The Independent – United Kingdom; Jan 15, 2001 BY ISABEL CONWAY
IVO AND his squatter pals pride themselves on being able to break through any door within two minutes. Heavily bolted and padlocked entrances can be penetrated in less than 30 seconds but it may take a little longer to invade reinforced steel, admits the 27-year-old Dutch university drop- out. [Read More]
[Source: Financial Times.]
EUROPE & AFRICA: Amsterdam’s squatters run out of time and space: Evictions are on the increase as developers seek to turn rundown buildings into luxury flats, writes Gordon Cramb
Financial Times; Jan 2, 2001 By GORDON CRAMB
When Amsterdam police evicted the squatters from Planet Hollywood last month, it signalled what the squatters say is a new determination by the authorities to curb their presence in the city. [Read More]
| International squatters mailing list |
Now there is an international mailing list on squatting. The initiative is taken by people from the dutch squatters mailing list, kraken-post
Any news on squatting you think is interesting enough for an international audience is welcome but there is one condition: The message should be in two languages. So write at least a summary in an other language.
The decision to have a multi lingual list is taken to make it easier for more people to understand where it’s about and to prevent postings of already existing mailing lists. On the other hand the list can be used to advertise for these mailing lists if they are related to squatting.
To begin with the list will be moderated for everyone. Hopefully everything works well enough so we can stop the moderation for people who are subscribed to the list.
subscribe: send an empty mail to kraken-int-subscribe [at] dvxs [dot] nl posting: kraken-int [at] dvxs [dot] nl
[squat!net]
The former restaurant Planet Hollywood on the Rembrandtplein in Amsterdam was squatted on sunday 10.12.00. The squatters are now working on the founding of their Autonomous Social Center Cineak. With this they want to fight against the money orientated marketing strategy from the council of Amsterdam. Even the council program to legalise squats with cultural activities is only money orientated according to the squatters.
One of the first activities in the squat was a live TV program on saturday 16.12, also to be seen via http://live.dds.nl/from 21.00-22.00
The squat was evicted on the 19th. According to the council the building was in use. ‘Proof’ for this was some old equipment which was left in the building. The same day the riot cops also evicted about 100 squatted apartments in a demolition block just south of the city center. The 200 inhabitants were unorganised. Many of them moved out of the city or try to squat new places just as unorganised as before. Some of their places got evicted again. [Read More]
| Ungdomshuset (Kopenhagen, DK) sold |
A private owned company bought the Ungdomshuset from the council of Kopenhagen. The company Human A/S does not want to give specific information about the future plans.
The youth house was bought by the council in 1982 to give a place for young people. This was a reaction upon the actions of the local squatters movement. Now the council decided to sell the building.
Human A/S is owned by a group of unknown private people who say they want to prevent a violent end and give the users influence on the future of the building. The users say that Human A/S not only bought the house but will also get 500 autonomous stone casting violent psychopats in the same deal.
According to the Ungdomshuset the council has got a responsibility in this case. In this opininion the get support from the director of the KUC. The KUC has got responisibility for the ‘medborgerhuse’ included the undomshuset. He says that the council can’t just sell the stones and think that everything is all right. He stated that there are many good things happening at the ungdomshuset.
The mayor of culture has got a different opinion. According to him the new private owner will be able to cooperate better with the users than the council:’ Now the kids are not able to play with the fact that their owner is splitted and can’t talk with one voice.’ According to him the council was devided because the political left-wing always protected the Ungdomshuset.
According to the Ungdomshuset the negotiations with the users of the building were fake. The transaction was already planned. The plans are just a step in the gentrification of the neighbourhood which the ungdomshuset always fought against.’ Ungdomshuset: -private money in a political fight is not acceptable-
more information on their website: http://www.ungeren.dk/
search via http://squat.net/tools/on ‘ungdomshuset’ and you’ll find previous [squat!net] information in different languages.
[squat!net]
| Ladronka (Praha) evicted |
The Prague squat LADRONKA is being evicted. Police arrived Thursday morning November 9 at 7:00 am. Currently, there are four people on the roof and four have been arrested. It looks as if they will be charged with using unregistered electricity and telephone. It is strongly believed that this eviction comes in the wake of the recent protest in Prague of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings. With the new police legitimacy incurred in the public opinion, they appear to be attempting to repress activism in the Czech Republic. There 30 people already supporting squatters from outside Ladronka and more are coming.
Any assistance you may be able to provide is requested. Solidarity actions are welcomed. Contact zemepredevsim [at] ecn [dot] cz
.
The eviction of Entrepotdok, a huge squatted building in Amsterdam is now going on in the east part of Amsterdam. In the early morning, at 4:30 am the police came with a watercannon, tear gas commando – Stopping the squatters to build more barricades.
The barricades were build in the more early morning – the western part of Entrepotdok was protected by opening two bridges – The easter side was protected with three barricades. [Read More]
As the working poor and homeless in Seattle experience the aftershock(s) of the current ‘economic boom’, a large group of homeless youth, women, men & children are responding to the growing need and shrinking options for one to find a safe place to sleep.
As area shelters run ‘at capacity’ each and every night, and hostility toward poverty, homelessness and shelter grows throughout the City Council and community, homeless folks have created what is known here locally as Tent City 3. [Read More]
15 persons from the ex “Collectif de la Grange” opened since 15 days now an old theatre school that been closed 3 years ago (ensatt).
The good new is the name of the owner : Mairie de Paris, a big arm wrestle can start to try to change their social politic about art in town.
If you want more informations there is a site (we are waiting for a new phone in place) FAPEYLA [at] LIBERTYSURF [dot] FR
| Demo Milano Saturday 14 october |
This is a document wrote by grrlz and guyz from the student’s lab. Deposito Bulk in Milano, evicted last year and re-squatted at new year’s eve Y2K. It’s a call for participation to a demo in Milano saturday 14.10.00, but also (at least) a supercall for support-on-line. The situation in Milano is getting shitty because of the elections climate: in spring we’ll vote our new major. The actual government is pretty right wing, let’s say fascist indeed and the electoral campaign runs (literally!!) over our squats and our bodies. More, they try to criminalize us for being ‘riot-people’ while we try to passively resist to their attacks, they say we don’t want to talk while we’re calling for dialogue every time we have the chance… The last month saw the mobilization of all the squats that are under threat of eviction in milano (at least 5) for a series of events and demos that were aimed to rise at-tension on the topic: ‘squats-quality of life-safety’ which is a kind of electoral slogan for the right wing bastards, which we can turn upside down in its meaning without changing the words… Now it’s time for direct confrontation, we need the broadest attention we can gather, we do need to feel the support of our fellows around the whole word, because we believe the point is not only focused on Milano… To send support, write a message to : bulk [at] ecn [dot] org or movimento [at] ecn [dot] org
WILL WE WALK ALONE? We don’t fear this scenario but are we sure this is right? We’re used, since quite a while, to the idea of giving surprises and thrills to our fellow citizens: we always tried to carry our way with creativity, giving nothing for granted and always being unexpected. We walked in demonstrations hands up on our heads, we squatted empty buildings in the daylight and publically (even if we were risking jail ’cause squatting in Italy is a crime), we always jumped out of the frame in which someone else wanted us to fit. We always took full responsibility of our choices and actions. What we have today is three evictions in almost one year, and the complete deafness of the city institutions to our calls: we’re part of an urban community ruled by some elected representatives, but is pretty clear that our complete (physical?) elimination from this city would be a dream becoming true for a number of these representatives Who’s the one who refuse the dialogue?? Who’s the one who’s looking for it?? Since years we’re concentrating our time and our energies on the possibility of developing projects, paths of growth and self-training and a web of relationships among different peoples, cultures, genders, planets we’ve always believed that what’s useful to enhance the cultural level of our metropolis, Milano, but also the one of all the other big and small cities ’round the world is openness and dialogue, more than defending our place or ourselves from attacks. But patience doesn’t last forever, we’re not dumb and not even subordinated to the ‘peaceful-living’ game. Time has come when everybody has to play his/her role in the game, taking position and responsibility. The ‘democratic, left wing society of Milano’, people always ready to mobilitate for the rights of the (average) citizen, that we do support as well, is getting more and more silent: this is a dangerous behaviour in front of the hunger of police control, xenophobia and unlawfulness that is seizing with cramps our city. It’s time for a turinig point, it’s time for something strong: who’s gonna carry the responsability of making us loose our temper? Everybody must know that we’re not going to refuse this last challenge of the fascist power that rules our city: we’ll be there this time as usual: united, smart, and most of all really fucked up!! Saturday 14 october Global demo in Milano LSOA DEPOSITO BULK – SQUATTED HOUSES AUS, HATA, MI CASA Contacts, info, support at: bulk [at] ecn [dot] org, 0039-02-34934549, 0039-338-2826191, 0039-338-4323945, 0039-339-2744441
Springstof
Fuck rich – we squated at the middle of Leidseplein-Amsterdam where they have to pay 80 000 guilders to stay- but- ? it was fucking empty for TWO YEARS? because they don’t mind about MONEY !! WE DO NOT ALSO!? SO NOW THEY WANT TO THROW US OUT: WE ORGANISED MORETHAN 20 EXPOSITIONS AND EVENTS for fucking free for poor beginners etc. [Read More]
Today the action weekend against the evictions was ended with a big demonstration. About 2500 people showed up at Dam square in the rain. This were 1000 people more than a previous demonstration in january this year.
Since there was no police intimidation the demonstration went through Amsterdam without problems. Just about 30 cops accompanied the demonstration and four busses of riot cops were guarding the major’s house. [Read More]
