Delta squat, in Thessaloniki, was violently evicted on the 12th of September 2012. In the subsequent trial-farce, ten arrested comrades received suspended sentences and were ordered to pay fines (7,950 euros in total). One of the arrestees, anarchist immigrant Gustavo Quiroga, remained incarcerated and was even deported to Colombia on the 4th of November. That same month, the Greek State unleashed a new round of prosecutions against 6 of the anarchists that were arrested during the eviction. The 6 comrades are now accused of disturbance of the domestic peace (since 2008), as well as aggravated damages on the building of Delta squat. What’s more, the Alexandreio Technological Education Institute of Thessaloniki, which claims legal ownership of the evicted building, is letting it rot while its administrative board is seeking compensation of 3.5 million euros for alleged damages caused by the squatters.
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil): Call for international solidarity with the Aldeia Maracanã
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
On March 22, 2013 at 03:00, the police surrounded the old Indiginous museum, renamed by the indians Aldeia Maracanã (Maracanã Village), which is adjacent to the Maracanã Stadium, which will host the 2014 World Cup.
Occupied 6 years ago by various indigenous ethnic groups and their families, the occupation of the building was intendeded to build a center of indigenous culture controlled by Indians themselves, and also planned to create a Indigenous Popular University, as well as serving as housing for Indians passing through the city. [Read More]
UK: 40 top lawyers sign Guardian anti-squatting law repeal letter
The letter reads:
It is just over six months since the offence of squatting in a residential building came into force. At the time the offence was proposed, government sources claimed it was necessary as the law “does not support police acting when there are squatters in someone’s home” and that “there are no powers to throw them out”. The signatories to this letter include many of the 160 lawyers who wrote to the Guardian (26 September 2011) pointing out that, as a matter of law, those statements were wrong, as such powers did exist and had done so since the enactment of the Criminal Law Act 1977.
London, UK: Self-Organised London buzzing with activity
The Self-Organised London (SOL) squatted social centre continues to resist eviction at Elephant and Castle despite a court of their Order awarding its corrupt owners a possession order three weeks ago. In truth, the current occupiers never held any hope in the current State-Capital system to yield any justice to the local community, as the social elite push for more luxury homes for their own in the heart of London. To expect justice from a partnership which projects only to degrade everything public by converting it into a means for profit, which is the inherent desire of the ruling class in a world where the heads of the multinationals are the heads of State, is foolhardy indeed. And, like in Argentina, the majority of the population in the UK continues to live within the consumerist bubble without protesting, while people are being duped into the poverty of slavery by a lying Press which lives by the same axiom as the economists themselves.
Cologne, Germany : You wanna kick us out? We kick you out now!
First reactions on the termination of the use contract of Autonomous Centre Cologne (AZ Kalk).
The savings bank Sparkasse KölnBonn has cancelled the use contract with the AZ at the 13th of March 2013, as demanded by the politrix of the city of Cologne. Reactions of concerned and solidary structures were quick to come. Activists made a visit to the town hall and the head office of Sparkasse at Rudolfplatz on the following day. Later in the evening around 200 people made a spontaneous demonstration through the city centre.
Self Organised London still alive and kicking!
A brief update on our situation and upcoming events…
As Self-Organised London Social Space, we have now been squatting Eileen House at 80-94 Newington Causeway in Elephant & Castle for three weeks against welfare cuts, gentrification and the privatisation of space.
In response, we aim to provide space for community self-organisation, and have so far hosted events such as; People’s Kitchen, housing action meetings, talks, film screenings, theatre, music, workshops and discussions. It’s now been over two weeks since we lost possession in High Court with bailiffs due at any time, but we are continuing to run the social space from Wednesday to Sunday from 2-10pm.
Coming up this weekend in our event listings we have Spanish-English language exchange nearby and a local ‘workfare sleuth‘ to support on Saturday, with on Sunday the weekly political theatre and tango lessons from Library St London, as well as the new Queer Cinema from London Queer Social Centre. [Read More]
Notre-Dame-des-Landes, France: Message of Solidarity from La ZAD
Black February: Message of solidarity from some people of the ZAD (Zone A Défendre) and elsewhere in France, an occupied area against an international airport and metropolisation project.
With pleasure, we heard of the reactions of solidarity against the evictions at Athens in December and January: United States, India, England, Canada, Australia, Japan, Chile… and also the numerous actions and demonstrations throughout Greece.
London: Feminists Evicted from Women’s Library
At 3.30pm on 9 March feminist protestors were evicted from their two-day occupation of The Women’s Library [1]. Defiant to the end, women had to be dragged from the soon-to-be-closed building by High Court Bailiffs and Police. Outside they were met with cheers from a one hundred-strong crowd of supporters.
Memphis (USA): Native squatter refuses to cooperate in court after mansion eviction
Abka Re Bey (aka Tabith Gentry) was arrested early Friday morning (8th March) outside of 600 S. Shady Grove Road in East Memphis, an empty mansion worth more than $3 million that sits on nearly four acres, that she and her family had squatted. She faces charges of aggravated burglary, criminal trespass and theft of property $6,000 or more and was in court Monday morning. Her bond was set at $2 million.
She took the building last week and drew a red flag with green star in the middle on a poster board, while erecting another sign claiming Moorish American National Republic rights and included statements “pertaining to sovereign citizen rhetoric and beliefs,” according to a police report. Moorish American’s are descendants of ancient Moabites in Africa and are the original inhabitants of North America who were enslaved by European colonists. [Read More]
UK: Is Mike Weatherley Dead Yet (a brief interview)
Some stories enrage you because there shouldn’t have to be anything more to say: no National Debate or serious frowny faces on Question Time. The HIV-positive asylum seeker and her 10-month-old child who starved to death in a Westminster flat last March. The teenager who set himself on fire in a council office in December after they refused to find him a home.
And now there’s 35-year-old homeless man Daniel Gauntlett, who died of hypothermia in Aylesford last week on the porch of an empty bungalow that he could not enter without facing arrest and a criminal record.
[Read More]
London: We have successfully occupied the Women’s Library
Seventy activists from feminist groups, Occupy, UK Uncut, Solidarity Federation and Disabled People Against Cuts have today occupied London’s historic Women’s Library in a daring bid to save it from closure.
In a secret action, a small group of women from the specially-formed Reclaim It! group led the take-over of the library in central London at 1.30pm. Within minutes they were joined by a larger crowd of protestors who had been led to the location by the organisers from two meeting points.
[Read More]