Repost from mainstream news: The building was once used by the Stasi, East Germany’s dreaded secret police. But, more recently, it has served as a popular activity center for seniors in a high-rent neighborhood. When local authorities decided to shut it down and sell it, retirees adopted a classic Berlin tactic: squatting. And they’re determined to win.
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Berlin: Retirees Occupy Community Centre
Netherlands: Squatting not dead yet
You might think that squatting in the Netherlands has died a death since criminalisation in 2010. But that’s simply not true!
All over the country unused buildings are still welcoming new inhabitants and things are still happening:
- Whilst things have become tougher in Amsterdam with the new mayor who says a law is a law and must be enforced, squatting continues, with two new places successfully cracked this weekend in the east of the city. You can read the neighbourhood letter of one place, Ringdijk 8, here. It was squatted by a large group and welcomed by neighbours. Earlier in the day, fifty squatters helped to take another building, on Pieter Vlamingstraat 98, which has stood empty for years. [Read More]
Birmingham – Pebble Mill Social Centre evicted
Yesterday morning High Court Bailiffs came without warning, broke in and closed us down. We managed to get most of our stuff out (we’re getting pretty good at last minute evacuations) but unfortunately this was the same day as the Spanish miners benefit gig. However we were able to quickly squat a temporary venue for the event which went ahead without any problems and raised over £300 for the miners.
Film of the bailiffs breaking in can be seen here.
Jamaica: New law coming to ban squatting
Mainstream media reports – The government has signalled that it will be moving to ban squatting.
Minister without Portfolio in the Housing Ministry, Dr. Morais Guy, in his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in Parliament yesterday said the ministry is looking at implementing a modern Trespass Act which will address the issue of squatting.
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Prague: Squat Milada brutally evicted after an attempt to make a one-off commemorative gig
The Prague’s renowned squat Villa Milada, which was evicted three years ago after being one of the most important places for Czech autonomous underground scene, had been occupied by approximately 30 people on Saturday June 30th to commemorate the bleak anniversary by an improvised hardcore punk gig. Even though the authorities were informed that this is a one-off event which is not an attempt to reoccupy the squat for good but a symbolic pointing out of a passive approach of a Czech state to take care of unused buildings and of the oppression against alternative culture, the police reacted with a massive police operation including an aggressive attack against the non-violent concert-goers, which resulted in many bloody injuries and in a temporary arrest of tens of people. [Read More]
Greece: Major crackdown in Thessaloniki
On July 2nd, 2012, an extensive police operation was launched across the city of Thessaloniki, with raids in two squats, house searches and massive preemptive detentions (people were caught even in their private residences, and on several streets, and after few hours were released from police departments), as well as arrests. There are reportedly 25 arrestees, and it is possible that they will be charged with felonies.
Specifically, police forces stormed the anarchist hangout Nadir at approximately 6.30am, detaining people from inside the building. Cops then also stormed the Orfanotrofio squat, also detaining people there. [Read More]
Runnymede: Two week anniversary
Its two weeks today since we, a ragged band, moved into the gardens surrounding the old, disused Brunel University Runnymede Campus.
In the past it was a thriving university campus where sciences, design and technology, theatre and sport were taught and enjoyed until the site was sold to private property developers in 2007. For over five years it has remained largely vacant and disused (with the occassional film shoot or police dog training taking place in the buildings).
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Birmingham: New Social Centre
So it’s been a week already! Thanks to everyone who has helped so far and to the owners who have been kind enough to let us stay and carry on with our work. The Pebble Mill Social Centre is looking a lot better already and the building has been repaired up to a great standard.
Please come by and visit us. We can be found on Pershore Road, just up from Selly Oak Tavern on the other side of the road just before the bus stop.
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Calais: Olympic Evictions of Migrant Squats
The lead up to the Olympics has seen a rapid increase of police brutality against migrant communities in Calais and their supporters. Calais is an ‘Olympic village’ during the Games and in preparation the authorities have begun cleaning up the streets to make Calais ‘migrant free’.
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London: Finsbury Square Eviction
At 1am this morning, 14th June 2012, over a dozen police vans raced down City Road, towards Finsbury Square. Accompanied by two or three coaches of bailiffs in orange jackets. They quickly formed a line round the site and dragged those asleep out of their tents. Some being aware of the police coming climbed into the barricade built over three of the wooden pallet houses, with one masked protester at the top of a tree in the square.
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Netherlands: Conversation with filmmaker João Romão on Dutch squats
By Our man in Amsterdam
A new documentary on the squatters’ movement by João Romão, a Portuguese economist and activist living in Amsterdam, has just been released. Squatted Freedom, a one-hour limited-budget film, combines archival footage and interviews with current and former squatters to examine the history and politics of the movement as well as the wave of recent, violent evictions of squats in Amsterdam.
Squatted Freedom is a fascinating film. The story of the squatters’ movement, past and present, is both captivating and inspiring. Violent confrontations between police and squatters have been taking place since the 1980s and continue into the present. Squatted Freedom reaches its climax during an intense standoff and eventual confrontation between squatters and riot police attempting to evict a prominent Amsterdam squat, a scene which Romão and his colleagues were lucky enough to capture on film. [Read More]
Squatting against austerity: Occupy Pisa grows and evolves
Squatting is on the rise again in these times of austerity (see for example the recent occupations of flats in Southern Spain, mostly carried out by housewives and families). An Italian project that’s caught my attention since its beginning is in Pisa, where last year’s Occupy protests evolved into the reappropriation and transformation of abandoned buildings for the benefit of the local community.
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