Berlin: Manifestation against the eviction process of Køpi Wagenplatz

By: fawda - June 2nd, 2021  Filed under: News

A home doesn’t always need four brick walls, and spaces sometimes come on wheels.

Køpi wagenplatz is synonymous with a way of life that attempts to exist autonomously and self determinedly, offering a clear and visible answer to a dominant culture of property as status that shuts its front door on community, neighbourhood and solidarity.

On the 10th of June the trial against this structure will take place. The “legal” existence of this self-organized project, as various other houses in Berlin, is being decided from people who have only one priority: to serve the interest of the capital, the landlords, the real estate companies. Our position is to make clear that not only we’ll defend every threatened project but we stand for the self determination of our existence and our life. We do not recognize their institutions but we want to be present to every decision that is taken for us, without us. [Read More]

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Athens: Theater Embros resquatted

By: fawda - May 26th, 2021  Filed under: Communique, News

A very large and enthusiastic meeting of Embros on Sunday 23 May decided to continue the defense of the Free Self-Managed Theater. The attempt of the police and the Public Property Company to reseal the Embros on the morning of Monday 24 May was met by the lawyers of the movement and the people of the struggle, the united solidarity forces and the works were stopped. We start today Monday 24 May and every day from 5 pm a week of Art and Freedom in front of the building and collective works to repair the damages caused by the eviction.
On Saturday 29 May, we call for a nationwide Day of Action of artists, neighbourhood assemblies and social centers in every corner of the country to defend not only Embros but all liberated spaces. The power of self-organization can stop the destruction of our neighborhoods and nature threatened by the tide of exploitation and the insolence of obscenity.
The weekly program of events starts now! It will be enriched daily with new entries. We invite art groups to present their ideas and work during the day outside the building. [Read More]

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Athens: on the side of the Embros Theatre

By: fawda - May 26th, 2021  Filed under: Communique, News

The chronicle of a repression announced for 10 years was completed yesterday with the eviction of the Embros theatre. A space that began as a response to the capital’s overthrow of iconic urban landmarks is sealed off to be overpowered.

The occupation of the Embros Theatre was the appropriation of a decaying cultural tool and its true utilization by people of art, politics, and the neighborhood. All these masses of people who passed, the participants and producers of another culture testing its grips, can attest to this but also reflect on what its loss signifies.

In the midst of the pandemic, in the most gentrified area for the capital’s small and large tourist capital, Embros was a thorn, not only for its political flavour but also for constituting an agitated and agressive voice at the centre of the tourist product. Something like a stronghold a few meters from the tables of the occupied city held parties, theatre performances, speeches, events, concerts, seminars, collective kitchens, festivals… For free. Organized horizontally. And without discrimination, neither ethnic, nor racial, nor, unfortunately for gentrification. [Read More]

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Brussels: eviction suspended and doors open to the Louise occupation

By: fawda - May 26th, 2021  Filed under: Communique, News

The mobilization against the threat of eviction of the Louise/Defacqz occupation seems to be bearing fruit. In a few days, more than 60 associations and 2000 citizens have signed a petition to ask the owners to reconsider their position and to allow the occupying individuals and families to stay in the shelter until the work is done. Thank you for your support!

The eviction has been suspended and the owners could start negotiating a temporary occupation agreement again. Contacts in this sense have taken place with their lawyer and with the alderman for housing of the city of Brussels. The owners have to come back to the occupants in order to, we hope, advance in the negotiations. Nothing is won yet, but things are moving in the right direction. Let’s stay mobilized for the future! [Read More]

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Castilla-La Mancha: Fraguas Revive. The rural squat wins its first battle temporarily against the demolition of the village

By: fawda - May 24th, 2021  Filed under: News

Thanks to a document officially issued by the Criminal Court No. 1 of Guadalajara on April 29th, the Fraguas inhabitants learned that the demolition of the village is temporarily suspended. It is a change of judicial criteria that has been achieved by the struggle and the legal battle that its inhabitants have been defending for years and that temporarily stops the execution of the sentence of demolition of the village.

A project of eight years of life for the recovery of the rural space.

For those who do not know the trajectory of this community project of Fraguas, this rural squatting initiative was launched in 2013 in a small abandoned hamlet in the Sierra Norte of the province of Guadalajara. This village, which dates back to the 12th century, was evicted during the Franco dictatorship in 1968 for the monoculture of pine and its subsequent sale to the timber industry. A group of young people decided last decade to rebuild some houses that were left half standing, after the Spanish military used the area as a practice range for shooting and explosives in the 1990s. Their project is real and they have achieved their initial objectives, since they were able to rebuild several houses in the village, they have also experienced a great level of collective self-sufficiency in coexistence and self-management of natural resources. They have a vegetable garden and a greenhouse built with their own hands, a small open-air chicken coop, bees in a couple of dozen hives, and as energy self-sufficiency they have about thirty photovoltaic solar panels. [Read More]

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Athens: Theater Embros evicted

By: fawda - May 19th, 2021  Filed under: News

Today 19/5, early in the morning, at 7:30, after a prosecutor’s order, an evacuation and sealing operation of the Free Self-Managed Theater EMBROS took place, in the presence of the police and representatives of ETAD (Public Real Estate Company), the company which the historic building of Embros (first printing house in Greece, characterized as a modern monument) belongs to. The operation took place without the permission of the Ministry of Culture which is responsible for these buildings or with its resounding absence and silent complicity.

What problem could the Greek Ministry of Culture have, after all, that a modern monument was cemented since they gave permission to cement the most important of the ancient ones, Acropolis!

What problem could the Greek Ministry of Culture have, after all, that a theater was sealed since throughout this difficult period of the pandemic they devalue Art ​​and insult artists in the worst way, leading them to despair and extinction. [Read More]

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Berlin: Analysis, Tips and Tactics – Don’t wait until it’s too late

By: fawda - May 8th, 2021  Filed under: Communique, News

Køpi and Rigaer94 are calling for the “Don’t wait until it’s too late” Demo, may 15th on Gendarmenmarkt.

It should be a strong and dynamic demo, not waiting for the next eviction date. There have been many evaluations and analysis of our demos in the last years, enough so to succeed a few times in breaking out of our usual behaviour and winning back some potential for action. We’re hoping for our demos to be good for more than just being seen and heard, or blocking something. It’s about creating collective moments, moments where we can find together in the street, moments of breaking with normality, getting over mass inertia and snapping the social reigns. Moments were we can recognize and experience our collective strength. Not as an event but with the goal of creating an instant which connects us with other points in a timeline of radical praxis and building on them. Moments from which a dynamic can grow, where it’s possible to join spontaneously, where people can dare to try new things and gain experience. In order not to turn this quest into our own impasse it’s necessary to always rethink and adjust our approach and break out of habits and routines. As a base we gathered some analysis and suggestions here. [Read More]

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Brussels: a hundred residents mobilise to avoid eviction

By: fawda - May 7th, 2021  Filed under: Communique, News

Press release 7 May 2021. Brussels city – a hundred residents are mobilising to avoid eviction: the building has been empty since 2017 and belongs to Belgium’s second largest fortune.

The building was squatted by the “Solidarity Requisition Campaign” in March. Following the occupation, negotiations were started in order to reach an agreement and sign a temporary occupation agreement with the owner, Viscountess Caroline de Spoelberch. Despite encouraging beginnings, the latter is now backing down and has obtained an eviction order. The residents are mobilising to avoid being thrown out on the street in the midst of a social and health crisis.

A hundred or so people have been living for over a month in the gigantic building , which overlooks both Rue de Livourne and Avenue Louise. Purchased in 2018 for 18 million euros by Caroline de Spoelberch, it has remained unoccupied since then. For this reason, the “Solidarity Requisitioning Campaign” took over the building at the end of March and several groups of homeless or badly housed people, including the Voice of the Homeless BXL and the Voice of the Homeless Family, quickly moved in. [Read More]

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Solothurn: Wagenplatz “Wagabunten”, 7 years are enough! The “Wagabunten” are still around!

By: fawda - May 5th, 2021  Filed under: Communique, News

For 7 years now we can be found in our trailers in the city of Solothurn and the surrounding area. 7 years in which we have tried to get our request for a fixed location for our caravan site. But unfortunately there is still no solution for our alternative living project.
In these 7 years we have tried different solutions: we have collected signatures, we have actively approached land owners, be they private individuals, the city, the canton or the surrounding communities.
A concept was also worked out and sent to various parties. But even with the consent of a private land owner and a building permit, obstacles were put in the way of our project. Therefore, the occupation of brownfield sites has proved to be the most effective method for us. In this way we have occupied over 25 derelict sites in the last 7 years. For us “Wagabunten” this means moving on average every 3 to 4 months!
We demand a location for our trailer park!
There are some examples of alternative living in Bern, Biel, Lucerne, etc. that show that they’re in demand and that there are possibilities to legalise such projects. [Read More]

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Berlin: rally against gentrification

By: fawda - May 5th, 2021  Filed under: News

UPDATE: event is postponed due to bad weather conditions!

Gentrification is becoming more and more prevalent in the area of Neukolln. From the restaurants in the so called “Kreuzkolln” area, to the bars on Weserstrasse; from the “Karstadt” at Hermannplatz to all over around Schillerkiez. The newest eyesore of the luxury development under construction “Kalle Neukolln,” brings the issue of gentrification even closer to our neighborhood.
As soon as the German government dismissed the rent cap, construction seems more pervasive than ever before; clear indications that rent increases and displacement has already begun.
On Friday 07.05.21, in our neighborhood, along Braunschweiger Str. and Richardstr. we are organizing ourselves, collaborating together for a self-organized kiez! We invite you to come to meet, dance, and play together for a united neighborhood!
All soli donations will be against repression for a person without papers

Against the gentrification, in solidarity with threatened house projects, let’s take back the streets! [Read More]

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Berlin: Køpi Weekend of Protest

By: fawda - May 2nd, 2021  Filed under: Communique, News

Køpi calls for friends and allies from around the world to meet in Berlin on the 15th and 16th of May for a weekend of protest. As Køpiplatz (trailer park) faces the most serious eviction threat to date, Køpi stands united to fight for our homes and families. Køpi has been a DIY project in the heart of Berlin offering living space for people in the house and trailer park for more than 30 years. It also continues to be a home for collectives, events, and creative energy since the day the first door was broken open. We will not give up our way of life for some state backed developers! When the law wants to take our homes away, it’s time to break the law!
The alleged owner of Køpi, Startezia GmbH, is just another example of how our homes and autonomous communities are destroyed by anonymous postbox companies that care only about profit and not about people. Køpiplatz does not face the threat of eviction alone. Other Berlin projects, Potse, Rigaer 94, and Queer Wagenplatz Mollies are also in immediate danger. In the last year alone, crucial left-wing places like Liebig 34, Syndikat, Meuterei, Diesel A, Sabot Garden and G17a have already been evicted. [Read More]

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Utrecht: save the Reactorweg

By: fawda - May 2nd, 2021  Filed under: Communique, News

A squat in the city of Utrecht at Reactorweg in the district of Lage Weide is being threatened with eviction. The reason? The Utrechts Studenten Corps (Utrecht Student Association, USC from here), a Fraternity, wants to throw its 77th annual “lustre” party in the 3 squatted buildings that house 25 people and numerous social, cultural, and political initiatives. To make such an eviction during the COVID-pandemic and a housing crisis in Utrecht, the students are essentially helping the owner evict the 25 squatters, putting them on the streets.
But we still have hope! If we manage to raise sufficient funding we can initiate a higher appeal, in which other judges will revise the case.

The situation

A court ruling last week decided that the people living at the Reactorweg in Utrecht will be evicted to facilitate a week-long party organized by the USC.
The living groups think it is unacceptable that a student party gets precedence over their right to proper and affordable housing. Consequently, the living groups went to court to prevent this from happening. “The people living here are very diverse. Some live here as there are no alternatives, others live here more out of ideological reasons.” In the court case, the squatters emphasized the urgency of the case and said they will be homeless if the eviction continues. “Some have applied for social housing a decade ago and still can’t find proper housing,” one of the defendants explained. [Read More]

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