Athens (Greece): Villa Amalias, Statement by the 93 arrested from inside the police HQ

“We will do it again, as many times as it takes” 

Nothing less than our non-negotiable position for social spaces that we support and they support us in return. Nothing other than what we say and what we do all these years in squats, in self-organised spaces, in demonstrations, at strikes and in the streets.

For this reason, the authorities that placed armed guards outside Villa Amalias could never cause us to be disappointed, to break our morale, to make us stop, to give up.

Today, January 9th, us comrades re-occupied the building of Villa Amalias under the nose of the repressive forces that were guarding it. A building linked with the history of the subversive movement for the past 22 years, but also with the ideals that it signifies for us. [Read More]

London (UK): Eviction resistance in Pimlico and Camden to kick off 2013

January 4th: Pimlico 

Well, well, well. 2013 arrived and with what style! The first week of the year kicked off with an EPIC 8 hour standoff between the forces of darkness and the resistance. A building owned by the crown estate, one of wealthiest property hoarders of the UK, was scheduled for eviction at 10.00am last Fri. However, as the property is awaiting planning permission (so it can be part-demolished and turned into – you guessed it! -Luxury flats!) the occupants saw no reason why they should be forced out onto the streets prematurely. A large group gathered in solidarity and there was a very fine display of resistance from all. Although the property was finally cleared, it took the forces of darkness pretty much the whole day to carry out their wrong doing. Several people were tweeting the action live as it happened; here are a few choice tweets/pics! Massive bigup’s to all those involved. [Read More]

Athens (Greece): Police raid in Skaramanga squat

Following the eviction and arrests in Villa Amalias squat during the morning of January 9th, a police raid in the Patission 61 & Skaramaga squat is underway. At about 15.00pm, anti-riot squadrons smashed the door and stormed in the building.

Short announcement by the collective of Skaramaga squat about the raid:

15.56pm: A police raid took place today (9/1) at 15.00pm in the Patission 61 & Skaramaga squat. Seven comrades are inside the building (currently witnessing the police search in the squat). The repressive operation came vindictively few hours after the re-occupation of Villa Amalias and the occupation of DIMAR headquarters, which resulted in their eviction as well as the arrest and detention of approximately 150 comrades.

The tripartite government, the police and the ΝΑΤ (Merchant Seamen’s Pension Fund that claims ownership of the building) are mainly responsible for this attack. They will find us against them.

Hands off the squats! Immediate release of all arrestees/detainees! [Read More]

Greece: Villa Amalias re-squatted and re-evicted – biggest number of anarchists detained in 15 years

At approximately 07:30 on January 9, dozens of people re-squatted Villa Amalias this morning, hanging a banner writing: “Squat for Ever – Villa Amalias”. Almost immediately, riot police that encircled the building threw tear gas inside. At approximately 09:20, the police’s special forces (EKAM) smashed the building’s windows and raided it anew, detaining 101 people who was inside.
Meanwhile – at approximately the same time – around 40 anarchists in solidarity occupied the HQ of DIMAR (Democratic Left Party),  which participates in the governmental coalition. Police raided this building as well, detaining the occupiers.

UPDATE, 04.00 am “We will do it again, as many times as it takes”: statement by the 93 arrested from inside the police HQ

UPDATE, 00.45 am It has just been confirmed that the charges for all 92 anarchists inside Villa Amalias have been raised to felonies (instead of misdemeanors) as they now include the so-called “hoodlum law” enhancement. All of today’s detainees will appear before a prosecutor in the afternoon – from 1pm and throughout the day. A solidarity gathering has been called at the Euelpidon courthouse from 1pm onward.

UPDATE, 19.45 pm Another three anarchists have been detained at the corner of Patision and Alexandras ave, bringing today’s total up to 152. [Read More]

Algeria: Riot after a wave of evictions of squats in Oran leaves hundreds of families homeless

Yesterday morning in downtown Oran dozens of police vans, riot squads completed evictions of squats in several districts.

No less than eight abandoned buildings, located in the street Cavaignac, Saint-Pierre in the street or near Gandhi market of the Bastille, were targeted for eviction and the removal of squatters who had stayed there several weeks. The previous occupants of these buildings were relocated as part of the operation against precarious housing and old buildings, leaving behind empty spaces and access to condemned buildings.
[Read More]

London: Battersea Park Adventure Playground Occupied

The occupation follows ongoing opposition from local residents and groups for months and can be located at: Battersea Park, South West corner near junction of Albert Bridge Road and Prince of Wales Drive, SW11 4SF.

Those occupying the play area call on Wandsworth Council to reverse the decisions to get rid of play staff and to destroy the adventure playground. They say:
[Read More]

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

You’ve heard it many times. While under arrest, never declare anything to the cops. But is that enough? Should you stop phoning, publishing pictures of your friends without their permission, choosing another email provider? When do you think you are not providing passive intelligence to the police? Political social centers and activist groups communicating on monitored “social media”, that is all good for the cops, they love it. Not only you are taking risks but you may put other people in danger. On the SO36 website, you’ll find a list of non-commercial providers for you to communicate in a safer way or where to move your website.
For a local insight about police intimidation in Amsterdam, have a read to Observant, the December newsletter from Buro Jansen & Jansen, the Dutch research institute on intelligence and police matters.
One of the favorite activities of Amsterdam’s mayor is throwing money out the window, evicting houses for emptiness. State sponsored gentrification, greedy housing corporations, we all know for who Van der Laan is working. The four times squatted Swammerdamstraat 12 will need your support. Later in the month, it will be the turn of the Arent Krijtsstraat 1 in Diemen. [Read More]

Greece, Australia & India: Solidarity actions with Villa Amalias

Solidarity actions with Villa Amalias recently happened in different Greek cities, and in Goa (India) and Sydney (Australia):

Athens: Paint bomb attack against the old city hall, in solidarity with Villa Amalias squat

On the night of December 24th, comrades wanted to add a bit of colour to the miserable Christmas decoration that the mayor of Athens, Giorgos Kaminis, had reserved for the city. We wanted to show him that the lousy political dealings on the repression against Villa Amalias squat will not be left unanswered. He will pay the corresponding price for his choice to cover the back of the prime minister, Antonis Samaras, who wanted to prove that he is equally fascist to the far-right part of his voting audience, which slips off to the Golden Dawn party by now. [Read More]

London (UK): Solidarity with Villa Amalias from Library Street Community Centre

This is a message of solidarity which goes out to the Villa Amalias squat in Greece (which has been open for 23 years offering social space, events, project space and a gerneal anti capitalist/money free space for the local community) which was raided by the state forces of repression and armd gang members (the filth/cops) this week, with a total of eight comrades being arrested and now charged with a variety of false offenses including those relating to conspire to make explosives after some empty bottles (found in the kitchen) and a small can of petrol (next to a  petrol powered heater) were “discovered”.

The squat has been deeply involved in local politics and activism and has been a key counterculture and anti-capitalist free space for years and years, and is clearly doing a good job of narking off the state the Greek minister of public order stated that Villa was an “epicentre for lawlessness” ; this attack, eviction, and arrest aimed at our comrades was clearly politically motivated, aimed at shutting down the squat and crushing voices of dissident and spaces not yet constrained and infected by the virus that is capitalism.

In every country where squats and other spaces exist outside of the agreed neoliberal concensus they will attack us, agress us and attempt to destroy us; we must stand together for the politics we share, against the evils of a system that seeks to control every aspects of our lives, and in doing so fight them and their system like our lvies depend on it- because they do. An attack against one of us is an attack against all of us.

The Library Street Social Centre calls for speech and action is support of our comrades- Solidarity is a Weapon.

Athens (Greece): Statement by the Villa Amalias squatters held in the police HQ in Athens

The Villa Amalias squat has been an open political, cultural and social space, as well as a housing collective, for the past 23 years. In all these years there have been plenty of active groups in the squat including groups on theatre, concerts, musical studio, stained glass, kids’ space, dancing, foreign languages, computing, printing press, screenings, lending library, vinyl exchange – while the squat has also hosted plenty of political and cultural events by other groups. Apart from these activities inside its building, Villa Amalias has also contributed to the resolution of neighbourhood issues by participating in the residents’ assembly of Victoria square and by organising open, outward looking activities in the area – including open mic interventions, free markets, collective kitchens and kids’ events at the square. [Read More]

Athens (Greece): Villa Amalias, “We are, and we shall remain here”

Statement released on Friday, December 21, 2012

Today, on December 20th, 2012, the police raided Villa Amalias. Under the pretext of a complaint for drug dealing, they searched the building in the presence of a district attorney. Their findings are ludicrous. Nevertheless, according to Dendias [translators’ note: the minister of public order] these prove that Villa was an “epicentre for lawlessness” for 22 years and that the law, thanks to the “brave political will of [PM] Samaras” was finally restored.

What logical leap may brand empty beer bottles as “materials for the construction of molotovs?” Is it strange to have a large number of empty beer bottles in a place that hosts a concert [gig] space and a café? [Read More]

Athens (Greece): Anarchist squat Villa Amalias raided by riot police today

via eagainst.com (texts in En | It | Tr | De | Fr):

Once again, the State is trying to terrorise by means of sudden raids against occupied self-organized spaces.

Villa Amalias squat is housed in the building of Heyden and Acharnon street for 22 years. Within the squat hundreds of political and cultural events have been held (concerts, theatrical performances, screenings etc), while the anti-commercial culture that opposes the culture of sale and profit, power and property has found its place. It is clear now, after so many daily attacks against the antiauthoritarian/anarchist movement, that the antisocial forces of economic and political authoritarianism aim at silencing the movement, at limiting the public discussion in the agenda that is determined solely by the mainstream media and the Nazis, at prohibiting self-organized actions that start from below and outside political parties.

According to info published on Athens Indymedia, 8 comrades from the occupation were detained, and a search is being conducted in the building by the forces of state repression. Already, 200 have gothered in solidarity at Acharnon Street opposite the occupation.

We express our solidarity to Villa Amalias and to the comrades who struggle in this free social space.

PS: We understand the joy of the faithful servants of the system of power, as we observe the far-right blogs, as well as the mainstream news sites joining forces, slandering and cheering for the “success” of the suppressive State. We promise that the delight of the enemies of society will not last forever. [Read More]