Athens: Steki Ano Kato Patission resquatted

[Update: During the resquat, 11 arrests were made on misdemeanor charges. The trial of the comrades has been postponed until February 13. The legal costs to be collected are many, your financial support is welcome.]

On saturday december 9, 2023, the Steki Ano Kato Patission was resquatted by 80 comrades. Then 250 people gathered in front to support the reoccupation. This gathering was attacked by cops and people were trapped in apartment buildings, in the adjacent dormitories and in the Steki itself. At the same time, teargas was thrown into cars, cops shouted at people that they would burn them alive, arrests were made, and people were beaten up. The cops also surrounded the Steki, teargas was thrown inside. People defended the Steki and kept it. There are seriously injured comrades, they are taken to the hospital. Around 19 people were arrested. On sunday 10, solidarity rally for those arrested during the Steki Ano-Kato Patission resquat at 11:00, Dikastiria (Evelpidon).
The Ano-Kato resquat took place on the nationwide day of action in solidarity with the squats, with a demonstration at Monastiraki in Athens. The attacks on our squats confirm once again that solidarity, self-organization and unmediated struggle are a formidable enemy for the state. The call out was made by Ano Kato Patission, ASP (Autonomous Polytechnic Steki), Evagelismos and Zizania.
STRUGGLES ARE NOT EMPTIED, IDEAS ARE NOT SEALED
SOLIDARITY WITH SQUATS

Statement from Steki Ano-Kato Patission:

We said that we are not leaving and we mean it [Read More]

Barcelona: El Kubo, La Ruina and Estudi 9 social centers defend themselves against three simultaneous evictions

The courts of Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Barcelona have aligned themselves with the Catalan police to proceed today, November 30, with the construction work of three buildings belonging to Sareb and an investment company based in Luxembourg.

In a joint statement issued by El Kubo y La Ruina from Barcelona’s Bonanova and by Estudi 9 from the old town of Santa Coloma de Gramenet, it is announced that this Thursday, November 30, “our houses are trenches”… They consider that the suspension of the previous eviction date of the Colomense building was an “attempt to divide our struggle”, but they advance that “it will be expensive for them, we know how to play our own strategies”. [Read More]

Barcelona: La Ruïna and el Kubo will not die

We will turn our house into a battlefield, el Kubo and the Ruïna will not fall. See you on November 30 at 5:30 a.m. in Uri Caballero square, Vallcarca metro station in Barcelona. If el Kubo and La Ruïna fall, the neighborhood will burn down. OKUPA Y RESISTE!

Statement made in February 2023, La Ruïna and el Kubo threatened with eviction:

Our squats are trenches.
Here we go, on March 23 they are going to try to evict us. In 2016, an office building was squatted for the first time in the Sant Gervasi neighbourhood and we called it El Kubo. The Kubo has been the home and place of passage of more than a hundred people in the more than 6 years that it has been in existence. This has been the home and trench of many people. It has been an oasis of resistance in the bourgeois quarter of Barcelona for many years and this has not been easy. “Squat and resist” defines the history of the Kubo very well. During all these years we have faced two evictions and the constant siege of extreme right-wing groups, capitalist press and political parties. And despite the hostilities we have reoccupied and resisted this house all this time. [Read More]

Amsterdam: two houses owned by Blackstone squatted during the ADEV demo

No free spaces without a free Palestine

Amsterdam, October 21st – We have squatted these 2 buildings (Prinsengracht 804 et 806), despite the city’s (and the police’s) best attempts to make it very difficult, because we believe that ADEV(Amsterdam Danst Ergens Voor – Amsterdam dances for something)’s call to ‘disown stupid property’ is a call to action.

These buildings, owned and left empty by a massive american investment firm called Blackstone, some (though not all) of whose crimes you can read on the banner, are definitely, by all definitions, stupid property. But we want to stress that, in a capitalist system that puts corporate giants over human life and dignity, ALL PROPERTY IS STUPID AND ALL PROPERTY IS THEFT. [Read More]

Heraklion: the whole city knows it. Evagelismos does not surrender

On Saturday morning, numerous police forces stormed inside Evagelismos Squat. 10 comrades were arrested, one of whom -while being handcuffed- was led to fall from the roof of the building, and is currently still in the hospital. The sealing of the building with iron plates started immediately. The comrades were transferred to the General Police Directorate of Heraklion, where they were charged, while the injured comrade was being held separately and not receiving the necessary medical care. Outside the building dynamic reflex reactions took place, resulting in the arrest of one more comrade. Reactions that continue in the following days…

The first public information about a possible evacuation operation had been released on September 20, with statements by the General Secretary of Higher Education and former rector of the University of Crete Od. Zoras, regarding the evacuation and “utilization” of the building. Thus, on Thursday September 28, we did an intervention in the University’s online Senate, where a text was read. The current rector G. Kontakis -who was in Rethymno at that time- had an sarcastic tone and avoided making any comments. [Read More]

Montreuil: La Baudrière evicted

This morning, Tuesday, August 22, 2023, at 6am in Montreuil (France), took place the eviction of La Baudrière, anarcha-feminist squat. This place was, since November 2021, a space of habitation, political organization and care, which has seen many people pass by and hosted many struggles. La Baudrière defended itself with confetti and barricades to resist as long as possible, to continue to keep alive the feminist queer autonomy. The people on site held for 5 hours to the assaults of the cops, especially on the roof.

Police resources used were astonishing: more than 100 cops on site, including the Brav-M, the BAC, the BRI, a climbers unit, a private security group, a fire truck, Enedis technicians, 3 drones… The neighborhood was completely cordoned off for half a day. [Read More]

Montreuil: La Baudrière under eviction threat from august 21st

Why defend La Baudrière

La Baudrière is an anarcha-feminist queer* squat that opened in November 2021 in Montreuil (a city located in Paris’ suburbs). A lot of people meet here, they come for a few hours, a few days or a few weeks. They came there to live, to learn, to party, to organize. La Baudrière is full of their memories.
Now, eviction is looming, and for us, who use this place in so many different ways, it is time for us to defend this space.
We are calling any non-cis het men to colelctively defend La Baudrière, from the 21st of August onwards.

Here are some of the reasons why we want to resist. Down with the landlords and the evictors, down with the gentrifiers ! [Read More]

Florence: Corsica social centre eviction in progress. Resistance on the roof, solidarity rally in the street.

In Florence eviction in progress of the squat “Viale Corsica 81”, living space and anarchist social center.

At dawn, the Digos executed the preventive seizure of the occupied property on Ponte di Mezzo Street. The neighborhood is filled with riot cops, soldiers of the Guardia di Finanza and carabinieri. Corsica 81, squatted in 2012, was evicted last year from the homonymous street, then reopened at 32 Ponte di Mezzo street where today the new police eviction took place and which is not yet finished: two people are actually on the roof, the solidarity rally in the street was violently pushed back by the police in riot gear. The resistance, however, continues: at 5 p.m., gathering in the nearby gardens of Via Mariti in Florence. [Read More]

London: National Day of Housing, occupations at Southwark and Abbey Wood

On Saturday the 8th of July housing campaigns across the UK engaged in a series of decentralised actions under the slogan “Housing For Need Not Greed”. The actions of the Housing Rebellion, as it was called, were primarily focused around council estates facing the issue of “regeneration” (read: gentrification), but included neighbourhoods fighting their councils for green space, and putting the spotlight on the fact that the struggle for housing is inescapably tied to the issue of climate change.

Some of us, squatters from the local area, took part in the Southwark march that led us through the corpse of the Heygate Estate, now known as the beyond-hip Elephant Park, where we would be surprised to learn if any original resident of the estate has ever returned, or ever plans to. Southwark Notes has some great information on the displacement of residents despite promises of being able to return during initial consultations. 100 people marched, drums banging, voices raised, banners condemning the council and developers alike. Banners that went beyond a simple understanding of the situation of the Heygate or Aylesbury but to condemn a capitalist understanding of property and that hoped to spur into action those who see possibility beyond reform. In conjunction, the offices of Notting Hill Genesis were paintbombed and graffiti expressing righteous anger adorned the hoardings of the ongoing con(de)struction. [Read More]

Amsterdam: squatters of Russian billionaire’s estate face intimidation in lead-up to higher appeal

Activists who took over the multi-million property (Vossiusstraat 16) owned by Russian sanctioned billionaire Arkady Volozh last October, are facing another court case this coming Wednesday.

Volozh, the founder of Russian search engine Yandex, lost an earlier court case against the squatters in November. At that time the judge ruled the squatters would not have to vacate the property because it is frozen as a result of the sanctions and would thus remain unused, since Volozh is barred from entering Europe after being placed on the EU sanctions list for promoting the war with Ukraine through his search engine. The legal situation remains unchanged since November, as Volozh is still on the EU sanctions list. He nonetheless will try his luck again in a higher appeal set to take place this Wednesday.

The squatters attest that the opposing party has submitted last-minute evidence in an attempt to discredit the new residents. The evidence includes videos and pictures taken from inside the squatted building and screenshots from an internal group chat. According to the squatters these videos were taken without their knowledge and consent over a period of two months by a man who claimed to be a refugee from Ukraine in need of a place to stay. [Read More]

Amsterdam: Demonstration against Eviction of Vossiusstraat 16

Sunday 9 April 2023, Leidseplein, Amsterdam, 15:00 https://squ.at/r/9c98

On the 12th of April the Vossiusstraat 16 has their second court case, the appeal to the decision that was given in November and which had allowed the squatters to stay.
To show support to the squatters, and in order to voice our disagreement with the the high presence of Yandex in the Netherlands, a demonstration will take place on Sunday the 9th of April. It will start on Leidseplein at 3pm!

Volozh, the billionaire Maltese passport-purchaser, was put on the sanctions list because Yandex promoted Kremlin propaganda and passed on data about activists to the state. All while being registered as a company in the Netherlands. Yandex’s news site has in the meantime been bought by the Russian state and now the company thinks they can turn over a bright new leaf as a normal. Since the first court case, Volozh’s company Yandex has massively expanded their presence in the Netherlands. Other EU countries have banned Yandex services from operating in their country, but not the Netherlands! [Read More]

Amsterdam: Court case Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 302, demonstration

Thursday 1st December 2022, demonstration, 18:00, Het Monument, Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 302.

Right now, we are housing four people. If we are evicted, they are without a home, and the Monument would be left empty yet again. Once again, Slumlord Hagedoorn would get get his eviction, while he leaves property empty all over the country. The past has shown that the authorities tend to side with property against the right to housing. Nevertheless, we’re ready to fight. We demand housing justice and an end to vacancy for financial speculation! Thursday, after our court case, we’re organising a MEGA demo. If we win, we celebrate the Monument. If we don’t, we’ll show that we’re not leaving quietly. Join our demo!!!!! [Read More]