A small, cozy wooden house was squatted on 13 December in kivihaka, Helsinki, Finland on the corner of roads Hämeenlinnanväylä (E12) and Hakamäentie.
We all need space to live and be in. Space to sleep, cook, meet each other, perform mutual projects, study and develop ourselves, organize events, create new and to have fun. These kinds of spaces are not distributed fairly in hierarchically organized society. When some let their “owned” buildings sit empty, others are without communal spaces or even homes. Besides this, there are numerous places that are not safe if you’re something else than a white cis-hetero male or even open at all for poor people. This feels unfair and pisses us off. Something must be done!
So we chose to act, not by running in the endless treadmill or begging for alms but by direct action. We found an empty house and blew life into it. Here we can find each other and live our lives together.
Besides surviving, this is an attempt to step outside unsustainable capitalistic system and against it. And it’s not just for us, the whole world needs alternatives for this life draining machine.
Kattila is a safer space, so we don’t accept any kind of racist, classist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, ageist behaviour.
Don’t bring any kinds of authoritarian symbols, or photograph inside the house. Our kitchen is vegan.
Cops, security, politicians or on duty journalists are not welcome at the house.
Squat Kattila
Update:
Tuesday 17 December, Palmia and workers of city left a note demanding squatters to leave immediately. City has also cut the electricity from the building.
Squatters condemn actions of city and say its contradicting itself by demanding eviction while just earlier talking about possible rent negotiations. Note signed by Irmeli Grundström is saying that reason for eviction is that the protected building is to be moved somewhere else but what makes no sense is that even she doesn’t know when this is due to happen.
House has been empty for months and cutting the electricity endangers the condition of the house. Again its crystal clear that city doesn’t give a shit about condition of supposedly protected buildings but rather uses bureaucracy as a tool to evict them. It seems clear that either city of Helsinki doesn’t even know itself what its doing or that its intentionally creating a conflict. Squatters promise to stay in the building and continue the struggle.
All kinds of signs of solidarity are welcome!
Squat kattila will stay!
Groups in Finland: https://radar.squat.net/en/groups/country/FI
Events in Finland: https://radar.squat.net/en/events/country/FI
