A first update from the Slibvelden crew itself was made public on May 24th 2020. One big part of the former ADM crew relocated at the Slibvelden on Buikslotermeerdijk 95 in Amsterdam Noord. The following statement is published on Indymedia on June 4th by Stichting ADM Leeft, with Hay Schoolmeesters (also Urban Resort, Free Spaces Accord), holding the pen:
ADM community has to pack again!
Almost a year and a half ago, the ADM site was evicted inappropriately. Under the supervision of the municipality, all that was from and dear to the more than 125 residents was completely destroyed by the owner of the site. Part of the close-knit community ended up on the Sludge Fields of the former Water Purification in Amsterdam North. Now this group is forced to relocate on November 1 this year, without any necessity.
At the end of 2018, a motion was passed by the Amsterdam city council, which instructed the college to work with the ADM community to find a definitive location where the community could continue their way of living and livelihood after the sludge fields. The sludge fields were made available to the ADM community for 2 years by means of a tolerance decision. In a recent meeting with the Municipality Noord, it turned out that, despite the motion and despite the fact that no other location is in the picture, the Municipality nevertheless wants to remove the ADM community from the site!
The Municipality Noord has no development plans for the area in the short term and there is therefore no reason not to extend the tolerance decision. In addition, the coalition agreement states that the municipality wants to protect the fringe culture and has even developed a ‘free space policy’ [**] for this purpose. In collaboration with the municipal team ‘free space’, ADMers have developed visions for a ‘new large free space’ in Amsterdam that will also be built in roughly 2.5 years and of which the ADMers will be part. The Commission considers such a free space essential for the cultural and social diversity of Amsterdam. In addition to us, many Amsterdammers are very happy with that. But should we as a community in the meantime just disappear in the wind?
All the more reason to extend the community’s term of stay until the new location is released. A new eviction is therefore equivalent to “throwing the child out with the bath water”. The ADMers do not bother anyone, keep the area green and will involve city and neighborhood with small-scale cultural and craft activities as they have always done on their own initiative and without subsidy. For example, they recently participated in Farmamsterdammersdag, there was a workshop making face masks and on the site is a giveaway shop, a neighborhood garden and a Voku. The residents of Elzenhagen know us well!
Just like Behoud Lutkemeer, we oppose the further economization of the city and can therefore only act.
We hope, however, that the Municipality Noord will change it”s position soon, not without an alternative and not evict for a vacant space.
PS 1
Due to a lack of space, part of the original group of ADMers could not go to the Sludge Fields and had to find shelter elsewhere. The boat inhabitants still roam partly through the Amsterdam waters, are sometimes chased away and have not yet been able to find or be offered a berth. Together with the people who are on the Sludge Fields, they are still the ADM community.
PS 2
The motion as passed on November 6, 2018:
“Commission the board (college), together with the ADM community and the regional municipalities, to make an inventoriy of whether a definitive location can be found in the Amsterdam region or in Amsterdam itself (after the sludge fields in North) where the ADM community can continue with their current way of living and livelihood”
PS 3
The ADM site was completely leveled after the evacuation. Nothing has happened since then and the site is for sale through Cushman & Wakefield. Tenant Koole Maritiem is completely out of the picture. Eviction for vacancy ….
Some squats in the Netherlands: https://radar.squat.net/en/groups/country/NL/squated/squat
Groups (social center, collective, squat) in the Netherlands: https://radar.squat.net/en/groups/country/NL
Events in the Netherlands: https://radar.squat.net/en/events/country/NL
source: Indymedia https://www.indymedia.nl/node/48025
