Amsterdam: ADM claims “eviction is cancelled by United Nations’ Human Rights Committee”

By: fawda - December 27th, 2018  Filed under: Communique, News, Press release

On December 27th 2018, civil servants were met by a welcoming committee at the entrance of the ADM terrain. As announced previously by the mayor, they were sent to check if the ADM was empty of its inhabitants. They were not let in and were asked to make a new appointment which they refused.

Here news and statements published by ADM on the 27th:

Eviction of the ADM cancelled by United Nations’ Human Rights Committee (December 26th. 2018)

We received great news that the United Nations will stand up for our rights, yeah!
This is the statement of our wonderful Human Right’s lawyer Electra Leda Koutra:

“Great great news for “free spaces” across the world. Fulfillment and relief (for now). The ADM Amsterdam stays!!! NO EVICTION TO ANY SPACE THAT DOES NOT RESPECT INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS CAN TAKE PLACE. The Complaint of 60 ADMers has been communicated to the Dutch Government with request for observations that have to be submitted until 26 June 2019. Then we will comment on them.
The Amsterdam Municipality had adopted a superficial “law and order” approach, based on the final decision of the High Court which was ordering their eviction. However, the Municipality obviously disregarded its own obligation, as regional government, under international law to ensure that an eviction is compatible with international standards and showed intolerance to the applicants’ socio-cultural minority status and the need for relocation of the whole community as a whole (unregistered residents and house boat residents too) in “a site better than the current one”. Not temporarily, but permanently. [Read More]

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The Hague: Acquittal in Fight Repression case

By: fawda - December 14th, 2018  Filed under: Communique, News

On 19 November 2016 about 250 people gathered on Kerkplein to demonstrate from there against the repression that has been spreading in recent years against anarchists and anti-fascists in The Hague and beyond. Repression such as the constant prohibition of demonstrations and the mapping of anti-fascists and anarchists in order to be able to take repressive measures. And this demonstration was also suppressed with repression and violence from the police, in which 166 people were arrested.

Almost two years later, the Public Prosecution Service decided to prosecute the 166 people arrested on Kerkplein. The first 50 people came to court last month. After two full days in court, the judge ruled on 3 December. The first 50 people were acquitted. Yesterday (13-12-2018), the Public Prosecution Service announced that it would not appeal and dismiss the remaining 166 cases. [Read More]

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Amsterdam: No eviction for hotels! The squatting collective ‘De Mobiele Eenheid’ stays!

By: fawda - November 21st, 2018  Filed under: Communique, News

Building squatted
The squat collective De Mobiele Eenheid has squatted the Gedempte Hamerkanaal 86 / Spijkerkade 2 building a few weeks ago and has started a non-commercial social centre with a program of activities almost every day. After only a few weeks that the collective released the building from the control of real estate violence, an end to this freedom was threatening: The owner, Uri Ben Yakir, stepped to court because he intends to turn the building into a hotel.

The judge ruled yesterday, November the 20th, that the squat collective Mobiele Eenheid can stay until February 1, 2019. The collective demands action from politicians and considers to appeal the decision in court and oppose the eviction.

Overcrowded with hotels
Amsterdam is full of hotels and overcrowded with tourists. There is little to show of the so-called Hotel stop that announced the previous city council. The owner of the squatted building in the Gedempte Hamerkanaal 86 / Spijkerkade 2, a diamond merchant, also knows that real diamonds nowadays have two legs, enter through Schiphol and pull roll-up luggage. If it is up to De Mobiele Eenheid, no hotel in the city will be added. As long as politics does not succeed, squatting is necessary. [Read More]

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Amsterdam: De Mobiele Eenheid goes to court!

By: fawda - November 5th, 2018  Filed under: Communique, News

Three weeks ago, the collective De Mobiele Eenheid squatted the building Gedempt Hamerkanaal 86, Spijkerkade 2 in Amsterdam Noord. To counteract the commercialisation, mass-tourism and precarious housing market, we have created a social centre offering a weekly program. Soon after the building’s occupation in opposition to an all-encompassing property-based violence, the end is near. Following dangerous threats, the owner of the building is summoning the collective to court, based on his supposed plan to turn the building into a hotel.

Amsterdam contains a disproportionate number of hotels and is completely over-crowded. The hotel stop decreed by the previous city government, is hardly noticeable. But the owner in question, a diamond merchant and property speculator, knows that real diamonds nowadays have two legs, arrive in Schiphol and pull wheelie bags.

His presented plans are not only problematic, but also highly questionable. In 2006, the building was squatted for the first time and already then, the plan was to build a hotel. Besides an environmental permit in 2013, the owner has undertaken little to no action hinting at reconstruction of the building. Overall, the greatest part of his property has been standing empty for many years. [Read More]

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Utrecht: Callout for solidarity with the Swamp

By: fawda - October 27th, 2018  Filed under: Communique, News

This week the judge decided to make the eviction of the Swamp possible. This means that birds, rabbits, bats, rats, insects and people lose their living space and a young forest will be killed. All to make space for more asphalt, another distribution center and a bus parking that could be built somewhere else.
The judge ignored that the owner, Borghese Real Estate B.V., hasn’t even asked for permits to cut the trees on the part of the Swamp that is not destroyed yet.
We won’t let yet another one of the very few places of green in the city of Utrecht be killed. We won’t move from out self built community where we live together with nature, as self sufficient as possible, and free.
We call out to all people to defend nature here with us, or in your own way, everywhere. We expect the eviction of the Swamp soon after Wednesday the 31st of October, next week.

FUCK PROFIT, FUCK ASPHALT!
THE SWAMP STAYS!

The Swamp
Gelderlantlaan, Utrecht
Netherlands
https://squ.at/r/6b2z

Squats and squatting assistances in the Netherlands: https://radar.squat.net/en/groups/country/NL/type/squat
Groups (social centres, squats, collectives) in the Netherlands: https://radar.squat.net/en/groups/country/NL
Events in the Netherlands: https://radar.squat.net/en/events/country/NL

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Tagamanent (Catalonia): Suspension of judicial process. The Moli remains!

By: fawda - October 24th, 2018  Filed under: Communique, News

We have achieved a “temporary” procedural suspension of our judicial process, enabling us to challenge this masquerade of justice. This seems to be the only way to face the complaint of express eviction proposed by the owner, thus giving us time to defend ourselves judicially and demonstrate all the work done during these years.

Even so, we know that we do not have much time and that we have to be attentive to prepare our response with all possible means to stop the eviction. During the next days there will be activities, support meals and actions from home, we hope to continue to face all together.

Thanks to all of you for the support received with calls, messages and visits to the house to participate and help in everything we have needed these days.

THE PROCESS CONTINUES
THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES
THE MOLI REMAINS

El Molí de la Torre
Tagamanent
Vallès Oriental, Catalonia
https://squ.at/r/6cfv

Squats in Catalonia: https://radar.squat.net/en/groups/country/XC/type/squat
Groups (social centres, squats, ateneu llibertari) in Catalonia: https://radar.squat.net/en/groups/country/XC
Events in Catalonia: https://radar.squat.net/en/events/country/XC

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Tagamanent (Catalonia): The Moli under eviction threat. The Moli remains!

By: fawda - October 22nd, 2018  Filed under: Communique, News

After 7 years of effort to build the Molí de la Torre de Tagamanent in Catalonia, a parcel that had been abandoned and forgotten for more than 20 years, the state security forces, ordered by those above and without prior notice or option for negotiation, want to evict the house in 10 days, forcing us to abandon the house and the project.

Against urban speculation, the massive requalification of land, express evictions and fucking capitalism, we denounce the usual culprits for generating situations of precariousness, helplessness and social discontent.

WE WILL NOT STOP DEFENDING WHAT WE BELIEVE
WE WON’T STOP STARTING PROJECTS
WE DON’T BELIEVE YOUR STORY
YOU DON’T GIVE US ANY FEAR
THE MOLI REMAINS

El Molí de la Torre
Tagamanent
Vallès Oriental, Catalonia
https://squ.at/r/6cfv [Read More]

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Utrecht: Defend the Swamp. Come to the court case!

By: fawda - October 6th, 2018  Filed under: Communique, News

After 5 years of creating alternative living spaces with nature, the Swamp, Kanaleneiland, is being threatened with destruction.
The state and the company Borghese are working hand in hand to turn the Swamp’s beautiful young forest into asphalt to then build a distribution centre and a bus remise, while there are alternative locations for these projects where the destruction of nature isn’t necessary.
From the Hambach Forest and ZAD evictions, to the ADM case and the expansion of the A27, time after time, people and nature have to defend themselves against capitalist greed and neoliberalist development policies.
The Swamp became a space of living and sharing with people and nature, outside of consumption trends. In a city where the waiting list for expensive “social housing” is endless, we decided to build our own houses and work in a sustainable and self-sufficient way. In Kanaleneiland in particular, only a couple of years back social housing was sold to private corporations behind people’s backs.
While the Netherlands presents itself as a “green country”, green spaces in the city keep on disappearing. We are not the only ones being evicted from the Swamp. Birds, rabbits, bats, bees and other animals and insects will also lose their living spaces.
We won’t keep silent. We won’t just leave. Come to the court case and join the struggle to save the Swamp. [Read More]

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The Hague: Prosecutions for anti-repression demonstrators

By: fawda - September 22nd, 2018  Filed under: Communique, News

We have been informed by our lawyers that the Public Prosecution will start summoning people to court who took part in the anti-repression demonstration in November 2016 in The Hague. Some people have already receive subpoenas to attend court (on November 14th).

For the upcoming court case the lawyers Ineke van den Brûle and Juanita van Lunen will be available for the defense. If you wish to be defended and represented by them you can contact us. Because the case consists of 166 arrests of which all will likely be prosecuted we need to be sure to give the most complete and accurate information to our lawyers. The required information is: [Read More]

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Amsterdam: ADM, an update on the actual situation

By: fawda - September 4th, 2018  Filed under: Communique, News

Upcoming fall, the largest cultural free-haven in The Netherlands, ADM, will be 21 years old. Since its beginning in 1997 ADM has been under constant pressure to a greater or lesser extent.

Especially in recent years we are involved in multiple legal procedures and we’ve put constant strain on the municipality of Amsterdam to purchase the site to prevent a financial loss of hundreds of millions euros. Unfortunately the fate of ADM depends primarily on the outcome of these legal- and political processes and not on the grand cultural heritage which ADM is giving to the city and the world.

After vigorous appeal three major legal cases have been lost by ADM in the last weeks. Mainly because in these lawsuits only a limited part of the entire case is dealt with, without giving proper attention to the overall perspective. This means that on legal grounds ADM can be evicted straight after the December 24th. [Read More]

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Amsterdam: Council of State wants the ADM gone within five months

By: fawda - July 29th, 2018  Filed under: News

On 25 July 2018, in higher appeal, the Council of State has announced ADM to be empty within 5 months, by 25 December 2018. A new court case started by the ADM against the city of Amsterdam took place on 23 july 2018.
The ADM festival 2018 is scheduled from 20 till 23 September 2018. The event is moved earlier and won’t take place around the ADM birthday on October 12th.
During the Jetlag fourth edition, on Sunday 22 July 2018, Hay Schoolmeesters gave a speech about the current ADM situation:

Just great that you are all here
In a time wherein gentrification and commercialisation are preached by administrators and companies
Not only as an all-embracing credo
But even worse, every time is used as a methodology for the design of our city, our culture and our society

The public space has been sold to greed and commerce Renting is unaffordable
Social housing is prehistoric
People are kicked out or forced to move
Social and cultural initiatives are expelled from the city Hardly any squats are left
And the last Cultural Free Spaces like ADM
Are threatened to be pulverised [Read More]

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Amsterdam: ADM starts courtcase against municipality

By: sisulscz - June 26th, 2018  Filed under: Communique

Today (June22), the residents of the cultural free-haven ADM summoned the Amsterdam municipality in ‘Kort Geding’ (=> interim proceedings). They are claiming that Amsterdam enforces the perpetual clause in the purchase contract and thus prevents the public- and social interests of Amsterdam from being damaged by hundreds of millions.

More background information:

The terrain was purchased by Chidda Real Estate LLC in 1997 with the proviso that the municipality of Amsterdam always has the first right of repurchase and that only an authentic shipyard can be established on the 42-hectare terrain.
[Read More]

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