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.

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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.

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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.

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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.
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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.
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Bristol (UK): Overnight rooftop protest averts eviction of Braggs Lane squat

The squat at Bragg’s Lane / West Street in Old Market, Bristol, was on the night of Monday 4th besieged by cops as part of an illegal aviction attempt. After an overnight rooftop protest and negoitation, possession was then regained by 6pm the following day.

See below the updates from ‘braggs lane rooftop climbing club’ from Tuesday 5th for more information on their inspiring eviction resistance:

1pm: thank you for the warm food an drinks, tent and blankets, we wouldn’t have made it through the night without them.
we’re still on roof, have had sporadic visits from police but they wont approach as they deem our position too dangerous.

first chance they get the police will arrest us, probably on suspicion of criminal damage. we have the building though and would like people to occupy it. [Read More]

Amsterdam (The Netherlands): March 2013 Joe’s Garage program

A deepening crisis, a social housing policy crushed, a constant precarisation of life and work, what a promising future. The masses aren’t dreaming any more. The glitter that has been fed to us by the government and the media won’t last for long.
We are not done with protesting and taking action. Knowing your rights and responsibilities when you are arrested is crucial. Joke Kaviaar will be tackling these issues during an info night. Throughout March, local activists and the many volunteers will take over Joe’s Garage to support various initiatives, SVZV (Support Group Women Without Papers), Riseup.net and Anarchists Against the Wall. Other local projects, LaRage, Roomtuintje Oostbos and Soweto will provide you a deeper insight on the neighbourhood. People eating, talking together, exchanging ideas, making projects, forgetting about the role models society is imposing…, all this and more is happening at Joe’s. [Read More]

UK: “The Case Against Section 144″ Press Release

Press Release

For immediate release

Campaign to repeal new squatting law launched in Parliament

Entitled ‘The Case Against Section 144’, SQUASH (Squatters Action for Secure Homes) are launching a new report and campaign in Parliament today. The report’s findings suggest the major concerns regarding criminalisation that arose during the government’s consultation process have been proven right, with homeless and vulnerable people disproportionately affected. No arrests so far have been for squatters displacing anyone from their home, which does suggest that the Criminal Law Act 1977 was sufficient for dealing with squatters – as predicted by many legal experts.

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Heavy Riots rocked Zurich, Switzerland. BINZ squat under eviction threat.

Last night, as 2.500 – 4.000 people took the streets for a “Reclaim the Streets” parade in solidarity with the biggest squat of the city, BINZ, which exists since 2006 and shall be evicted in April! Colourful dressed and with several sound systems and even a car with a live punk band on it, the big crowd moved out of the Binz at 23:00, where only a hand full of police was waiting and totally surprised. Until 23:45 the parade was loud and joyful, pyrotechnics was fired and not a single house on the route towards downtown wasn’t sprayed with dozens of tags, stencils and graffitis. At 23:45, as the crowd reached Wiedikon Train Station, police started firing rubber bullets and tear gas, and with support of their water cannon vehicle, they tried to disperse the RTS.

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Pittsburgh (USA): Solidarity Actions in Solidarity with St. Louis

Apparently the evictions in St. Louis touched a nerve in Pittsburgh as several actions were reported to pghanarchy.tumblr.com:

NEW SQUAT OPENED
Hearing of the eviction notices in St. Louis, some anarchists decided to act in solidarity by opening a new squat in Pittsburgh. Somewhere in the hills we entered the house we have been casing out, tidied up a bit, and put new locks on the door. At least a few comrades plan on moving in soon.

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