The builing on 193, St-Charles street, in the 15th arrondissement of Paris started on sunday around 11:30. About 150 people managed to occupy the building, which is property of the Paris city council and had been empty for 4 years. Other ‘have-nots’ were waiting in front of the building until the negotiations with the authorities came to an end, constantly shouting ‘a roof is a right, a roof is the law’ and ‘apply the law on property requisition’ [trans. note: both slogans refer to a french law voted shortly after the second world war, that allows the state to requisit housing left empty by the owner. It was meant as an emergency measure and never was used afterwards, but this law still officially exists]. Around 16:20 the cops and riot-police decided to leave, and the occupation could go on. This operation was successfull, but the unitary struggle of the different ‘have-nots’ (no papers, no houses, no jobs…) goes on!
The following groups are acting together:
AGIR ENSEMBLE CONTRE LE CHÔMAGE (AC!) = Act Together Against Unemployment
COMITÉ DES SANS-LOGIS (CDSL) = Commitee of the Homeless
COORDINATION NATIONALE DES SANS-PAPIERS = National umbrella-organisation (?) of the ‘sans-papiers’
DROIT AU LOGEMENT (DAL) = Housing is a Right
DROITS DEVANT!! = Rights On!
G 10 SOLIDAIRES = {translator’s note: I’m not quite sure what this group’s name is standing for, as far as i know it’s a solidarity group for the ‘Sans-Papiers’]
[Translated from an article published in French on March 5th, 2001.]
