Today/now.., without warning, Elba squat in Warsaw is being violently evicted. Elba is the longest running and largest independent cultural center in Warsaw.
This is a part of a Polish live report, translated with g00gl, source: http://poland.indymedia.org/pl/2012/03/55240.shtml
Please share info if you know more!
“Mothers’ strike” is a documentary that shows the living conditions of the striking women in Walbrzych in 2010, their struggle against local authorities, conflicts with welfare institutions and their self-organizing attempts. They explain how their living situation relates to the changes in the labour market. It challenges housing and employment relations in a polish Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and the particular situation of women workers who refuse to carry the double burden of wage and reproductive work. These women went on rent strikes, and some of them started to squat for a living.
« Mother’s strike » (22’, 2010, SzumTV and Feminist Think Tank, Poland)
The movie, in polish with english subtitles, is here.
There’s an alarm call [in polish language] about eviction on their website : http://elba.bzzz.net
Elba was established in autumn 2004 and is run by collective of people who decide about the place by consensus. The collective include both people living here and people organising events and running workshops, all taking part in decision making.
They are involved in series of social and political actions, and we try to make our squat an active place, open for many different ideas. Among other things you will find here freeshop, bike workshop, rehearsal room, screenprinting workshop, climbing wall, skatepark, cafeteria and concert/perfomance room.
Hopefully more detailed information in english language soon.
See also here for more background information about Elba : http://www.spottedbylocals.com/warsaw/squat-elba
| Poland: DeCentrum squat website online |
Here it is: http://www.decentrum.most.org.pl
[squat!net]
| Brief account on the situation of squats in Poland |
Taken from WARHEAD
September 2002 issue #17
FUCK ALL GOVERNMENTS
PO BOX 43, 15-662 BIALYSTOK POLAND
e-mail: soja2@poczta.onet.pl
warhead #17
| Poland, blockade of eviction in Wroclaw |
The police and bailiffs charged with the eviction were stopped by people holding a banner “Stop evictions”. The police argued that the eviction comes as a result of the complaints of the neighbours. However the neighbours were solidary against the police.
The bailiffs decided not to proceed with the eviction. The first attempt of eviction of Ms. Barbara took place in april.
Taken from “Alter-EE mailing list” <http://www.lists.most.org.pl/cgi-bin/listinfo/alter-ee>
Zaczek <hydrozag@poczta.onet.pl>
| Report on criminalization of anarchist and anti-fascist community in Bialystok/Poland with some history of Anti-Fascist resistance by ABC Bialystok |
In present times we can see again old monsters rising their ugly heads. Almost since beginning of organized nazi movement in Bialystok, militant anti-fascist groups emerged. First they were just little groups of ver dedicated, militant activist, then movement grew bigger and bigger, there were more actions and nazis started slowly loosing control over streets. Few times in our recent history we faced new waves of nazi activity but there were always people who opposed them directly and without limits. It costed us a lot. Few years ago one of our friends got killed in suspicious circumstances in a city 80 kilometres from Bialystok, killed by unknown nazis. Many people suffered continuous harrasment of themselves and their families, many people suffered pfysical injuries. Still, resistance never stopped. On a place of activist who left movement, there were new ones. situation changed dramatically in last two years. We managed to squat a place in Bialystok which became center of all anarchist and altenrative activity. Our movement received many new people and a lot of energy. Almost immadietely this place became priority target for nazis. Till now it was attacked about 40 times, from small groups throiwing stones to regular attacks with 30-40 nazis throwing molotovs etc. We resisted all the time. Moreover, we decided not to wait for them but attack them first. We formed something what we call Antifa Patrol- group of anti-fascist street fighters patrolling streets of Bialystok and attacking nazis everywhere. We started being succesful in driving nazis out of streets, although we are far away from coplete success. Compiling this together with the fact, that we managed to defend our squat few times against police and we destroyed their public relations image totally, someone decided to fight us with another means. We expereinced something what never happened before-planned and cynical criminalization of our movement. Our people became landing in custody and jails for almost everything.
Present legal situation of our groups is very serious.
– One person from the squat is finishing his prison sentence for assault on a nazi skinhead (he will be out at the end of Septemebr/beginning of October 2002)
– another activist just received 2 years on 5 years probation for alleged assault with dangerous weapon, action he never took part in, but nevertheless he spent 4 months in jail for that
– 5 people are framed in assault on a singer of a nazi band from here, one person additionally charged with threatening behaviour
– one anarchist already having sentence in probation (2 for 4 years) for assault and robbery on nazi skinhead, now is being framed up in grevious body harm, after he succefully defeneded himself along with other Anti-Fascist against nazi attack. This charge can end up in 10 years sentence for him.
– one anarchist charged with assault and robbery on a nazi skinhead, he pleaded guilty and is awaiting a trial (he preferred to admit his “guilt” becasue he was caught by police moment after attack on nazis)
– one person charged with violent resistance and insulting a police officer after cops raided a squat in an attept to evict it
– two squatters charged with attept to break to police radio transmitter
– over 20 misdemeanor trials for things like participation in illegal gathering, failing to disperse on police request, not giving an ID to police officer etc. While we never surrendered and we continue to fight nazis and authority all the time, we need your help to continue our struggle and not to get stuck with legal proceedings. Therefore if you can help us with money for our activity and trials, or you can send us some interesting materials to use like leaflets, stickers, vidoe films etc, we would be more than happy!
Our contact is: ABC Bialystok/ANTIFA PO BOX 43, 150662 BIALYSTOK 26 POLAND
for things like prisoner support and similar stuff contact soja2@poczta.onet.pl
Warhead Info Service
| Support needed for KRZYK squat in POLAND… |
I would like to express my solidarity with the members of the collective “krzyk”, who would like to continue its social and cultural activities in Gliwice. I cannot understand, why the local authorities try to ban the democrative groups of people who help to local inhabitants by organising things for the youth and who prepare the meals for the poorest, to mention just few of their iniciatives. I want to signalise, that the municipalities shoud support this kind of activities instead of banning them.
nazwisko:name:
adres:address:
organizacja:organisation:
Adresy Urzêdu Miasta Gliwice:The fax number to the Municipalities in gliwice:
fax (0-32) 231-27-25 – centrala urzedu miejskiego
pm1@um.gliwice.pl – prezydnet Zygmunt Frankiewicz
turejkom@um.gliwice.pl – I zastepca prezydenta miasta Ryszard Trzebuniak
zp2@um.gliwice.pl – II zastepca prezydenta miasta Janusz Moszyñski
wroblewskat@um.gliwice.pl – III zastepca prezydenta miasta Andrzej Jarczewski
zp4@um.gliwice.pl – IV zastepca prezydenta miasta Andrzej Pañczyszyn
zm2@um.gliwice.pl – cz-onek zarzadu miasta Andrzej Tomal
se@um.gliwice.pl – sekretarz miasta W³adys³aw Sobczyk
sk@um.gliwice.pl – skarbnik miasta Andrzej Lorek
boi@um.gliwice.pl – biuro obslugi interesantow
biuro_prasowe@um.gliwice.pl – biuro prasowe urzedu miasta
tokareke@um.gliwice.pl – biuro rady i zarzadu miasta
au@um.gliwice.pl – wydzial architektury i urbanistyki
so@um.gliwice.pl – wydzial spraw obywatelskich
edu@um.gliwice.pl – wydzial edukacji
fin@um.gliwice.pl – wydzial finansowy
pu@um.gliwice.pl – wydzial przedsiewziec gospodarczyc i uslug komunalnych
rp@um.gliwice.pl – wydzial radcow prawnych
ir1@um.gliwice.pl – wydzial inwestycji i remontow
na@um.gliwice.pl – wydzial nadzoru wlascicielskiego
zd1@um.gliwice.pl – wydzial zdrowia i opieki spolecznej
soja
| Squat and anarchist news from Poland |
Excerpts from WARHEAD – May 2002 issue #16
Contact :
FUCK ALL GOVERNMENTS
PO BOX 43, 15-662 BIALYSTOK POLAND
e-mail:soja2@poczta.onet.pl
More trials against anarchists in Bialystok
There are already few people from local groups charged with various charges. There are also over 40 misdemeanour trials against anarchist from all over Poland who participated in support action outside prison for one of our comrades and few other actions. One of squatters from Bialystok, Jan Stolarski was jailed in Gliwice, after he broke conditions of his release from prison, where he was serving time for assault on a nazi skinhead. His release date is September 2003. Another activist from Bialystok is charged with assault and robbery after he participated in attack on nazi skinheads on a bus stop. Trial of “Rufik”, anti-fascist accused of assault with an dangerous item on a nazi skinhead is going to be finished at the end of May. “Lapa”- another anti-fascist accused of Grevious Body Harm is still waiting for his trial. Other trials also didn’t start yet.
New squats and some news about older ones!
There is a new squat in Czestochowa, in old monasteryJ . It is called “Little Mary”. As for now, no more infos about this squat. In Bialystok “DeCentrum” squat is preparing for some trouble, as city council sold ruins around the squat and all area will be better for investments. There are also plans to squat another building soon. Freedom in Wroclaw as for now managed with all troubles from city council and they are still in control of the building but no one knows for how long and their situation is still unstable.
Women’s Day Celebrations
There was an action in Warsaw as a celebration of Women’s Day. About 400 participants took part in march demanding equal rights for women, availability of abortion and against domestic violence. There was also strong anarcho-feminist presence.
In Bialystok squatters organised a street theatre in the centre of the city, gave leaflets and put banners with feminists slogans etc
WARHEAD INFO SERVICE
| Campaign for the autonomist center ‘Free Dom’ |
History
The prehistory of “FREE DOM” (“dom” means in Polish “house”) begins in the middle of 90′, when the group of friends squatted a small house near the center of Wroclaw (called “REJON 69″). During 3,5 years the group form a small comunnity and organised many cultural & political events (like punk concerts and festivals, regular food not bombs, demonstrations). In 1999 we had to leave this building and we squatted the next building.
Unfortunately it lasted only 2 weeks. Anyway we organised there “Eviction party” (concerts connected with spectacles and games for children), which showed the support of local (Jewish) community and made the “questions of squats” present in the media – first time on such a level. Owing to the big campaign, in the september 2000 we get the building for the cultural activity from the local authorities. It was quite devastated and we’ve spent almost a year on repairs. We called it “FREE DOM”.
information in polish: http://squat.net/pl/news/free190102.html
Counter-Cultural activities of the “FREE DOM”
The activites in the house began in the spring of 2001 with a new alternative library, space for the anarchist black cross, and cinema and concert rooms with acts like; Citizen Fish, Catharsis, Sin Dios, Tragedy, and many many others. There is now a info cafe, dark room, serography space, art gallery exibitions and every Sunday there is Food not Bombs which gives squatters a chance to give food and eat together with local homeless people and speak to the community people.
Activities with the local community
Many things we do is to have contact with the local people it is a cultural “community” center after all with the purpose of taking care of the local issues. We plan to start a local newspaper to give out independent information as well as promote anti-capitalist ideas and alternatives to capitalism, and give more possiblittes for community involvement. We’ve started activites with the city kids which have started to become part of the house. Together with their parents we held parties and childerens feasts with games and painting. Also in the plan is to begin an “after school” program where they can get help with homework and spend their time with some creative activites like juggling, theater, photography workshops etc.
Cooperation with other cultural centers
The idea and function of the Cultural center is to be the place where people can come, and without money realise non profit projects, ideas, or just have a place to meet. This house is the only legal place like this in the city. But – we cooperate with the squatters groups from the city. Now there are 2 squats and one wagenburg in Wroclaw – we are in close contact with this groups, we’ve tried to give them support, when they had problems with police (eg. Kromera – one of the squats was evicted and reoccupied after 2 months, owing to large campaign it exist until today). We cooperate also with other squats and autonomous groups from Poland – last November we’ve hosted persons from dozens of Polish autonomous groups on the congress.
Problems
Polish squatters used to have problems with the police. There is not any good squatters laws, police is often agressive and works outside of law in the contacts with squatters. “Free Dom” as a legal center doesn’t have such a troubles. But our activity is also not acceptable for many politics from the local government – eg. Food Not Bombs, contacts with children. Instead of police they use the fact that we are legal: we have to fullfill many rules, ordered by Fire Brigade, police, building inspectors. Many of these rules are absurd and we can’t fullfill them because we don’t have enough money to pay bribes (and we generally don’t want to do it) and to make many reparations. We can’t organise any cultural events, if we don’t fullfill it and we can be kicked out from the building.
So – much support for us is needed – especially from abroad. When the local government see, that some groups and individuals from abroad supports us, it will help us very much in negotations. They must feel that we are not alone!
You can send the letters with support (the best solution is to write few sentences in English and in your native language) to the following addresses:
doivon@um.wroc.pl – city goverment sekret@um.wroc.pl – president of the city architek@um.wroc.pl -building inspectors
Fire Inspection: Fax: +48 71 329 21 88 City Goverment (Wroclaw) Fax: +48 71 344 78 29 We need also money for the repairs, lawyer, architect, etc… so if you want to help us financially, please contact us.
Our address: “FREE DOM” ul.Jagiellonczyka 10 d 50-240 Wroclaw (Poland) freedom69@go2.pl
(for more informations about our group and activities – write us an email, we will send you it)
| —- Example of the support letter |
I support the existence of cultural center “Free dom”, placed on JAGIELLONCZYKA 10d, WROCLAW. I think that the activitiy of “Free Dom” is important for the alternative culture in Poland. Such centers exist also in many countries all over the world. They should be supported and not blocked!
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