Dijon: Land occupation on Avenue de Langres

By: fawda - June 17th, 2020  Filed under: Communique, News

Statement from the June 17 Collective – Land occupation in Dijon as part of the June 17 appeal against the repeated intoxication of the world!

Today wednesday June 17th 2020, despite the rain, we were nearly four hundred people to demonstrate from the Place de la République to the abandoned plot located at 63 avenue de Langres. Armed with spades and pitchforks, the participants were able to clear the land to make gardens, set up new meeting and breathing spaces in the heart of the neighbourhood, plant vegetables, debate the common future on this land and beyond, or share a meal.

This land is threatened by a real estate project carried by the council which, with a great deal of “greenwashing” communication, is trying to impose yet another useless urban plan. According to the INSEE, there are more than 6000 vacant homes in the commune of Dijon alone. Except for the municipality – which wants to grow at all costs to establish its status as a “metropolis” – for whom is it a priority to have more new housing? [Read More]

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Bristol: Glenfrome Road eviction resistance report

By: fawda - June 16th, 2020  Filed under: News

This is a report from participants in the successful eviction resistance in Bristol on 13th June.

Soon after 6 in the morning around 30 bailiffs from GRC turned up at a site in St Werburgh’s with a JCB to do the dirty work of making people homeless. The people squatting the land and over 100 friends and supporters had other ideas. Here’s how it went.

Now as we all know, all bailiffs are total scum, but GRC bailiffs have a reputation for being the worst of the worst. They have repeatedly shown how they enjoy hurting people and mixing work with pleasure. There are undoubtedly far right thugs in their ranks, enthusiastically honouring the age old tradition of fascists doing the dirty work for the bosses and landlords.

On the other side stood people who had found their housing solution, living in vans and trucks on a large piece of disused land which had been empty for a decade or so. Travellers and van dwellers need safe sites and self organised housing makes even more sense during a pandemic. You’d think the same would be true of not evicting people during a dangerous virus outbreak, but when has what’s right ever mattered for the rule of property and the law that protects it? [Read More]

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Strasbourg: La Pigeonne, feminist and queer squat

By: fawda - June 16th, 2020  Filed under: Communique, News

Why are we squatting?

We, women and queer people, feminists, precarious, exiled and marginalised on several levels, are occupying a building in Strasbourg that has been abandoned for several years. Since February 27th 2020, La Pigeonne has become a squat for housing and organization in a selected mix (without cisgender men*).
As women and queers, we are targets of physical, sexual, economic, social and administrative violence. We suffer more poverty and precariousness. We claim our unconditional right to have a roof over our heads. We find it aberrant to be on the street, to lack care or food while the wealthy one are wasting and continue to enrich themselves. Precariousness has never been a choice for anyone. It is the result of a political, organized and reaffirmed will of the dominant to maintain an exploitable class. Neither the institutions nor the bosses want our autonomy. On the contrary, they participate daily in our precariousness.
Therefore, our priorities are to protect ourselves, to build solidarity among ourselves, to denounce together a patriarchal society and an economic system that sacrifices the most vulnerable. For a social transformation and the emancipation of all women and queer people, we favour initiatives made by us and for us.
In the face of the incompetence of the state, the violence of its institutions, and its sexist, queerphobic and racist police repression that is increasingly violent and systematic, we organize ourselves. We are occupying the space we are being denied. [Read More]

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Lyon: Trial of the Feyzin squat, call for support

By: fawda - June 14th, 2020  Filed under: Communique, News

Faced with the threats of evictions that are likely to follow one another at the end of the winter truce, let’s organize solidarity!
Squats and other informal housing are among the places most exposed to the risks linked to the health crisis. While during the confinement, the State and the Metropolis have hardly brought any help in these already precarious housing, the eviction procedures are starting again, and threaten to put on the street more than a thousand people in Lyon as soon as the winter truce ends (July 10).
On June 16, the former Georges Brassens school in Feyzin, now owned by Total, went on trial. Home to about 70 people, the school has been renovated and made liveable, and is now a place where its residents can live. Let’s come and support them in the face of threats of eviction to demand decent housing for all and to denounce the repressive and discriminatory policies of this government.
Meet on Tuesday 16 June at 9am in front of the court of first instance of Villeurbanne at 3 Rue Docteur Fleury Pierre Papillon for a breakfast of support. [Read More]

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Porto Alegre: Okupa Pandemia is born!

By: fawda - June 13th, 2020  Filed under: News

In times of global pandemic with a virus spreading around, an outbreak of resistance appears in the extreme south of Porto Alegre: the Okupa Pandemia. We have been occupying a snack bar, abandoned since 2007 (as far as we know), on the shores of the Guaíba, in the Lami neighborhood.
Moved by the immediate need for housing and the desire to confront the system that increasingly intensifies its control and repression in a subtle way, we decided to make the move even with few people willing to live in the place… Aware of the difficulties that implies, we have counted on the support of a few people since the occupation, but who cannot be physically present all the time.
The arrival on the site (on sunday May 25th 2020) was calm, given the conditions of easy access and without obstacles. There were no gates, chains, locks etc.!!
After almost three days of apparent disinterest, the owner appeared accompanied by a goon claiming to be a sergeant (Wednesday, 27) … The first contact gave the impression that they were buyers and were already negotiating the property, giving an ultimatum to leave. However, we stayed.
Then they returned in their true social figures, trying to intimidate and threaten us and, given the refusal to leave, calling the repressive apparatus of the State. The thugs arrived, with blood in their eyes and the typical desire to break something or someone. With the intervention of two neighbors, we managed to avoid the stick and were given a deadline of one week to leave. The first match won, we went on squatting the space. [Read More]

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Rome: Anarchist comrades arrested. Operation Bialystok, part of a strategy

By: fawda - June 12th, 2020  Filed under: News

A new repressive chapter of the Carabinieri from the Ros (political police) in Italy against anarchists, leads to the arrest of seven anarchists who are linked to various insurrectionary attacks… and in solidarity with the imprisoned in the operation “Pánico”.
On this occasion, the version of the anarchist “triangle” going from Greece, Italy to Spain, is transformed into a pentagon, adding Chile and Germany.
The arrested comrades are Claudio Zaccone, 33 years old from Messina, Roberto Cropo, 34 years old from Turin (arrested in France with a European arrest warrant issued by the Rome prosecutor), Flavia Di Giannantonio, 39 years old from Rome, Nico Aurigemma, 30 years from Rome and Francesca Cerrone, 31 years from Trentino (arrested in Spain with a European arrest warrant issued by the Rome prosecutor), on suspicion of forming an anarchic “cell” of the FAI-FRI, based in the “Bencivenga Occupato” social centre in Rome. They are accused of association for terrorist purposes, subversion of the democratic order, attacks against the state and a whole repertoire of acts of sabotage with the alleged aim of reorganising the insurrectionary anarchist movement. The arrests were made with the collaboration of the French central police and the Spanish national police.
The investigation was initiated following the attack with explosives on the carabinieri station of San Giovanni in Rome in 2017, an act claimed by the IAF-FRI, and in which one of the arrested comrades is suspected of having participated.
Five of them are already in prison. When the addresses are made public, we will disseminate them.
We recall that in Bologna seven more anarchists were arrested in the operation Ritrovo. [Read More]

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London: Police exploit anti-racist BLM rally to arrest green activists

By: fawda - June 12th, 2020  Filed under: News

Three people, including green activists, were arrested by a City of London snatch squad at today’s Black Lives Matter march.

Two who were sitting in Hyde Park in the early part of the day were swarmed by around 20 police who arrested them under a City of London warrant, allegedly over an incident on February 28th.

Freedom has since heard that a squatted social centre in Islington was also raided under a Section 18 search.

The arrests are just the latest of many which have taken place over the course of the last week, as police attempt to keep a handle on a militant mood which has driven large rallies against racism and in support of black lives matter.

The march itself, which was moved at short notice to today following threats from the far-right, was otherwise a success, with thousands of people marching from Hyde Park to Trafalgar square as part of the peaceful protest. [Read More]

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Berlin: Attack the city of the rich. Defend the projects

By: fawda - June 12th, 2020  Filed under: Communique, News

The gentrification in Berlin continues incessantly, and with it displacement. Not only people but also spaces are affected: Spaces of the radical movement, open spaces, safer spaces for people affected by discrimination, non-commercial spaces, spaces of subculture, of political networking and spaces where people try to live concrete utopias.

One struggle – one fight
In recent years, spaces such as the Liebig14 house project, the youth centre Drugstore , the community space Friedel54, the wagon places DieselA & Sabot Garden, the O-Platz occupation and the occupied school in Ohlauer Straße have already disappeared.
But it does not stop there. Many other spaces are currently under threat. The youth centre Potse, the house project Liebig34 and the bar collective Syndikat & Meuterei expect an eviction before the end of the year. Other spaces such as the house project Rigaer94, the house project Köpi137, the community house Lause10/11 or the community garden Prachttomate face a similar threat in the near future.

No spaces – no movement
All of these are spaces that live and fight for a different Berlin: a Berlin in which we know our neighbours, in which we create our houses and our neighbourhood together and jointly determine how public space is used. A Berlin where there is room for self-chosen living concepts. A Berlin in which we can try out alternatives to the exploitative and oppressive relations of wage labour, care work, educational system and on the basis of rent and ownership. [Read More]

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Rotterdam: Temporary new place of DHZ

By: sisulscz - June 11th, 2020  Filed under: Communique

Since March we have been going through a lot, globally and also in our workshop.

After a fire at our neighbour we had to close the workshop temporarily. It then turned out to be a serious damage to the building and we were evicted from our lovely workshop on Burgemeester Roosstraat where we stayed almost 6 years. It is very sad for us all but we would like to keep our activities going on.
[Read More]

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Uppsala: Imminent eviction of Försvara Blodstensskogen

By: fawda - June 9th, 2020  Filed under: Communique, News

The occupation of the forest aim to stop the clear cut of a centenary forest. Besqab company and Uppsala commune have plan to build luxury apartment.

The gentrification of Uppsala has been an ongoing process over many years. 2013 saw a luxury renovation of Rikshem’s housing in Gränby, 2016 saw the demolition of the community center (sw. allaktivitetshuset, colloquially known as Allis) on Kungsgatan for a luxury housing development project by Magnolia Bostad. The end of 2020 require the youth center (Ungdomens hus) to move for the space it currently occupies can be used for more lucrative endeavors. These mentioned are only a few examples of gentrification and urbanization that results in increased rent and degradation of living standards. However, the gentrification monster is still hungry and has its sights set on the forest. Blodstensskogen along with other various surrounding nature areas are on the menu as the appetizer, Norra Lunsen as a possible main course, and we can only imagine what will be served as dessert.
Eriksberg is currently in the most acute danger, as the company Besqab plans to begin its housing development project of Blodstensskogen. The company, along with the municipality, believe that something more important than biodiversity is luxury housing (four 8-story apartment buildings and five 4-story apartment buildings) along with a shopping center where customers can consume relentlessly. [Read More]

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Berlin: Syndikat Stays! New eviction date on August 7th

By: fawda - June 9th, 2020  Filed under: News

! Assembly / Rally !
Sunday, 14.06. | 4 pm | in front of Syndikat (Weisestr. 56)
Current information, dates & material and space for exchange and ideas. And, of course, make it loud and clear: Syndikat Stays!
Whispered translation is organized.

Corona’s over!? – The Senate is starting evictions again…

Corona has been an up and down of emotions for us so far. After the very sudden shutdown and the fear of having to experience the first evacuation attempt on April 17th without a proper conclusion, the cancellation followed shortly before. Thereupon a long hangover, financial worries and the uncertainty whether we would ever be able to open again in any form. Then, last week, the rather surprising news of being able to open again under certain conditions. Unfortunately, the joy did not last long, because on our 2nd (semi-)open day, we received mail from Bossin, the bailiff of the high court, again: the second first eviction attempt is now scheduled for Friday, August 7th at 9 am. [Read More]

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The Hague : Short Stay? No Way! Nothing’s over, we’re just getting started!

By: fawda - June 8th, 2020  Filed under: News

Today, Monday the 8th of June, we left the building at the Waldeck Pyrmontkade 872 (WP872) in The Hague. After a month of occupation as a protest against the planned construction of luxury short-stay apartments in the Zeeheldenkwartier, the Court of The Hague has given permission for the eviction of the building. We have therefore decided to leave the building within the aforementioned period of three days, not out of good-will nor out of understanding, but with our eyes looking at the future.

The squatting of the building on the Waldeck Pyrmontkade was a first step in the fight against short-stay apartments and gentrification in The Hague and in the Zeeheldenkwartier in particular. At the basis of this struggle lies the issue of ownership and housing law. As a group we had decided to break ownership and claim our right to live. This is a necessary step since real estate companies do what they want with (potential) homes under the guise that “they are theirs”. We are not talking about private property here, but about ownership, the property right that is going crazy and is unleashing a dictatorial dynamic in many neighborhoods of our city. It is built for profit and not for needs, real estate is a profitable thing. Neighbourhoods are sold out and the houses that are built are sold and rented for the maximum price. The possibilities to raise this issue in an administrative or legal way are almost non-existent. In a courtroom there is little to gain from the start: the judge always judges in favour of the owner, no matter how awkward the situation is. Possession, ownership and corporatism outweigh a fundamental human right, the right of residence. Such a ground is written in the law book, it is written in black and white. A problematic case. [Read More]

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