele Eenheid argued that the owner’s true intention was to await the municipality’s forthcoming development plan for the Hamerkwartier in 2020, whereupon it is anticipated that much of the area will be redeveloped for housing. At this point, the owner will attempt to sell his property at the higher land value commanded for a hotel, having played the system for his own benefit at a cost to the city. [Read More]
Prague: Future of the Radical Library
Public plenary discussion about the Radical Library on 31.1.2019, 19:00
Let’s discuss together the future of the Radical Library, which is already for four years contributing towards a development of critical thinking. The aim of the library is to offer access to the literature that is oriented on theoretical background of left movements and on reflection of engaged approach within this field. Some of the books are not well distributed and so hard to reach. We are connecting the libraries of particular collectives on the base of shared on-line catalogue, that enable us to build decentralised web of alternative book’s collections. We are not just describing the reality, we are trying to change it.
Likewise it is possible to change the character of the Radical Library and it’s course. You are invited to the plenum addressed to the topic of the future direction of our library, what we can offer and what our goals should be. Beside the discussion you can use this opportunity to visit our space at Pobřežní 8, to meet others readers, or to return borrowed books and take new ones. You can surely become a new reader or involve yourself in the collective of the library. [Read More]
Radar Online Agenda
