Maastricht: November 29th, squatters demo, De Vloek stays!

Squatters, alternative people, artists, vegans, students, grown-ups, children, youngsters, employed, unemployed and everything else that lives!

We invite you to join us the 29th of November at 13:00 hs to protest in Maastricht! We are taking our voices to the streets, because we no longer stand it that freezone after freezone is is taken away from us. Hotel de Ossekop and Mandril have been erased from the Boschstraat last year, recently De Valreep in Amsterdam has been evicted and now De Vloek in Scheveningen faces the same threat…

De Vloek has been squatted 12.5 years ago and in this time the building has been developed to an amazing space where everyone can go for cultural, social and political activities or to enjoy some nice food. Now De Vloek has to make space for a top sailing centre, while another new sailing centre in the same street for a big part is empty. Again a bottom-up social initiative has to move for a propaganda image of the elite, so the social, open vibe of the location will disappear. When will we start creating a society in which solidarity and great initiatives from the people come before money, power and elitist behaviour? [Read More]

Utrecht: Nov. 29th/30th, squatters gathering weekend

Coming 29 and 30th of November a squatters gathering will take place in Utrecht! This weekend will be filled with workshops and discussions, including a LOK (landelijk overleg kraken – a meeting and discussion on squatting between people from different cities). Due to the recent wave of evictions we have seen in Utrecht, but also in different cities in the Netherlands, we feel it is time to all meet up to exchange ideas and discuss the future of squatting.

Practical points:
– The LOK part of this gathering will start on Saturday at 12:30 and will take up most of the day.
– Workshops on Sunday will start at 11:30, breakfast will be available before.
– For people that do not know where to go, gather on Saturday at 11:30/Sunday at 11:00 sharp at ACU (Voorstraat 71, Utrecht). There will be people to help you on your way.
– If you plan to spend the night, be aware that there are a limited amount of mattresses and blankets available so bring your own! [Read More]

Rio de Janeiro: Large eviction

From mainstream press, pic from here

Brazilian police on Wednesday evicted almost 200 families who had occupied a public housing development in Rio de Janeiro’s Guadalupe neighborhood.

The squatters were served with an eviction notice at 9:00 a.m. and soon were seen streaming out of the complex loaded down with mattresses, stoves, televisions and other belongings.
[Read More]

Berlin: Our Own Private Germany

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, a group of squatters from East and West set out to build their own unified Germany. And, despite endless parties, questionable hygiene, and neo-Nazi turf wars, they pulled it off.
[Read More]

Cardiff: Gower Pub squatters resist eviction

Squatters and supporters at the Gower Pub in Cathays today [November 21st] successfully resisted an eviction attempt. The squatters were told that they were about to commit a criminal offence by staying in the building as an Interim Position Order had been granted by the County Court. The squatters pointed out that the IPO was invalid as there were at least 4 mistakes. This was after the court case the day before in which mistakes in the paperwork were admitted by the judge and the solicitor was asked to take the stand to give evidence under oath to support their claim to the building. [Read More]

New York City: Lower East Side documentary on the battle of East 13th Street with the NYPD

Lower East Side squatter history remains a fascinating, if not controversial chapter in the book of New York’s life. So much so that there is even a museum dedicated, at least partially, to preserving the cultural significance of the bygone movement – the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space.

One upstart filmmaker hopes to capture the essence of the war between squatters and the city of New York in the last three decades. Anytime, Baby! is the result of that quest, an independent documentary on the subject through the lens of one particular battle that was endemic of the times. That of 545 East 13th Street. [Read More]

Haringey, London: Magistrates Court occupied

Squatters with “large dogs” have moved into an empty magistrates’ court and police station due for redevelopment.

Haringey Magistrates’ Court in Bishops Road, Highgate, has lain empty since December 2012 when it was closed by the Ministry of Justice following a round of cuts. It is thought the squatters moved into the derelict building with at least two “large-sounding dogs” over the weekend. [Read More]

Hendon, London: Community centre occupied

Squatters have set up camp in an abandoned community centre as part of a mission to prove that “everyone deserves a place to call home”. [Click here and scroll down for video from the corporate press]

The 30-strong group made a name for themselves when they took over Friern Barnet Library and the Bohemia Pub – but now they are back to provide support to those living on the West Hendon Estate.

Tenants living on the estate are being evicted from their homes over the next six months to six years before they are torn down to make way for 2,000 new flats. [Read More]

Redcar, nr Middlesborough: Legal fight continues as Husky claims squatters’ rights after eviction

Campaigners who tried to help a pensioner who was dragged out of his property in an early morning eviction have lodged a legal complaint with council bosses.

John Petch – known as Husky – lived in council-owned outbuildings in Dormanstown, Redcar, for 15 years until he was evicted on Tuesday morning.

Now campaigners supporting the pensioner have visited Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to hand deliver a letter demanding that the 66-year-old is the legal owner as a result of squatters’ rights – after they allowed him to live there rent free throughout the period. [Read More]

Madrid: Police academy & gear shop attacked in solidarity with La Gatonera

Translation of communique from Contra Info:

Early on Thursday, November 6th, a police and Guardia Civil academy was attacked with stones in the area of Legazpi (Madrid). A message was written: “No eviction unanswered. La Gato resists.”

Death to the State and long live anarchy! [Read More]

Den Haag: December 26-27-28, Action Days for De Vloek and autonomous spaces

Because more and more autonomous social centres are being threatened and evicted, an Action Weekend will take place on December 26-28 in The Hague. The city of The Hague wants to evict De Vloek social centre in January 2015. Sometimes you have to fight for what you love, and now is the time! Stop the eviction of De Vloek, defend autonomous spaces and social centres.

Time and again, autonomous social centres have to step aside for yuppie projects. This year, De Valreep in Amsterdam was evicted to make room for a luxury Grand Café, and now the city of The Hague wants to evict and demolish De Vloek social centre to build a sailing centre. Everywhere you go, beautiful initiatives that have been built from the bottom up have to disappear for yuppies. The world should not revolve around the interests of real estate developers, but around people. That is why we are organising three days full of demonstrations and actions on December 26-28. [Read More]

Dublin: Practical Squatting Nights in Seomra Spraoi!

Seomra Spraoi / Thursday 20th November (3rd Thursday of every Month) / 6pm–8pm

Are you interested in squatting in Dublin? Do you want to meet and network with other squatters? Are you looking for other people to squat with? Do you have questions about the law, or other practical aspects of squatting? Do you need help finding an empty building? Then you should come to Practical Squatting Nights in Seomra Spraoi this Thursday!
[Read More]