[Squat!net]

The former restaurant Planet Hollywood on the Rembrandtplein in Amsterdam was squatted on sunday 10.12.00. The squatters are now working on the founding of their Autonomous Social Center Cineak. With this they want to fight against the money orientated marketing strategy from the council of Amsterdam. Even the council program to legalise squats with cultural activities is only money orientated according to the squatters.

One of the first activities in the squat was a live TV program on saturday 16.12, also to be seen via http://live.dds.nl/from 21.00-22.00

The squat was evicted on the 19th. According to the council the building was in use. ‘Proof’ for this was some old equipment which was left in the building. The same day the riot cops also evicted about 100 squatted apartments in a demolition block just south of the city center. The 200 inhabitants were unorganised. Many of them moved out of the city or try to squat new places just as unorganised as before. Some of their places got evicted again.

Also on the 10th of december a huge office building in Zaandam just north of Amsterdam was squatted. On saturday 16.12 they will have an open day for interested people from zaandam and elsewhere. At this open day their future plans will be presented. the squatters from this building (called ‘de Bristol’) haven’t got a website yet. You’ll find the latest information at http://squat.net/nlor at the website of another squat in zaandam: http://go.to/werkhuis2b/

The last few weeks more squat actions drew attention in Amsterdam. Some buildings owned by the SAS hotel at the Rusland were squatted and called Tjetjenie (more info at http://squat.net/tjetjenie/). Also a former brothel at the Weteringschans was added to the list of succesfull squats. Since the riot with the eviction of the kalenderpanden the weekly squat actions get more attention of the local and national press. Another reason for the bigger squat actions is the fact that all the people who got evicted have to be rehoused. Since it is impossible to enter the normal housing market if you don’t have a double income or a waiting time of 3-6 years squatting is a solution.

[squat!net]