Vacant for years
Since Sunday 31 August, the Valkenboskerk in The Hague on the Loosduinsekade has been squatted. A group of residents has taken possession of the building, which had been vacant for more than 7 years. In 2018, neighboring residents already managed to enforce with the municipality that it will not be demolished. In 2020, 070 Vastgoed bought the building and made plans to turn it into luxury apartments. Which is completely unaffordable for the residents in the neighborhood. But 070 Vastgoed is unfortunately known as an elitist real estate company. They only make hotels or luxury apartments. With which they make the capital more and more unaffordable for the people who live.
However, after 5 years of being owned by 070 Vastgoed, the church is still empty, to the great frustration of the local residents, even if the church alone will be preserved. Windows have been smashed, fire alarms go off often, there are often burglaries, the garden is completely overgrown and the building is increasingly being covered by graffiti. The only thing the neighbors of the church see is decay and an unreachable owner who does not want to talk to them.
Brave squatters
So the squatters took the initiative to inhabit it. They are students and hard-working young people who have been trying to find a house for years. They still live at home with their parents, or have to go from sublet to sublet because they have nowhere else to go. They thought the church was a wonderful place to breathe new life into. Of course, the neighborhood also thinks it’s terrible that it’s empty. Not only do the residents want a roof over their heads. But they also wanted to offer a place for young artists, performers, a community kitchen, a vegetable garden and much more.
The squatters had prepared everything well and on Sunday informed the neighbors and the owner that they had taken the building into use. The neighbors were immediately enthusiastic and wanted to visit immediately. The residents were open from moment one to talk to the owner and see if a user agreement is possible. Unfortunately, 070 Real Estate thought otherwise, which on Monday morning without saying anything or being open to talks at all, illegally broke in and violently evicted the squatters. With violence, physical and verbal they have put the squatters back on the street. Thus, after two days of use, the church was empty again. Trespassing or not, they were back to square one.
Absurd violence
But the residents who have nowhere else to go will not be discouraged. They have house peace and may not be evicted without the intervention of a judge. So today they have taken up residence at the church again. However, 070 Real Estate remains super aggressive. They first came with a locksmith who tried to break open the lock, but apparently was unaware that there were people inside, because after banging the door he was startled and left. Then a man who works for 070 Vastgoed came shouting and intimidating people in the street. He grabbed someone’s bag and injured someone’s finger and apparently bruised it when he tried to take the bag back. He took bolt cutters from his car and threatened the people outside that he would cut off their fingers. He spat after someone and then grabbed a hammer and banged on the doors and smashed the window, injuring a resident inside. But the drama was not over because he wanted to get over it and showed everyone his dick. He had also tried in vain to enter from behind.
Police choose sides
The police were outside watching and did nothing. And to top it all off, after everything 070 Vastgoed has done, the police arrested the residents inside and fined people on the street without a reasonable purpose hanging around the tram stop. This while the residents were in with full right and the owner used excessive force to chase them out. The police did not listen for a moment to the people outside and the residents, but they did listen to the real estate company.
In the fight against homelessness and housing shortage, the police show again and again that they are not on the side of ordinary citizens.
The police is acting against as a gang hired by landlords not only against the homeless, but also against the current residents.
Squatting assistance, advisory service for squatters in the Netherlands: https://radar.squat.net/en/groups/topic/spreekuur-ksu
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
