The NewsRound is be a monthly post, keeping tabs on articles being posted in MainStream Media (MSM) sources, as well as independent channels (eg IMC, SchNEWS) about squatting, the new law (s.144) and possible new legislation (eg commercial). If you spot any articles of interest, please let us know by emailing: info AT squashcampaign DOT org. Disclaimer: All views expressed in this blog are that of the compiler and not necessarily that of SQUASH.
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UK: SQUASH Newsround August – September 2013
Cataluña: PAH-occupied flat block is a foot in the door
For the last five months, sixteen families – from a broad range of backgrounds and nationalities, almost all victims of bank foreclosures – have been living together in an abandoned, brand new flat block in a ghostly quiet suburb of the Catalan town of Salt in Spain.
Organised in the PAH (Plataforma por los Afectados por la Hipoteca –the Victims of Mortgages Coalition), the occupiers of Bloc Salt have held out since 23rd March against repeated attempts by the authorities to cut their water supply and intimidate them into leaving, and instead are concentrating on developing their own community, with a living space that suits their needs and desires, as well as preparing for the court-ordered eviction, mooted for 16th October.
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Duran (South Africa): ANC members are threatening AbM leaders in Cato Crest now
Update: It was impossible to carry out the process as stipulated by the court order due to intimidation and threats from ANC supporters including open and public death threats. The rule of law is being undermined at every turn. Our lawyers and leaders have now left the area.
17 September 2013 – 9:11 a.m.
Abahlali baseMjondolo Emergency Press Statement
Abalalhi baseMjondolo (AbM) leaders are at Cato Crest with lawyers from both AbM and the City, as per the last court order, to count and mark the shacks that are protected by the court orders.
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Hungary is about to criminalize homelessness once again
By passing a new law that would criminalize street homelessness, the Hungarian government is once again about to violate the fundamental right to human dignity, defy the country’s international obligations, and go directly in the face of the judgement of Hungarian Constitutional Court.
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London: Made Possible by Squatting foto report
Held in a rather stunning squatted building in East London, the excellent Made Possible by Squatting exhibition sets out to challenge the common media myths and misconceptions of squatters.
Report with fotos
UK: Labour MPs Call For Extension of Squatting Ban To Protect Profits of Property Tycoons
As homelessness in the capital soars, three senior Labour Party figures have launched an all out attack on homeless people by demanding new laws to protect property developers and landlords from squatters.
Head of Lambeth Council, Lib Peck, MP for Streatham and Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna along with Dulwich MP Tessa Jowell have all signed a joint letter this week written to bungling Justice Secretary Chris Grayling demanding that the squatting ban be extended to commercial properties.
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Hackney, London: Check out 195 Mare Street
Everyone woke up super enthusiastic this morning ready to start the day. Downstairs free shop area looks almost unrecognisable – its suddenly viable again how much space there really is. We’ve going to have a great area to do some workshops while we continue to work on the rest of the building. [Read More]
Amsterdam (The Netherlands): Plantage Middenlaan 64 squatted
Sunday 8 of September, Plantage Middenlaan 64, connected to Plantage Badlaan 9, has been squatted.
This building, classified as a ¨second order¨construction, has been constructed in 1892 and in the beginning it hosted the Association for Helpless Blind.
In 1961 the association left the building and it became the entomology department of the University of Amsterdam until 2011.
According to the Kadaster, this place has been bought by the Kingdom of Morocco in 2011.
The project was to make a Moroccan Cultural Center but nothing happened because of the absence of subsidy. [Read More]
Montreal (Canada): Support demo for those evicted from the Moreau lofts
Monday September 9th, at 6 pm, Metro Prefontaine
On the morning of Friday, Sept 6th, the people occupying the lot next to the Moreau lofts were evicted by the Montreal police, acting on the landlord`s request. The lot, also belonging to the same landlord, was squatted to denounce the eviction of the hundred or so people living in the lofts of 2019 Moreau street. The city had ordered the eviction after safety inspectors judged the building to be dangerous for its occupants.
The building has been unsafe for twenty years while the landlord has allowed the situation to deteriorate. But now that the neighborhood is becoming hip and its no longer just poor people living in it, the situation has changed. That`s why the landlord announced that, after the eviction of the renters, he had the intention to renovate the lofts and to put them up for rent, but this time much more expensive. [Read More]
Girona (CAT): Mas Castello okupada – First week of occupation
We are writing from the squatted mansion /Mas Castelló/, near to
Orriols, Catalonia.
http://torresmasaltashancaido.espivblogs.net/
On the back of the energy and enthusiasm of the camp against the MAT
that was held in Fellines, we have squatted a space to give the struggle
against the MAT continuity, creating a meeting place here we can share
experiences of struggles and collective living that breaks away from the
models imposed on us by consumer society. [Read More]
Calais (France): Call out for active solidarity
Urgent Call out for Calais!
A big squat in Calais was emptied of its occupants Thursday.
Today they tried to occupy the old hospital that has been empty for some years:
They were expelled in this afternoon, and twenty people were arrested.
Many migrants are in the street and looking for a place to shelter.
Many evictions of living spaces are planned in the coming days.
The people of Calais are making a desperate appeal to activists reinforcements quickly.
The tension is high! [Read More]
Greece: Update about the crackdown on squats around the country. Keli squat re-squatted in Igoumenitsa
On September 3, the Keli (Cell of Freedom) squat was reoccupied.* This was our short response to the ongoing state repression against anarchists and squatters.
As we have already said, the fight goes on and will continue.
In addition, three more students occupied the empty dormitory cells at the Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Igoumenitsa. The housing project continues, and we invite all students who have financial problems to do the same.
Shame on academics for bringing the cops into the TEI premises. Shame on cowards who choose to keep silent when faced with state repression.
Solidarity with evicted squats—Villa Amalias squat, and Skaramaga squat in Athens; Delta squat, and Orfanotrofio squat in Thessaloniki; Maragopouleio squat, Parartima squat, and the self-managed hangout of TEI in Patras; Valveios squat in Messolonghi—as well as with the Nadir anarchist hangout in Thessaloniki, Draka squat in Corfu, radio98fm, indymedia, and the hangout in Xanthi… [Read More]
Radar Online Agenda
