The arrested have been acquitted! Yesterday morning some of the people arrested at the eviction of Vechtstraat/Amstelkade were brought to court with the charge of squatting. Due to several mistakes by the police during the operation, the eviction has been declared illegal and the arrested have been acquitted.
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Amsterdam: Vechtstraat eviction court case
London: Squatting, Media and the Liberal Myth
(No specific names or places have been used in this article. Much of the information is purposefully left vague for two reasons. Firstly to respect people’s anonymity and secondly so individuals and groups do not feel they are specifically under attack, which is not at all my intention. My intention is to put the squatting campaign in a wider political context, and examine some of the attitudes I have observed within this context)
As a prelude to the criminalisation on residential squatting in the UK in 2012, the right-wing media went on a hysterical smear campaign against those who self-house. All sorts of disparaging nonsense was thrown about. The media’s focus became the (in)conveniently timed squatting of a large house in a wealthy area of London. It was too tasty for the media to resist: a photogenic affluent professional couple. A baby due. And freeloading squatters invading their future family home. The hacks went mental.
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London: Grow Heathrow are recruiting
Role of Resistance at Grow Heathrow
Grow Heathrow, is an inclusive, sustainable community project on the site of the proposed 3rd runway. We are committed to furthering positive social change through education, autonomy and campaigning.
We are looking for responsible, enthusiastic and compassionate people who understand the unique nature of Grow Heathrow as a squatted piece of land under threat of eviction, in a village fighting against airport expansion.
Grow Heathrow is a nationally recognized organisation, making front page news. This is an exciting opportunity to join one of the most exciting and innovative projects of its time and participate from the ground up in real change on both a local and global level. [Read More]
UK: Come to London in October! Say No to MIPIM and AUSTERITY, Yes to Housing Rights!
The “London Radical Housing Network” supported by international activists who try to build a “European Action Coalition for the Right to Housing an the City” have called for transnational action and meetings at the occasion of the real estate fair “MIPIM UK” in October (17th – 2oth). Here is their call in it’s 29th August version.
This is a call to housing activists across Europe to come to London this October 17th-20th to oppose austerity policies and the financialisation of our homes and cities, and to create the networks of resistance necessary to defeat it. From the 15th-17th MIPIM, one of Europe’s biggest real estate fairs, will be taking place in London. Landlords, real estate speculators and politicians are meeting to discuss how to make more profit out of the misery of housing and other urban consequences of the global crisis. [Read More]
London: Grow Heathrow, “You can’t evict an idea”
Nearly five years later the group has cleared 30 tonnes of rubbish and runs a popular community space called Grow Heathrow with a bicycle workshop, food-growing club, renewable energy courses, and an art space.
On Friday the 15th of August, after a three year court battle, bailiffs arrived for the first time to evict the group and were met with nearly 200 people supporting Grow Heathrow to continue the project.
The bailiffs will be returning soon and the members of community garden are preparing with various resistance tactics. The group are trying to negotiate with the owner to buy the land with the support of John McDonnell MP and the Sipson Resident’s Association. [Read More]
Weekend of anti-fascist resistance in Calais, 5-7 September and Defence Of Migrant Squats
On Sunday 7 September, local fascist group ‘Sauvons Calais’ will once again try to hold a demonstration ‘against immigration’ in Calais, bringing in hardcore neo-nazis from across France. A number of high-profile fascists have already confirmed their presence including Thomas Joly (general secretary of Parti de la France), Yvan Benedetti (conseiller municipal of Vénissieux and former-member of the now banned organization L’Œuvre française), and Richard Roudier (of Réseau Identités). It is also likely that some neonazi gangs will arrive before and stay for more time after the demo to attack vulnerable people in the streets. [Read More]
Cape Town (South Africa): Running battles rage across Cape’s Marikana
From mainstream media:
Cape Town – Rioters ran through the smoke carrying cases of Coca-Cola after looting a wholesaler in Marikana, Philippi, on Friday morning as the area once again flared into violence while evictions were under way.
At the time of publication, running battles raged across several square kilometres as police clashed with angry residents.
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London: Grow Heathrow eviction Resisted Successfully
Eviction Resisted successfully on Friday 16th August.
From the tower I couldn’t see what went on at the main gate, but the whole site was secured by a good number of folk (50 – 100 odd?) and a local 15 year old d-locked herself to the front of the barricaded gate.
Lots of music and fun was had by all!!
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London: Grow Heathrow, We’re Still Here! But more to come…
WE DID IT, TOGETHER WE RESISTED AN EVICTION TODAY!
THANK YOU
everyone who helped resist the eviction at Grow Heathrow, the chefs, live band, bike powered smoothie makers, seed sowers, climbers, people locked on, Jonathan Goldberg for photos, organisers and more…
BUT….
Unfortunately this is not the end…
The Bailiffs may return any day without warning… to try and evict Grow Heathrow once more… we will need to come together again for this…Email us your phone number if you want to be part of the phone tree or join the mailing list on the website: http://www.transitionheathrow.com… info [at] transitionheathrow [dot] com Come down and visit, stay and help the site run… [Read More]
Belo Horizonte (Brazil): Call for support on massive eviction
President Dilma and Senator Aécio Neves will be responsible for a bloodbath!
August 7th, 2014
Minas Gerais state government has announced in August 6th that 8.000 families that live in land occupations named Vitória, Rosa Leão and Esperança will be displaced from their houses, located in Belo Horizonte. As these families don’t have any other place to go, they are going to resist against the police forces. This situation had made us to write this international claim, in order to report a huge massacre to come. [Read More]
Sydney (Australia): Eviction of the Hat Factory
31 July 2014
Australia: A known squat in the territory known as Sydney has been evicted
Some courageous occupiers and supporters made the decision to barricade and defend as much as they could a space full of history, dreams and resistance.
The autonomous, liberated social centre known as the Hat Factory has for over at least 12 years hosted hundreds of events and people in its quarters – encouraging creativity, mutual aid, rebelliousness and respect. [Read More]
Cardiff: Statement from Squat50
We are currently occupying the Sixth Form College Building on Newport Road, and transforming it into a space for the community to use. We have been working towards an open day to show people the work we have done and explain what we are about.
We are doing all this on a tiny budget and learning as we are going. Our lives aren’t perfect and our project might not be perfect but we’re building together, putting aside our differences, like we hope everyone can, and creating something beautiful, unique and community based.
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