‘There are still squatted houses in Amsterdam…”, that is the shocking gossip recently reported in the Dutch media. Is the zealous mayor of Amsterdam such an incompetent politician in matters of housing policy and in cracking down on squatters? These last years, the city of Amsterdam did evict numerous squats but failed in eradicating our political structures, in making squatting history.
Not only squatters and activists, many individuals are daily becoming conscious and organized, building networks, taking action, sharing skills, bringing out solidarity here and there. The State could erase the (legalized) social centers from the map, call out extraordinary laws, reopen re-education camps (read – feed us more television). People would still have the will to throw down the State, disrupt the money making machine.
End of April, fiscal paradise the Netherlands will finally reach world news with a fresh new young king. The media and various intelligence services are already trying to decrypt early signs of a popular revolt, starving as they are for sensation. That makes it no surprise this racist local government has no intention to lift a finger for the migrants squatting a church these last months. Opportunist politicians feeling concerned about undocumented people only brings more anger against the apathy of the State.
Business is going on as usual in Amsterdam. Housing corporation Ymere has big plans, reshaping and gentrifying the Transvaal neighbourhood, first with a massive crane flattening down ‘only’ two entire blocks. Pretending to entertain or educate us, Ymere and the city are prolific in useless projects and costly events on the Steve Bikoplein. At least, we know what tax money and rents are used for.
Benefits coming up at Joe’s Garage in April are in support of Queeristan, Soweto, Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Campaign and Choucha Refugees. Further, two special events with food and info on a Friday to write down in your agenda: On April 12th, join the Contra Info solidarity event for anarchist comrades in Greek prisons with a presentation of Contra Info, the translation counter-information network. On April 19th, come to ‘defend militant history’, an info night about the Revolutionary Cells and solidarity with Sonja and Christian by their soli group from Germany.
On the film program, The Men Who Stare At Goats, Reds, F For Fake, Death in the Port Jackson Hotel, with a Czech New Wave night with films from Pavel Jurácek and Jan Němec.
However Joe’s will be closed on the last Monday and Tuesday of the month seeing as all the republican sentimentalists will be in mourning. Get involved at Joe’s and other squats in town, there is plenty to do.
Sunday April 7th 2013, Movie night: The Men Who Stare At Goats (Grant Heslov, 2009, 94′). Door open at 20pm, film begins at 21:00. In 1979 a secret unit was established by the most gifted minds within the US Army. Defying all known accepted military practice – and indeed, the laws of physics – they believed that a soldier could adopt the cloak of invisibility, pass cleanly through walls and, perhaps most chillingly, kill goats just by staring at them. [Read more]
Monday April 8th 2013: Volkseten Vegazulu, Benefiet voku Soweto, 19:00 pm. In a nutshell Soweto is an idealistic housing association which aims to be a legal and democratic framework within which multiple solidarity based housing projects, such as legalized squats, can operate together simultaneously, thus increasing their political and economic strength. [Read more]
Thursday April 11th 2013: Volkseten Vegazulu, Queeristan Benefit, 19:00 pm. Queeristan is an autonomous festival in Amsterdam for the exploration of radical queer politics in the form of workshops, performances, art, fun and anything in between or inside-out. [Read more]
Friday April 12th 2013: Contra Info solidarity event with anarchist comrades in Greek prisons at Joe’s Garage. Opening at 7pm with food, info evening from 8pm. In the context of an everyday struggle against the existent, and aiming at the diffusion of factual solidarity with anarchist prisoners in the Greek dungeons, members of Contra Info [http://contrainfo.espiv.net/] translation counter-information network will carry out a series of events in various European cities, spreading information on cases of imprisoned comrades. [Read more]
Sunday April 14th 2013, Czech film night with a double bill, Joseph Kilian (“Postava k podpírání” original tile, from Pavel Jurácek, 1965, 38 min.) and A Report on the Party and the Guests (“O slavnosti a hostech” original title, from Jan Němec, 1966, 70 min.). English subtitles. Door open at 20pm, films begin at 21:00. [Read more]
Thursday April 18th 2013: Volkseten Vegazulu, Steun Choucha Vluchtelingen Benefiet, 19:00 pm. Support Choucha refugees! 41 refugees in hunger strike in front of UNHCR office in Tunis since 29 March 2013. UNHCR camp near Libyan border to be closed in May 2013 leaving 200 plus refugees with nowhere to go. UNHCR, finish your job! [Read more]
Friday April 19th 2013: Revolutionary Cells – Defend militant history: Solidarity with Sonja and Christian Info evening with the solidarity group of Sonja and Christian from Germany. Opening at 7pm with food, info evening from 8pm. Tonight the solidarity group of Sonja and Christian is visiting Joe’s Garage and will talk about the trial Sonja and Christian are facing right now in Frankfurt am Main (Germany). Both are detained in Germany since 2011 after 33 years of exile in France. [Read more]
Sunday April 21st 2013, Film night: Reds (Warren Beatty, 1981, 195 min) in English with English subtitles. Door open at 20pm, film begins at 21:00. This movie tells the true story of John Reed, a radical American journalist around the time of World War I. He soon meets Louise Bryant, a respectable married woman, who dumps her husband for Reed and becomes an important feminist and radical in her own right. [Read more]
Monday April 22nd 2013: Volkseten Vegazulu, Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Campaign Benefit, 19:00 pm. Mumia Abu Jamal is an african-american reporter and political activist.They called him,the ‘Voice of the Voiceless’,as he reported about racism and police brutality in the USA. [Read more]
Sunday April 28th 2013, Movie night, double bill! Can Dialectics Break Bricks Cinema by Jeffrey Babcock. Door open at 20pm, films begin at 21:00.. F For Fake (Orson Wells, 1974, 85′). In English with English subtitles! The great Orson Wells (Citizen Kane), nearing the end of his career of filmmaking, created this crazy film about magic, illusion and truth. In a sense this is a documentary about the illegitimacy of all documentaries. This film is totally bizarre even within the catalog of Orson Wells, being unlike anything else he ever created. [Read more]
Joe’s Garage is possibly open 6 days a week:
Ma/Mo: 19.00 Volkseten Vegazulu, vegan food, no reservations, donations welcome
Di/Tu: 11.00 – 15:00 Office Hours
Di/Tu: 20.00 – 21.30 Kraakspreekuur
Wo/We: 15.00 – 18.00 Lonely Collective Day Cafe
Do/Th: 19.00 Volkseten Vegazulu, vegan food, no reservations, donations welcome
Za/Sa: 14.00 – 18.00 Weggeefwinkel
Zo/Su: 20.00 Filmavond/Infoavond
Joe’s Garage
Pretoriusstraat 43, Amsterdam
http://joesgarage.nl hosted by Squat!net [http://squat.net]
