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]
Hamburg (Germany): Statement of the squatters of the former ministry of finance in Altona
At the 23rd of april in 2011, 200 people squatted the former ministry of finance in altona, a district in hamburg and declared the Autonomous Center of Altona (AZ Altona). The action was dedicated to the rise of selforganised spaces, against the ongoing housing misery in hamburg and the parallel existance of massive vacancy of office buildings in the city. After seven hours, the police evicted the building and later started penalty against the 40 squatters. Some weeks ago, the first penalty-letters were sent by prosecutors to demand more than 20000 euro in total!
Surprisingly, the building, which was empty for years, was given a few months after the squatting to be used from artist and economic initiatives again. We see this as our sucess that tenants got the building. Eventhough there is no new selforganised, uncommercial center, at least the building is used again at all. But nontheless it is strange and not acceptable that the people who rised the topic of this misery with this vacancy should now be punished by the states repression! [Read More]
Bristol: Everything Is Not OK Cafe. Rumours of our Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated!
As you may be aware, our plans to host a temporary community cafe run on anarchist principles in Bristol this weekend, have been scarpered after Avon & Somerset Police decided to raid Everything Is Not OK Cafe on Friday morning; evicting the building and arresting the five occupiers.
Plans were afoot to host a temporary community cafe run on anarchist principles in Bristol this weekend. On Wednesday night a crew of people entered the unused Preview Bar on Fairfax Street near Broadmead and secured the premises: Everything Is Not OK Cafe was born! [Read More]
Bristol (UK): Update on the Everything Is Not OK Cafe from the Cut the Crap crew
As you may be aware, our plans to host a temporary community cafe run on anarchist principles in Bristol this weekend, have been scarpered after Avon & Somerset Police decided to raid Everything Is Not OK Cafe on Friday morning; evicting the building and arresting the five occupiers.
Plans were afoot to host a temporary community cafe run on anarchist principles in Bristol this weekend. On Wednesday night a crew of people entered the unused Preview Bar on Fairfax Street near Broadmead and secured the premises: Everything Is Not OK Cafe was born! [Read More]
November 11 2012 – Wagenburg Breslau
On 11th November 2012 about 7 pm., after the march of the patriots organized by NOP (National Rebirth of Poland) party, a group of over 100 people invaded the premises of ALTERNA VITA Centre for Green Technologies association for ecology and education. After an unsuccessful attempt to force the entrance gate, they got inside through a neighbouring lot (owned by Gant company). Using stones, flares, bottles and truncheons, they unexpectedly attacked the residents and friends of the Association, 16 people altogether. In the course of the incident two people were brutally beaten (broken arm, head injury). One of them was admitted to hospital in a critical state.
Cardiff (Wales): Squatters & travellers host workshop & skillshare after forming network
Hello, we exist now. A network of squatters, travellers, the unrooted, homeless people, and supporters.
We’re now meeting monthly and are hosting our first event, a Squatters/Travellers Workshop & Skillshare on Thursday 20th December at 3pm, at the Red & Black Umbrella.
This will be an hour discussing the law around squatting, recent changes, and how to still squat legally in commercial buildings and on land. Followed by another hour skill-sharing how to occupy and secure spaces to live in/on.
We are currently organising events, planning projects, plotting against further criminalisation, setting up a squatters estate agents, and creating a support network for people currently squatting and for others interested in doing so.
Contact us at cardiffsquatters [at] riseup [dot] net to get involved.
Find us at www.cardiff.squat.net to stay updated.
Love & Rage!
See also: Squatters form city-wide network – South Wales Echo
Basildon (UK): Travellers celebrate “step in the right direction”
Yesterday evening Basildon Borough Council’s planning committee finally passed a planning application for 15 pitches to accommodate some of the most vulnerable homeless Gypsy and Traveller families in Basildon. This is the first site approved by the Council since official planning needs assessments in 2006 stated the need for between 157 and 163 pitches for Gypsy and Traveller families in Basildon by 2011.[1]
[Read More]
Bristol: Is it just us or is everything not OK?
In light of ongoing austerity measures, due only to get worse, the Cut the Crap Collective introduces a radical discussion space, unashamedly founded on anarchist principles – interested in collective action that works for all. It welcomes anyone who wants to communicate, learn and teach. Hosting workshops, film screenings, discussions and serving hot, tasty meals with the aim of creating a space where people can get together to openly talk and organise for a better future!
WATCH THIS SPACE!
Cut The Crap Crew
cutthecrap [at] riseup [dot] net
http://cutthecrapcollective.noblogs.org/
Weekend of the 15th/16th December – Central Bristol Location. [Read More]
Amsterdam (The Netherlands): Notweg Refugees bring their protest into a squatted church, the Vluchtkerk
A bunch of journalists, activists, churches, squatters and charities gathered last weekend to create a temporary solution for the refugees that have been evicted from the Notweg. The goal is to keep their situation on the political agenda.
In the meanwhile a whole village is being raised in an occupied empty church in Amsterdam West (Erik de Roodestraat 14-16). This will host approximately 83 activists from the ´no paper´ migrant community. People who have no opportunity to stay in our country and have no opportunity to go back. [Read More]
Athens (Greece): Solidarity with squats and self-organized spaces
KEEP YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM THE SQUATS
SOLIDARITY TO SQUATS AND SELF-ORGANIZED SOCIAL CENTRES
In a legality that is plundering our lives, we remain clusters of illegality.
WE CREATE
Squats and self-organized social centres are parts of the liberated timespace. They are utopian cracks in the midst of a process of social desolation that the dominators are trying to impose. They are social bulwarks against fascism. Within them they harbor the seed of subversion. In these spaces we experiment with the structures that we dream about. We try to promote the anti-commercial and self-organized expression through gigs and theatre performances. We create zones of counter-information through radio stations and internet projects. We develop the collective self-education with open-for-all lessons. We develop social solidarity with infirmaries and collective kitchens. In this way we are slowly trying, in every city and neighbourhood, to create and promote the kind of relationships and ideas that will overthrow this reign of slavery that has been imposed upon us. [Read More]
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