Uppsala: Callout from Blodstensskogen

About a year ago, the forest-occupation project in Uppsala started [previously on S!N] after the municipality officially decided to clear a more than 200-year-old forest in order to build expensive high-rise buildings in its place.

The forest, Blodstensskogen, is located between two nature reserves and thus serves as a corridor for the many forest animals to move around. At the same time, Blodstensskogen has developed a strong and diverse ecosystem through its long existence. For example, there are deciduous trees and fir trees that are over a hundred years old, and it is home to many animals, including those that are protected (Red Listed Animals: different insects such as the longhorn beetle, musk longhorn beetle, scarlet fungus beetle, birds such as the black woodpecker and the crested tit, fungi such as the pine fire sponge, irpicodon pendulus, resupinate spurge and the beautiful earth stars, as well as three different species of bats that use the Blodstensskogen as hunting grounds and for reproduction).
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Uppsala: Imminent eviction of Försvara Blodstensskogen

The occupation of the forest aim to stop the clear cut of a centenary forest. Besqab company and Uppsala commune have plan to build luxury apartment.

The gentrification of Uppsala has been an ongoing process over many years. 2013 saw a luxury renovation of Rikshem’s housing in Gränby, 2016 saw the demolition of the community center (sw. allaktivitetshuset, colloquially known as Allis) on Kungsgatan for a luxury housing development project by Magnolia Bostad. The end of 2020 require the youth center (Ungdomens hus) to move for the space it currently occupies can be used for more lucrative endeavors. These mentioned are only a few examples of gentrification and urbanization that results in increased rent and degradation of living standards. However, the gentrification monster is still hungry and has its sights set on the forest. Blodstensskogen along with other various surrounding nature areas are on the menu as the appetizer, Norra Lunsen as a possible main course, and we can only imagine what will be served as dessert.
Eriksberg is currently in the most acute danger, as the company Besqab plans to begin its housing development project of Blodstensskogen. The company, along with the municipality, believe that something more important than biodiversity is luxury housing (four 8-story apartment buildings and five 4-story apartment buildings) along with a shopping center where customers can consume relentlessly. [Read More]

Stockholm: A new squat cracked today!

Stockholm_Avprivatisera_HagsatraWhy we have occupied and established the New Neighborhood Auditorium in Hagsätra – a statement

Hagsätra, a predominantly low income suburb in southern Stockholm previously dominated by affordable public housing, has been sold off in its entirety to private landlords. Most of it now belongs to the Ikea-owned corporation Ikano, who already many years ago purchased the suburb’s center square and whose presence in the suburb is daunting. Upon arrival with the metro you are greeted by 15 massive flags that tower over the square. The flags of Ikano. Fairs and events arranged for locals are called Ikano—something. A youth center that was publicly funded and on the center square was suddenly closed some years ago and moved to the back side of a building facing the highway at the fringe of the suburb. This youth center is now run by Ikano and they have hired permanent security staff to surveil the few teenagers who go there. It is reasonable to assume that this is part of an effort to clear out unwanted elements from their central property. Just as the overall ambition with their whole turf is to raise property value, which effectively means clearing out current unwanted elements from the residential population. The method is simple: make it economically impossible to stay. [Read More]

Stockholm: Högdalens Folketshus evicted

Ongoing eviction of the squat Högdalens Folketshus in Stockholm. Police has surrounded the building (9000 sqm) and the decision is going against civil rights of the people residing in the building (legal right to reside after 2 weeks).

Stockholm (Sweden): opening of a new squat, Högdalens new Folkets hus

We are a group who on Saturday 23rd May re-opened the old school building on Rangstaplan 22 in Högdalen Centrum. We did this because of the plans to demolish the building soon. The decision to do so was taken over the head of the local people. A former public space has without the local communitys’ consent been sold cheaply to a private developer who’s planning on building expensive private housing on the land. Protests and alternative suggestions, like using the building as an elderly home or community center, were ignored by the local politicians and decision makers. [Read More]

Lund (Sweden): Mass Squatting Action Videos/Photos

On May 16th, over 1000 people gathered to participate in the occupation movement festival in Lund, which featured food, music, entertainment and of course SQUATTING! During Saturday two buildings, Bredgatan 4 and Observatory in the City Park were occupied, and during the night so were Sunday two unused buildings on the St Lars.

In addition to the imaginative tactics the activists used to outwit the cops, different blocks were subject to random and ordered police violence. [Read More]

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Lund, Sweden: Report from Squatting festival “165”

Report from squatting festival in Lund, Sweden 16-17, May 2009

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Background

For many years in Sweden, squatting houses has been something not attempted very often, a lot because of the no-tolerance laws and practice by the Swedish state. The attempts during the last 15-20 years met heavy sentences and the interest in squatting sank to a low level. After the eviction of Ungdomshuset in Copenhagen many were inspired by the resistance and the movement that arose around the fight for a youth house, and the idea started to seem more real again. During the international squat days of action in April 2008 several houses were squatted in many Swedish cities, purposely during a limited time to make public activities. [Read More]

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Squat action in Umeå, in the north of Sweden

At 31/12 the womens house is squatted in Umeå in north Sweden. The building is threatend with demolition. The police wanted to evict the place but a part of the squatters barricaded themselves in on the upper floor.

When the police returned next day the squatters first told them that they’d be gone the following day. However, the next day they decided to stay and put a note on the door for the police saying they consider the house theirs now. [Read More]

Sweden: Squat action in Malmö

On the 11th of June, a squat opened its doors as a social center in Malmö in southern Sweden. But after just 22 hours, the national anti-terrorist force evicted the squatters with drawned guns.

The squatters, who have given the house the Name “Melonia”, after a cartoon, came back the next day in a spontanious demonstration with about 90 persons. The police, who wasn’t aware of the demo, rushed to the house with dogs and riotgear to protect the empty house.

Some of the squatters then went to the owners office to have a picnic and to listen to loud disturbing music. [Read More]

Sweden: Squat attempts in Malmö

From our guestbook:

A new wave of squatting has hit Malmö in south of Sweden. An empty factorybuilding was squatted by 5 squatters for about 20 minutes. When the secret police showed up, home made explosives where thrown at them. The squatters left the building the backdoor before the riotcops arrived and closed the entire area. Earlier that week a building was ment to be squatted. [Read More]

Squat attempt in Sweden

There was a unsuccessful squat attempt in the swedish town of Linköping. 23 youths now are in jail awaiting trial that could lead to four years imprisonment. 7 have been released pending charges as they are under the age of 18.

The squat occurred in the town of Linköping on the night between the 17th and 18th of March. On the evening of the 18th the special anti-terrorist unit of the national police force stormed the building. one occupant was injured and hospitalized. [Read More]