Intersquat Ile-de-France

From April 27 to May 5, the Intersquat Ile-de-France festival returns for a new edition! We invite all those concerned, squatters and their friends, and others interested to an Intersquat festival in Pantin (93500). On the program, canteens, screenings, singing, discussions, workshops and festive moments!

In the context of the Kasbarian Bergé law and faced with the first building evictions, several squatters in Île-de-France called for a crisis assembly to organize against this shitty law. Called “anti-squat” by the media, this repressive law criminalizes squatters and will increase the number of evictions of precarious tenants.

Heraklion: Evagelismos squat threatened with new eviction

Evangelismos Squat is threatened once again, we will not surrender, we will fight back!

During the last few days we received information regarding an upcoming eviction of Evangelismos squat, just shortly after the evictions of the Kastelli Hill squats in Chania, in the form of a total attack against squats in Crete. The possibility of a new operation was something that was also indicated by the deal between University of Crete and National Technical University of Athens for a building survey, costing 744.000€. At this point, we have valid and specific information about this upcoming eviction as well, since counting 22 years of struggle, Evangelismos is part of the local society of Heraklion, with deep roots and networks within it, and we are in a position to know anything. [Read More]

London: “Why we squatted Gordon Ramsay’s pub”

chairs and tables inside squat

Freedom News received this statement from the Camden Art Cafe squatters who have liberated Gordon Ramsay’s York and Albany Hotel restaurant in Camden, London:

We are occupying the York and Albany Hotel in Camden as the collective Camden Art Cafe. We aim to open our doors regularly to anyone and everyone, particularly the people of Camden who have been victims of gentrification and parasitic projects like HS2 [squat!net Stop HS2 archives]. We provide free food, drinks, and a space to display their art without the ridiculous red-tape galleries that require people to jump over. We believe all of us and our art deserves dignity.
[Read More]

Chania, Greece: Rosa Nera evicted for a second time, call for mobilization

The eviction of the Rosa Nera squat and the Rectorate squat on april 1st 2024 demonstrated Belvedere’s intentions to go ahead with its plans to turn the complex into a luxury hotel. According to a document that surfaced, the company has received the green light to start sampling work at the sites of the squat, despite the stated opposition of bodies, unions and associations of the city, even the city council itself, to the hotelization on Kastelli hill.
According to confirmed information, this work will start on Monday, April 8, by private crews that have been hired, most likely by Belvedere. We call on all struggling sections of the society of Chania not to leave Belvedere and its plans on a green branch and to block any work that is going to be done, starting Monday.
We call for mobilization on wednesday, april 10, at 7 a.m., outside the squat. [Read More]

Belo Horizonte: european tour for the book Casa Encantada

Comrades from the Kasa Invisível squat in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, are now touring all around Europe to present the book Casa Encantada, the Enchanted House, “A Portrait of the Fight for Housing in Belo Horizonte Going Through the Pandemic”. The book brings together illustrations by Renato Baruq and photographs by Cadu Passos. During 2022 and 2023, two Brazilian artists and organizers documents almost 20 old abandoned houses in the central region of Belo Horizonte that became living social and cultural spaces for people in vulnerable situations during the pandemic. The work is accompanied by interviews conducted between 2022 and 2023, which tell the story of these properties and their inhabitants in their own voices. [Read More]

What are the Squatting Techniques in France?

Many people resort to squatting at some time or another: the homeless or the poorly housed, travelers, activists challenging the principle of private property, precarious people in need of collective space…

Warning: under French law, “entering and remaining in a dwelling, commercial, agricultural or professional premises”, “degradation” and “home invasion” are offenses punishable by arrest, fine or even imprisonment. Inciting or facilitating squatting is also a crime, which is why this text is for information purposes only.

Spotting

In general, the longer a building has been out of use, the less likely it is that squatters will get into trouble by occupying it. So they look for houses, buildings, apartments or other premises that look as if they’ve been abandoned for a while: dust on the windows, overgrown vegetation, doors and windows sealed with wooden or metal plates, mailboxes overflowing with mail… Some people put pieces of paper in the doorways of different buildings to make sure that no one enters, then look later to see if the pieces of paper have fallen out. [Read More]

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Amsterdam: Vossiusstraat 16 under threat – Removal of Russian oligarch Arkady Volozh from the sanctions list

The Russian oligarch and founder of Yandex, Arkady Volozh, the owner of the squatted building Vossiusstraat 16, was removed from the European sanctions list on the 12th of March 2024. This is likely to lead to a new court case and the eviction of the squat.

This statement begins with a legal overview of the Vossiusstraat 16 case, and then summarises the changes that led to Volozh’s removal from the sanctions list. Finally, we present reasons why his removal from the list should not have taken place. [Read More]

Dear property guardians …

Print out and post.

We get it. You’re looking for cheap rent in an expensive world. A way to keep a roof over your head while having time and money to pursue your goals and desires. And hey, maybe you get to live in some quirky buildings and situations!

This is a letter to you all. To explain why we disagree with Property Guardianship and to propose something else.

Property Guardianship came about as an idea in the Netherlands in the ’90s. A company called Camelot started advertising their services as anti-squatter security services, using people living in buildings as protection from people … living in buildings.
[Read More]

Tbilissi (Georgia): The Georgian eviction resistance urgently needs our support!

❌🏠❗️ This week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, three foreclosure evictions of entire families were supposed to take place in Tbilisi, Georgia. On Tuesday January 23rd, a huge number of people showed up to stop the eviction but also an unexpected amount of cops who were extremely violent against the protestors. 18 people were arrested, two of them are now facing trial and up to 3-6 years in jail. Others have been fined to an average of 2000 GEL (approx. 700 €) which is a lot of money in Georgia. What’s new is that the story was widely spread in the media, and due to this on Wednesday there was even more resistance and the bailiff was blocked from entering the building. The eviction on Friday was stopped by our comrades, who had already managed to suspend this eviction in December 2023. [Read More]

Amsterdam: Mokum Kraakt squats former windows in the Red Light District

Mokum Kraakt squats on the Dollebegijnensteeg in the Red Light District in solidarity with the sex workers and against the arrival of the erotic center. During a protest against the planned erotic centre, squatting collective Mokum Kraakt announced it has squatted a number of former sex work windows in De Wallen, Amsterdam’s red light district.

The squatters say the windows were squatted in solidarity with sex workers who fight against plans for an erotic centre on the outskirts of the city. Sex work has been a part of De Wallen for over 400 years and sex workers have clearly and repeatedly said they want to stay in the city centre. The people living close to the location of the prospective location of the erotic centre are also against it. And still, mayor Halsema is pushing through her plans. [Read More]

Barcelona: the police install a camera to spy on a squat in the district of Gràcia

A camera hidden in a dark box on the roof of a restaurant monitored the activity of a squat house in the Gràcia district of Barcelona, at least since December 22 when it was detected. As disseminated by the group Ègida -Defensa Collectiva Anarquista, the video surveillance team focused directly on the door of the squat, which is why they rule out that it is the restaurant’s security system.

Neighborhood witnesses have told La Directa that during the last weeks they had observed the presence of “strange” individuals and vehicles parked with people inside the house all day: “I saw them in front of the house, I am convinced that they were plainclothes policemen,” says a neighbor. One of the managers of the restaurant, where the state security forces had placed the camera, told this media outlet that they have “nothing to say”. [Read More]

Belo Horizonte (Brazil): “Casa Encantada” book project

Hello comrades! We, from the Kasa Invisível squat in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, wish everyone a happy new year of struggle, solidarity, and revolutionary construction.

We’re writing to friends and accomplices from various parts of the globe, those we’ve met on the road, corresponded with, who we’ve visited, or whom visited us at our squat, to announce the campaign we are organizing on the FireFund platform to launch the book “Casa Encantada” (Enchanted House). The book documents 20 autonomous occupations in Belo Horizonte, most of which emerged during the pandemic. We hope through this campaign to be able to translate it into four languages and conduct a tour and launch in cities in Brazil and Europe in 2024 and debate the great differences and similarities of these two contexts of struggle for housing, and how to build solidarity. [Read More]