Amsterdam: E-mail action against eviction of the ‘Kalenderpanden’ Entrepotdok

SUBCULTURE NEEDS SUPPORT

FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO EVERYBODY YOU KNOW!

IMPORTANT: SEND A COPY (CC) OF THIS EMAIL TO THE RESPONSIBLE PERSONS OF THE CITY COUNCIL: Rob [dot] Sardeman [at] dwa [dot] amsterdam [dot] nl (Cultural Department) jraschew [at] bestuursdienst [dot] amsterdam [dot] nl (personal secretary of the mayor)


AGAINST CULTURAL DECONSTRUCTION

Amsterdam likes to promote itself as a city of cultural diversity. The recently published report on the cultural situation of the city, published by the well known Danish researcher Trevor Davies redefines this image: “There are signs that this situation is seriously threatened. There is a general outcry from young artists and from cultural institutions working with young artists that they are becoming more marginalised. There is a need for working spaces…” (9, Comments on a City of Culture, november1999) The authorities admitted the necessity of the subculture in the city and installed a projectgroup to solve this problem. The citymayor Schelto Patijn stated in an interview: “We again have to organise new breeding places in the city, in buildings and areas which lost their original purpose. We support these cultural initiators because they have to be the base of our culture. No culture without subculture.” (78, Uitkrant 5, january 2000) Despite this the space for people and initiatives with divers and multicultural backgrounds is taken bit by bit. Not enough, even suitable and actively used places in council property are getting sold. This is hippocryt and undermines the divers cultural structure of the city. This policy is about to lead to the complete abolishment of the subculture. As a matter of fact the city council evicted the users and inhabitants of several well known independent and alternative living and working projects as e.g. the Silo, the OLVG, the Vrieshuis, PH 31 and the Houtkopersburgwal. The planned eviction of the Entrepotdok and the Lloyd Hotel will set another step into this direction. Alternative living and working in independent and affordable ateliers is about to be made impossible. The infrastructure of the independent scene could disappear completely! We want to keep our living and working space, the rehearsing possibilities and open podia for music, dance, theater and poetry, alternative galleries, free radio, vegan restaurants, etc. JOIN OUR PROTEST!

FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO EVERYBODY YOU KNOW!

THANK YOU


29th of January, 14:00, Westermarkt Amsterdam. Demonstration against the eviction of the Entrepotdok.

Check for details: http://www.squat.net/or http://squat.net/entrepotdok/

ascii-mail