London: Aylesbury Estate Occupation – Statement of support for our occupation from local tenants and leaseholder groups

By: fawda - February 6th, 2015  Filed under: Communique, News

Southwark Council, a bunch of Labour party career crooks who disregard their tenants’ clear wishes and smash up empty homes on a cold winter’s night, claims that our occupation has no support from residents. The reality is there is real strong solidarity between occupiers and long-time residents, as we saw last night when dozens of people turned out to help defend the buildings under attack.

Today a number of local residents’ groups have emphasised the point with the statement below.

Message for Southwark Council: your cowardly attack last night helped bring us together and make us even stronger!
Tenants, leaseholders, squatters, homeless people … wherever we stand on the sick “housing ladder”, we are coming together and fighting. Stop social cleansing of our city. Homes for all. Solidarity.

Statement on the occupation and housing action on Aylesbury Estate ( Friday 6th February):

Numerous Southwark housing campaigns and other local activists warmly welcome the ongoing occupation of a number of empty homes on the Aylesbury Estate. The current occupation of Chartridge block on the Aylesbury Estate has brought a much-needed spark of inspiration to local residents and housing campaigners. [Read More]

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Koper (Slovenia): Creative Platform INDE U.P.I. manifesto

By: fawda - February 4th, 2015  Filed under: Communique, News

Inde_platforma_squat_Koper_SloveniaNOT THE POWER TO RULE, BUT EMPOWERMENT.
THE FUTURE IS HERE AND NOW: COMMUNIQUÉ FROM THE CREATIVE PLATFORM INDE – UPI

From the ruins, we have built new foundations.
From the abandoned spaces, we exorcise old ghosts and return them to life.
From garbage, we will create instruments with which we will drown the sound of monotonous dark and hopeless situation of our time and space.

On the 5h of October 2014, we, a diverse group of people decided that we no longer want to just be part of the problem, but want to become part of a solution. So we spontaneously self-organized and occupied a couple of rooms at the long-abandoned and dilapidated factory INDE Koper. Decades ago this factory walls gave room to different companies employing handicapped people under the guise of social inclusion and integration, but in reality mostly only for the profit of the owners. [Read More]

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London: Aylesbury Estate empty flats revitalised

By: fawda - February 3rd, 2015  Filed under: News, video

Aylesbury Estate Occupation: 77 – 105 Chartridge, Westmoreland Road, SE17. Map here.

You probably heard but people have opened up a few of the decanted and empty flats in Chartridge House on Aylesbury Estate in Walworth. The occupation came at the end of the March for Homes on Saturday 31st January which ended at City Hall at Tower Bridge. About 150 people marched back to the Aylesbury and helped support the flats that had been opened up earlier on. Right now (Monday night), the occupiers have released a statement of why they are doing this and have set up a website to keep people informed.

[Read More]

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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) 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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