Eviction Delayed Again: The Expropriated Bank, Barcelona

The ‘Expropriated Bank’ is one of 7 occupied social centers in  ex banks in and around Barcelona.  Though long overdue for eviction the State has hesitated, perhaps a bit nervous after failing to evict Can Vies last year due to huge solidarity.

Maybe they don’t want to coincide with widespread public anger at the jailing of 7 activists for being anarchists.  (Mass Demos vs. Gag law and Arrest of Anarchists)

Perhaps they wish to avoid more opposition to their corrupt banks which have presided over the eviction of up to half a million people to balance their crooked books.

Whatever the reason the ‘Expropriated Bank’ in Gracia barrio is still going strong. Here’s a translation of their latest communiqué…..

[Read More]

London: Love Activists in court over illegal eviction & callout for March for the Homeless in April

From Counterfire, December 29th 2014:

A group who occupied an empty bank to shelter and feed homeless people over Christmas are fighting to establish that their eviction was unlawful reports Dan Poulton

Activists who occupied a former NatWest bank over the Christmas period went before a civil court this morning [December 29th 2014] following their eviction by bailiffs last Wednesday, Christmas Eve. The premises at 2a Charing Cross Road had lain empty for two years and are now owned by Greencap Ltd.

The ‘Love HQ‘ occupation aimed to shelter and feed homeless people over the bitter winter period and raise awareness of a major housing and homelessness crisis in London and the rest of the country. [Read More]

Berlin: Solidarity sabotage with those incarcerated as part of Operation Pandora in Spain

As a sign of our solidarity with projects raided on December 16th, 2014, in Barcelona and in other cities as well as the comrades detained in the course of Operation Pandora, we burnt a vehicle of DHL in the early hours of January 5th, 2015, in the neighbourhood of Neukölln in Berlin.

DHL was attacked not only for their collaboration with the army, but also for the reason of international distribution of vehicles of this company, which constitutes an appropriate target for sabotage actions. [Read More]

Spain: Words written a few months ago by some of the Operation Pandora prisoners

SOLIDARITY AND STRUGGLE

For those who struggle, solidarity is not an empty concept, distant from our offensive capacity and the conflicts that develop in the struggle itself.

For those who struggle, solidarity is not an “issue” that emerges only at particular repressive “moments”, because repression is not a “moment”, it’s an otherwise inevitable and permanent part of the state’s mechanisms against those who rebel. [Read More]

Roybon, France: Communique from the MaquiZAD – on the recent roadblock

It’s now more than one month since the occupation of the Forest House, and that the cabins replace the massively destructive machines in the forest. We are here, and good here.

In spite of the cold and the snow, in spite of the pressure exerted by the gendarmerie[1], in spite of the various attacks that we have suffered, in spite of the frequent sabotages of structures, life goes on at the Maquizad.

[Read More]

Spanish State: Security is not a crime, Riseup.net statement after Pandora operation

On Tuesday December 16th, a large police operation took place in the Spanish State. Fourteen houses and social centers were raided in Barcelona, Sabadell, Manresa, and Madrid. Books, leaflets, computers were seized and eleven people were arrested and sent to the Audiencia Nacional, a special court handling issues of “national interest”, in Madrid. They are accused of incorporation, promotion, management, and membership of a terrorist organisation. However, lawyers for the defence denounce a lack of transparency, saying that their clients have had to make statements without knowing what they are accused of. “[They] speak of terrorism without specifying concrete criminal acts, or concrete individualized facts attributed to each of them” 2. When challenged on this, Judge Bermúdez responded: “I am not investigating specific acts, I am investigating the organization, and the threat they might pose in the future” 1; making this yet another case of apparently preventative arrests.

Four of the detainees have been released, but seven have been jailed pending trial. The reasons given by the judge for their continued detention include the posession of certain books, “the production of publications and forms of communication”, and the fact that the defendants “used emails with extreme security measures, such as the RISE UP server” 2.

We reject this Kafka-esque criminalization of social movements, and the ludicrous and extremely alarming implication that protecting one’s internet privacy is tantamount to terrorism.

Riseup, like any other email provider, has an obligation to protect the privacy of its users. Many of the “extreme security measures” used by Riseup are common best practices for online security and are also used by providers such as hotmail, GMail or Facebook. However, unlike these providers, Riseup is not willing to allow illegal backdoors or sell our users’ data to third parties.
[Read More]

Canary Islands: Sabotage & painted slogans in solidarity with the prisoners of Operation Pandora

[Other Pandora solidarity actions in Leipzig, Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris and San Francisco]

In support of our anarchist and feminist compañeras detained recently as part of the so-called “Pandora case”, and making clear our revulsion at this murderous capitalist and heteropatriarchal system, on the 30th of December 2014 from the colony of the Canary Islands we carried out actions of sabotage against ATMs and painted some graffiti in solidarity with the accused. [Read More]

Leipzig: Deutsche Bank stoned in solidarity with anarchists arrested in Operation Pandora

In solidarity with anarchists arrested in Spain, we wrecked the Deutsche Bank branch in Leipzig.

On the 16th December 2014 in Spain, different police forces conducted coordinated raids in 12 apartments, resulting in 11 anarchists arrested. One of the pretexts for why the raids took place was that the accused had destroyed cashpoints. [Read More]

Charing Cross, London: Police and council officials evict Love HQ street kitchen for New Years Eve

[Videos: eviction, as well as attempted eviction]

Following the Christmas Day eviction from the central London Royal Bank of Scotland premises the Love Activists set up a soup kitchen outside, giving out food, tea and coffee to the homeless. On the night before New Years Eve police and council officials forcibly evicted the soup kitchen in order to clear the streets for the end of year party revellers

[Note: It was confirmed yesterday that Love Activists have now squatted a new building] [Read More]

Barcelona: Reportback from demonstration in solidarity with those detained in Operation Pandora

[Other recent solidarity actions in Lisbon, Paris and San Francisco]

On Saturday, December 27th, 2014, at 5pm, demonstrators took to the streets in the city centre of Barcelona in solidarity with anarchists detained in the context of Operation Pandora at the request of Judge-executioner Javier Gómez Bermúdez.

Protesters started to march on broad streets, shouting slogans in solidarity with the detainees, and against the police, prisons and the State. The demonstration ended up in the Gracia area. Upon entering this neighbourhood, hooded comrades uninhibitedly attacked many bank branches, several multinational shops, as well as the 5-star Casa Fuster hotel (which was the Nazi Germany’s consulate in Barcelona in 1936, prior to being the headquarters of the revolution’s defense committee in the spring of 1937, until it was taken by the Falange in 1939, and became a luxury hotel during the Transition, after the associative neighbourhood movement attempted to turn it into social facilities). [Read More]

Charing Cross, London: Police retreat after attempted eviction of Love HQ street kitchen

Updates at midnight (see here for videos):

4 hrs ago: Police have retreated for now but our protest will continue. Still need more numbers here in solidarity.

5hrs ago: Police reinforcements have arrived

“If you are free NOW we urge you to get to 2a Charing Cross NOW as Westminster Council are attempting to close down the ongoing 24 hr. Streets Kitchen facilitated by Love Activists, many homeless groups and activists. Hundreds of homeless people have found assistance over the Christmas period there and we will resist any attempts to prevent us undertaking this essential service on the streets of London.”Street Kitchen [Read More]

Charing Cross, London: Food and clothes distribution continues everyday at Love HQ

Update 29/12, 1:20pm: The hearing this morning at the Royal Courts of Justice concerning the Possession Order of 2a Charing Cross Road on behalf of Greencap has been adjourned.

Last several days have been amazing, thanks to everyone who have shown their support in whatever form. Special shoutout to the awesome people who have volunteered to man the stalls day and night. Needless to say many thanks to everyone who have donated to the cause, your help has made this Christmas a great experience for those who otherwise would be swept out of view. [Read More]