Athens (Greece): Major police operation in Exarcheia, K-VOX social centre sealed off

Major police operation in Exarcheia, Athens sees two anarchist social centres evicted; the entire neighbourhood is currently under curfew and cut off by heavy police forces

At approximately 06.50 GMT+2 on Friday morning, heavy police forces conducted simultaneous raids at two newly occupied anarchist spaces in the neighbourhood of Exarcheia: the building at 60, Valtetsiou str and the building of the abandoned VOX cinema by Exarcheia square. The latter had been occupied for a few weeks and its opening event was planned for this Saturday.

It is speculated that the raids took place following the order of I. Tentes, a prosecutor of the High Court in Athens, who launched his career after being appointed in the judiciary by the Junta regime in the early seventies. History, in case it should be noted, does seem to have a peculiar sense of irony. [Read More]

Porto: Autonomous social center Es.Col.A evicted on April 19th

The Squatted autonomous neighbourhood center in Porto, Es.Col.A was evicted this morning during a violent police action. An illegal act without notice. 3 people got detained and about 5 people badly injured.
Please support us with solidarity actions, translating and spreading the news! We need a strong international support, as the movement here in Portugal is weak and police still acts as in the times of dictatorship. [Read More]

Edinburgh: Doors closed on the People’s Cafe

The proposed centre for ‘non-commercial activity’ re-opened its doors to the public on the 30th November last year with a programme of participatory events that involved other non-profit organizations, local residents, activists and members of the Bilston Glen community. The People’s Café website was set up and a mission statement clearly set out their simple objective; ‘Direct action has been taken to ensure that the space is not left unused but can be reopened for the benefit of the local community.’
[Read More]

Australian Museum of Squatting

Established 2011

A celebration and documentation of Australians putting abandoned and disused property to good use.
[Read More]

Sydney Squattocracy

Squattocracy is Housing Democracy. When there’s a gap between affordability and need Squattocracy fulfils that need.

A succession of failed Government policies ostensibly to address homelessness and culminating with the current failure “The Road Home”: Government programs are widely viewed with derision as opportunistic Government / NGO constructs to monetise the marginalised.
[Read More]

France: Baliff’s visit on occupied land in the ZAD

For some time already, the expropriation judge has been coming under military escort to evaluate the agrigultural land which AGO-Vinci still have to expropriate.

This morning (5th of april), a new step has been taken in their attempt to empty the zone.
A bailiff passed by almost all of the pieces of land occupied by people in cabins, tents, vans and caravans, under the distant but vigilant eyes of at least 5 or 6 vans of riot pigs.
He stayed at the entrance of most of the terrains he visited, he entered into some others, took photos sometime, sometimes asked for the name of the people living there (which were never given), sometimes asked nothing. All this under the pretexte of working for land registry, verifying if the land is occupied, evaluating the « sanitary conditions », of the living space, all the while playing the role of the simple worker who happily carries out his filthy job… [Read More]

Rome: Accusations against housing movements in Rome demolished by Tribunal

In September 2009, hundreds of Carabinieri stormed a school in the Magliana area of Rome and arrested dozens of people who were occupying it. The charges made against them were super harsh: organised crime, extortion, possession of weapons, theft, assaulting police officers, and more. The arrests took place during a relentless propaganda campaign orchestrated against the occupations by the local media.
[Read More]

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UK: Demonstrations in support of squatting

As the move towards the criminalisation of squatting continues in the UK with the House of Lords waving through the legislation, there have been demonstrations in support of squatting and autonomous spaces.

See below for reports from Brighton (today) and Bristol (yesterday).
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UK: Squatting in residential properties to be criminalised in months

What a joke! All of it, the whole process. Last night the House of Lords passed a clause hidden in the legal aid bill to criminalise squatting in residential properties essentially making thousands of homeless people criminals overnight. A whole section of the very poorest and most vulnerable in society have been made criminals and again the debate took place extremely late in the day.
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Helsinki: Elba lives! Elba stays! Stora Enso burn away!

“Elba lives! Elba stays! Stora Enso burn away!”
– report from the solidarity demonstration

A demonstration was organized in Helsinki, Finland on Thursday 22th of March against the destructive business of Stora Enso, and in solidarity with the squatters in Poland.
[Read More]

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UK: Protestor Offered Money to ‘Disrupt Occupy’

Bryn Phillips, who is a British political prisoner, writes the following:

“Next week I’ll be sentenced in Wood Green Crown Court for my limited involvement in last summers riot in Hackney. I threw a Muller light yoghurt at a Police officer in full body armour and pushed over an empty milk trolley.”
[Read More]

Elba (Warsaw): Demonstration Call, 23.03.2012

GONNA KEEP ELBA’S FIRES BURNING! ELBA STAYS!

Enough of turning lodgers and independent culture into the street!

It seems so natural. A corporation buys a ground and can do whatever it wants on it. Build a work, an office or a golf course. Nobody and nothing can stop that process…

But what if there is a cultural centre used by thousands of people and known all over Europe placed on that premises? What if social welfare is in conflict with company’s egoistic plans? A company, which piously advertises itself as “producing in conditions safe for the society and conducting dialogues with every side concerned”. Where is that dialogue? There’s no dialogue, there is, still, the rule of money. Stora Enso corporation is known for its uncompromised profit policy at the cost of people and the environment. [Read More]