Ioannina, Greece: Antiviosi squat reoccupied

By: dolph-l - February 3rd, 2015  Filed under: News

In the morning hours of January 18th, 2015, some 50 comrades reoccupied the Antiviosi squat in the city of Ioannina, which had been evicted in August 2013.

On Tuesday evening, January 27th, the first demonstration since the reoccupation of the Antiviosi squat was carried out in the neighbourhood. The demonstration was lively, with much chanting of slogans. Nearly 100 comrades began to march from the squat, walked the surrounding streets and distributed texts regarding the reoccupation. Demonstrators who were in the front held a banner which read: “The flame we lit has flared up and can’t be put out – Antiviosi squat will stay – Solidarity with the squats.” [Read More]

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Italy: Convictions over eviction of Free Republic of Maddalena; No TAV respond with blockades

By: dolph-l - February 3rd, 2015  Filed under: News

via contra info:

The so-called ‘No TAV mega-trial’ has finished at first instance, in which 53 comrades are involved over the eviction resistance of the Free Republic of Maddalena on June 27th, 2011, and for the attack of the construction site of Chiomonte on July 3rd that followed. Charges of causing bodily-harm and aggravated violence, resistance against custodial staff of the public authority, defacement and covering faces (masking up) became sentences which varied between a few months and four and a half years in prison for 47 defendants. Heavy sentences, but less than the requests of the prosecutors Pedrotta and Quaglino—who, on October 7th, 2014, demanded 200 years of prison in total—except for a few comrades, against whom the judge decided to tighten the screw a bit more than what was proposed by the prosecution. On the other hand, six people were acquitted of charges.

When leaving the room, the No TAV supporters present at the trial invaded and blocked the route of Corso Regina Margherita for about twenty minutes in both directions, at the point of the bunker room [the special court of Torino, built into the Vallette jail, near the beginning of the motorway], to protest against the sentences given by the judges. [Read More]

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London: Statement from Aylesbury Estate Occupation

By: fawda - February 2nd, 2015  Filed under: Communique, News

Since the “March for Homes” demo on 31st January, we have re-opened and occupied a part of the Aylesbury Estate in Southwark, South London.

We are tenants, squatters, and other people who care about how our city is being grabbed by the rich, by developers and corrupt politicians, socially cleansed and sold off for profit.

The Aylesbury Estate is where Tony Blair made his first speech as Prime Minister in 1997, making empty promises about social housing. Since then, for the past 18 years, Southwark Council and their developer friends have come up with one scheme after another. All with the same aim: to dispossess the residents, demolish their homes, and sell the land.

In 2002 Aylesbury tenants fought and won a campaign against demolition and voted down the original scheme in a ballot. But now big areas of the estate are emptied and sealed up awaiting the bulldozers, while residents are “decanted” away from the area.

The same bullshit that we have seen on the nearby Heygate estate, and all across London. [Read More]

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London: The March for Homes

By: fawda - February 1st, 2015  Filed under: News

Good Morning Comrades and friends all…

And what a morning song of delight do I sing…What a ‘turnout’ by Londoners yesterday, on what was after all a very cold and in every sense a real winters day, but it didn’t stop thousands of us taking to the streets to demand homes for all those in need 35 years after the Thatcher government made the push to turn the nation into a land full of homeowners and of course as we now know with disastrous consequences for (no exaggeration) millions.

Two legs one from the South and the other from East London merged on and over Tower Bridge creating the massive march, the biggest on housing ever seen in London for many a year.

I joined the south London leg with my comrades from the Love Activists (London) and the Bohemians the occupying crews at the 12 Bar in Soho and on our second day in defence and in defiance of the court IPO, we still hold the Bar and what a joy that is to behold, for the people and by the people, power to the people! [Read More]

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London: Aylesbury Estate Occupied

By: fawda - February 1st, 2015  Filed under: Communique, News

Message from the occupiers: “We are occupying part of the aylesbury estate se1 resisting social cleansing. Join us. Neighbourhood Assembly 3 pm tomorrow sunday. Charteridge house off albany rd.”

Yesterday (Saturday 31 Jan) after the March for Homes demo, a 100-200 strong “squatters bloc” broke off from the main rally and headed South to occupy the Aylesbury Estate in Southwark, South London. Houses on the Charteridge House bloc have been opened and were occupied overnight.

The occupiers are holding an assembly this afternoon and ask for neighbours, squatters, and everyone who wants to, to join them. There are homes here for hundreds, lying empty because of the greed of developers and bribed politicians.

The Aylesbury Estate is one of the largest “social housing”complexes in Europe. It was built in the 1960s-70s with 2700 homes. Because it sits on prime inner London real estate, it is being socially cleansed of its working class inhabitants, in a saga that has gone on for over 15 years now. In 1997, genocidal scumbag Tony Blair came here to make his first speech as prime shitster, promising to invest millions to gentrify the area. But in 2001 tenants campaigned and voted against the first plan to sell the estate to a “charitable” private housing association. [Read More]

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Czech squatting weekend in Amsterdam

By: Hlulome - January 31st, 2015  Filed under: News

20150220_Czech_squatting_weekend_in_AmsterdamCzech squatting weekend in Amsterdam, February 20th – 22nd 2015. Klinika on tour!
Friday 20.02.2015 Klinika soli night with food, presentation, discussion & more @ Squatted autonomous space Joe’s Garage http://www.joesgarage.nl/

19:00 Soli dinner (some Czech traditional dish in the vegan style)
20:00 Presentation
21:00 Discussion, maybe some movie about current squatting theme in Czech Republic and maybe some acoustic concert

Some members of Czech squatting movement are coming to Amsterdam to present and discuss about the actual breakthrough in the squatting movement in Czech Republic. On Saturday, November 29th, an abandoned building of a former clinic in Prague district of Žižkov was occupied by a group of activists. Cleaning works, reconstruction and program started immediately. Despite widespread support, including neighbors, politicians, artists, journalists etc., the owner of the house – Office for Government Representation in Property Affairs – withdrawed from negotiations. Regarding to some sources, the “anti-extremist” department of Czech police played an important role in this decision.

20150220_Klinika_Soli_nightAutonomní sociální centrum Klinika (Autonomous Social Centre Klinika /Clinic http://451.cz/klinika/ ) was evicted December 9th after ten days of struggle and hundreds of people participating. Spontaneous demonstrations immediately took place in front and inside of Žižkov city hall and in office of the owner. After a few days, one thousand people demonstrated in support of the autonomous center. The building is now being guarded, but the struggle isn’t over yet. Žižkov councilors agreed that they will start negotiations with the state. The public support of squatting is now the highest in Czech history. The ministers of interior, finance and social affairs publicly admitted the possibility of decriminalization of squatting. We, as a group supporting a project of social centre, are calling for international support! A pressure on Czech state can help us to create a historical success. Every city needs it’s clinic!

Saturday 21.02.2015, Soli concert and party @ DisKontrol, Papaverweg 7, Amsterdam Noord [Read More]

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London: Squatters bloc @ March for Homes, January 31st

By: fawda - January 30th, 2015  Filed under: Communique, News

20150131_london_SQUATTERS_BLOC_March_for_HomesFrom Squatters in North and South London.
SPREAD WIDELY. JOIN US.
Whose City? Our City.

Are we going to let all of London become a playground for rich fuckers? Where every inch of space is taken for profit? A sterile zone drained of history, culture and life? Are we going to hand it to them without a fight?

Squatters and Tenants unite.
Fight ALL evictions.
Homes for all.
Take the empties.
Take back our city.

Join the SQUATTERS BLOC on the March for Homes.

UPDATE: the main squat bloc meet up will be at Elephant & Castle at 12 noon: St Mary’s Churchyard, Newington Butts, SE1 6SQ. Though there will certainly also be squatters on the East London march, which starts from St Leonards Church, Shoreditch High Street, also at noon. [Read More]

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Cremona, Italy: Solidarity with Emilio!

By: dolph-l - January 26th, 2015  Filed under: News

On the 18th January, in Cremona, Italy, the squat CSA Dordoni [1] was attacked by a group of around 60 fascists (among others from CasaPound [2]) armed with iron bars. A comrade, Emilio, was hit on the head and has since been in hospital in critical condition, between life and death.

Saturday 24th January, an antifascist demonstration “Emilio resist” took place in the streets of Cremona. It was attended by between 2,000 and 10,000 people. A very active black bloc formed and threw many projectiles at the police (smoke bombs, bottles, stones…) as the demo approached the local headquarters of CasaPound. The riot police hit back with tear gas. Further on, the clashes resumed near the train station. And later in the evening, several banks were attacked and the police station was stormed and vandalised! [Read More]

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Soho, London: The Bohemians Manifesto

By: dolph-l - January 25th, 2015  Filed under: News

Soho is under threat of gentrification endangering Our cultural heritage. Without culture society cannot exist.
We are a collective of Artists, activists and campaigners who are willing to become Cultural Heritage Wardens, in order to prevent the disillusion of culture from Our history.
For too long the GLA(Greater London Authority) and local Councils have dictated through Rent increases, as well as business rate increases the services available in specific areas of London.
It is unfair, discriminatory and in-just that areas established in the 1690 ’s are not subjected to heritage laws, that protect the establishment and their aims. As opposed to the will of the people, that the establishment represent.
In history there is a point which determines revolutionary action. We feel that the unification of activists, squatters, musicians , landlords, sex-workers and the public is the beginning of measures,which when implemented by the people and for the people can bring about social change within our society. [Read More]

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London: Meeting the Protesters Squatting Soho’s Doomed 12-Bar Club

By: dolph-l - January 25th, 2015  Filed under: Interviews

London’s venues are dying a grisly death. There are high-speed rails to build and cultural institutions to be redeveloped into luxury flats that nobody’s going to live in, and it’s the city’s nightlife that’s been selected to pay the price. Madam Jojo’s, The Joiners Arms, The Intrepid Fox and Vibe Bar – among a raft of others – have all already been forced to serve their last pints and shut up shop.

Last week, after an 18-month battle with the Crossrail project, the The 12 Bar Club on Soho’s Denmark Street closed down, too. The venue has been moved to a new location in Islington, so at least it’s still alive in one sense. But the story is the same here as it was when the Southbank Centre suggested moving the nearby 40-year-old skatepark from the “undercroft” to another spot just down the river; the Tin Pan Alley location was steeped in a history that’s a little harder to relocate.

On Tuesday, a group of protesters calling themselves The Bohemians started squatting the Grade II listed building, both in a bid to save it from demolition and to inspire others to unite to save Soho. After reading their manifesto – “Without culture, society cannot exist” – I walked in for a chat. [Read More]

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Marseille: Occupation of the Park Michel Levy

By: dolph-l - January 24th, 2015  Filed under: Communique

DENUNCIATION OF THE PRIVATISATION OF THE PARK,
STOP THE DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT TREES!
RECLAIM OUR COMMON SPACE!

Since May 2013, the collective “Michel Lévy” took over legal challenges brought to the court by residents near the park. They are fighting to avoid the square Michel Levy and it’s trees, centuries old, from disappearing. Notably a “remarkable” tree is listed in the national register of the association ARBES [Remarkable Trees: Appraisal, Research, Study and Protection]. [Read More]

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Amsterdam: Eviction letter Kerkstraat 104

By: fawda - January 22nd, 2015  Filed under: Communique, News

Today, just after the eviction of the Pieter Vlamingstraat 98, the squatted building on Kerkstraat 104 got the 8 weeks eviction letter.
The house was squatted on the 7th of December, and according to the letter it will be evicted before the 18th of March.
Will there be an eviction wave, as Van der Laan wishes to re-establish it?
If other houses got eviction letters for the same period, please let us know.
Rebel, resist, revolt! [Read More]

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