Squatting is on the rise again in these times of austerity (see for example the recent occupations of flats in Southern Spain, mostly carried out by housewives and families). An Italian project that’s caught my attention since its beginning is in Pisa, where last year’s Occupy protests evolved into the reappropriation and transformation of abandoned buildings for the benefit of the local community.
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Squatting against austerity: Occupy Pisa grows and evolves
London: Palestine Place
Activists in London have a tradition of reclaiming abandoned buildings, sometimes to use them as social centers, sometimes for definite periods of mobilization. On the last weekend in May, the latest such center was opened, but this time with a very singular focus.
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Milan: A building is not enough!
Hundreds of people are blocking a street in Milano protesting for the eviction of a skyscraper of 32 floors they were occupying. Torre Galfa, near Stazione Centrale, has been taken the 5 of May by Macao, a group of artists, video makers, journalists, immaterial workers to make a new arts center, to strengthen relationships between art and society and protest against abandoned buildings. [Read More]
Germany: First Declaration of the Hambach Jungle
The Forest is now squatted!
A part of the Hambach forest has been squatted in order to save it from the excavators send by the gigantic energy corporation RWE to dig up brown-coal. During a cultural festival in the woods, under the slogan „Forest not Coal“, activists pulled up platforms in the trees.
At the festival people from different groups met up, forming a broad coalition to get active in saving the Hambach Forest and stopping the extraction as well as the combustion of the coal beneath it.
According to the plans of RWE, the Hambach forest, near Cologne, shall be completly destroyed to make space for the largest open-cast mine in Europe in the next few years.
During the festivity people got the chance of taking responsibility by godfathering their special tree and protecting it their way(s). By squatting we are also taking over responsibility godfathering our trees, protecting them our own way.
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UK: Farmhouse squatted to defend land from EDF Energy’s bulldozers
Somerset calling. It’s time for action. We urgently need activists to help defend a farmhouse that has been squatted to stop EDF Energy trashing land for a new nuclear power station in Somerset. Anti-nuclear campaigners have been joined by members of Seize the Day as the first residents of Edf-Off Cottage next to Hinkley Point nuclear power station.
The first wave of NVDA activity started last week in freezing weather when three people occupied trees as part of the campaign against two new mega-reactors being built on fragile coastal land.
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United States: Initial actions in solidarity with Oakland rebels
Several immediate actions that we know about have taken place in Minneapolis, St. Louis, Atlanta, New York City and Seattle in solidarity with the rebels in Oakland, hundreds of whom were arrested and many injured during a long series of clashes with the police on January 28. More actions have been publicly announced, others may take place unannounced; we will of course continue to post any actions that take place in the coming days.
Much love and war to the Oakland rebels.
We are with you.
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Occupy London publicly repossesses empty nine-storey building in the Barbican
Occupy London this morning (21/01/12) publicly repossessed Roman House, an abandoned nine-storey office building in the Barbican in the City of London which previously housed companies from the financial service industries. [1] The Occupy London campaigners – part of the global movement for social and economic justice and real democracy – stated that they intend to occupy the building – their fifth occupation – until such time as the City of London Corporation publishes full details of its City Cash Accounts. This is a request that Occupy London has consistently asked off the Corporation, so that it can become a more transparent public body like every other public body in the country. [2] [3]
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Police Harass Occupy Liverpool at Legal Squat
The “new location” is a squat in a derelict office block on Preston Street and until the above message was posted its location was kept secret. I always thought the decision not to tell anyone the new location was odd but I have heard that it was intended as a half-way-house for the camp to re-group and store their stuff before moving on to a new camp. The old location was extremely exposed and as a result was often battered by high winds; I’m surprised the occupiers stayed as long as they did.
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London: Occupy liberates abandoned Old St magistrate court
As the LSX occupation prepares to present its case at the High Court yesterday, members of Occupy London alongside a group of military veterans – Occupy Veterans – have liberated a disused court house in London’s East End. The opening of Occupy London’s fourth occupation, will see the movement conducting “trials of the one per cent” in an abandoned magistrate’s court building which has lain empty since 1996, despite its prime location and grade II listing. [1]
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New York: Occupy Our Homes Moves Homeless Family Into Vacant Home
About 1,000 people flooded the streets of East New York on Tuesday, as Occupy Wall Street (OWS) arrived from the subway system from all five boroughs. Along with community organizations, the protesters took over a vacant foreclosed home in East New York for a homeless family of four.
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Scotland: Empty Ex-Forest Cafe Squatted
A diverse group of autonomous people are currently squatting 3 Bristo Place in central Edinburgh. Although there is no legal squatting right in Scotland, the building has been successfully occupied. The 3-storey building has stood empty and unused for over 3 months since August 31st 2011. The non-hierarchical group are taking direct action to reclaim this space for use by the community.
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Nottingham: The Bigger Society Social Club is open
The Notts Free Space is now open to the public. We are occupying the former Conservative Social Club on Church Street in Lenton. Please come and support us tonight and tomorrow whilst we get off the ground. A programme of events will be taking place throughout the week.
