Today (March 18, 2013 – s!n) at lunchtime, a small but determined protest action took place in front of the Spanish embassy in London to show solidarity with the Mortgage Holders Platform (PAH). People handed out leaflets (attached) to passers-by and embassy staff. Other protest events took place in Edinburgh, Berlin, Paris, Barcelona and lots of other Spanish cities. The action in London was supported by local private tenants groups and Unite Community. The protest in Paris was organized by the “Association of the Right to Housing” (“Association Droit au Logement”, DAL), in Berlin the alliance “Prevent evictions” (“Zwangsraeumungen verhindern”) and “Kotti&Co”, amongst others, followed the call for action.
Learning from each other: event in London 2013
The international day of action is a chance to link our struggles in different countries concretely. All around the world people are fighting against forced evictions and displacement. We want to share skills and experiences with activists from other countries at an event in London in May 2013. Workshops will cover campaigning and direct action against evictions and also provide the space for strategic discussions for grassroots activists.
The Mortgage Holders Platform (PAH)
The Spanish housing activist called for the movements in Europe to build international pressure to enforce their “legislative initiative from below” on March 18th (call to action). The law proposal aims to change the Spanish mortgage law to end evictions, changing the lives of millions of people for the better.
In Spain, the situation is particularly dramatic, but the people affected have been successfully organising to resist losing their homes. Since the beginning of the crisis in 2007, more and more people have lost their homes and income. In the last 5 years more than 350, 000 families were evicted. As a direct result, several desperate people committed suicide.
Besides massive resistance against cuts in wages, healthcare and education, Spanish people have also been defending their right to housing. For the last four years, residents nationwide have been campaigning through the Mortgage Holders Platform. Neighbours organise to prevent evictions (597 evictions till today, 18th of March 2013) and occupy houses which have been repossessed, not only to provide shelter for people who have been made homeless, but to apply pressure on the banks evicting people from their homes.
A rising movement in the UK
In London too, more and more people are fighting the bedroom tax, the housing benefit cup, rising rents and evictions. Local initiatives like anti-cuts groups or private tenant groups are resisting the decline in living conditions brought on by the government’s austerity policies coupled with an out of control rental market full of greedy landlords. Last week end, protests were held at 52 across the country, two weeks before Coalition plans to claw back housing benefit for “spare rooms” come into force on April 1.
Leaflet text :
Monday, 18th of March
International day of action against eviction and displacement in support of the Mortgage Holders Platform (PAH) in Spain
All around the world people are fighting against forced evictions and displacement. In Spain, the situation is particularly dramatic, but the people affected have been successfully organising to resist losing their homes. Since the beginning of the crisis in 2007, more and more people have lost their homes and income. In the last 5 years more than 350,000 families were evicted. As a direct result, several desperate people committed suicide.
Besides massive resistance against cuts in wages, healthcare and education, Spanish people have also been defending their right to housing. For the last four years, residents nationwide have been campaigning through the Mortgage Holders Platform (PAH).
Neighbours organise to prevent evictions and occupy houses which have been repossessed, not only to provide shelter for people who have been made homeless, but to apply pressure on the banks evicting people from their homes. On March 18th, the PAH has called for the movements in Europe to build international pressure to enforce their “legislative initiative from below” which aims to change the Spanish mortgage law to end evictions, changing the lives of millions of people for the better. Simultaneously, the international day of action is a chance to link our struggles in different countries concretely!
In London too, more and more people are fighting the bedroom tax, the housing benefit cup, rising rents and evictions. Local initiatives like anti-cuts groups or private tenant groups are resisting the decline in living conditions brought on by the government’s austerity policies coupled with an out of control rental market full of greedy landlords.
Homes are not simply buildings for the rich to trade for profit; they are a place for family and security. That’s why on March 18th we will show our solidarity with the Spanish housing activists, as well as with all people who are losing their homes because of the greed of a few.
No evictions!
Housing is not a commodity!
For a Europe of social movements!
More information :
http://afectadosporlahipoteca.com (spanish)
http://provisionaluniversity.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/the-mortgage-holders-platform-resisting-the
http://interoccupy.net/blog/ai1ec_event/demonstrate-at-spanish-embassies-march-18-in-solidarity-with-spains-mortgage-holders-platform/?instance_id=
