London: Squatters digest- low tide. Next comes the flood

Welcome to the Squatter’s Digest, a new column for Freedom News, highlighting the ongoings of the squat scene in London and beyond, along with providing opinions on the politics of said goings-on. Quality and coherence are not guaranteed.

The 29th of October saw 150 high-court bailiffs and police descend upon the Tidemill Community Garden in Deptford, London, at 6am, pulling people from their tents, dragging them out of tree-houses, and laying waste to the entire occupation. Occupiers climbed the trees and refused to vacate, while outside fights broke out between the supporters and bailiffs (County Enforcement, well-known to squatters, see Corporate Watch’s latest article on them), who of course were protected by members of the Metropolitan Police force. At some point in the afternoon the last squatter was removed from the trees and the garden was all but lost. But this didn’t stop the people outside from trying for one last push to regain entry to the site. Rushing for the fences, people were thrown to the ground and detained by bailiffs and police, but also linked arms and refused to allow their fellow protestors to be taken to the arrest vans, defiant to the last. [Read More]

Amsterdam: ADM Action at Chidda Vastgoed BV

Today we went to the headquarters of Chidda Vastgoed BV to present a cheque of 100 million euros to the heirs of Bertus Lüske in a massive golden box. There were about 50 people at the action, and none of the heirs of Lüske came out to pick up the present.

Why did we do that?
The city of Amsterdam gives an absurd gift of 100 million euros to the heirs of Bertus Lüske, by evicting the residents of the ADM.
Today we went to give a huge gift to Chidda Vastgoed B.V. on behalf of the city of Amsterdam.
Due to the evacuation of the residents of the ADM site and allowing demolition- and asbestos removal company Koole BV to move to the ADM site, while their activities are not fitting with the perpetual clause that is part of the site, the value of the site is increasing enormously. Money that shouldn’t go to the real-estate mafia but back to the citizens of Amsterdam!
The Amsterdam’ municipality can prevent this but does not dare to make tough decisions. Symbolically we therefore handed over the ‘ship with money’ on behalf of the municipality. And what is more symbolic than a sea container of the former Amsterdam’ Drydock Company. [Read More]

Almada (Portugal): The Center for Libertarian Culture needs your support!

The Centro de Cultura Libertária, an anarchist association with 44 years of activity in Cacilhas-Almada, Portugal, is again threatened. The continued pressure of the real estate business, the change in the rental law and the gentrification that forces the departure of residents from the central spaces of cities, the destruction of non-profit spaces or the closure of neighborhood stores, now also touches the CCL.

What is happening?
This is not the first time that the CCL’s permanence in its historic headquarters has been called into question.
Between 2009 and 2011 the Centro de Cultura Libertária resisted an eviction procedure initiated by the landlord. Only the solidarity of many collectives and individuals here and beyond allowed us to face the costs of the judicial process, which led to two trials and one appeal. In the end, we reached a rent increase agreement that allowed us to continue in the space without changes in the duration of the contract.
However, in 2014, as a result of the changes in the rent law in favor of property owners’ interests, the CCL contract duration was set at five years. At the end of 2018, we have reached the point where, as has happened to thousands of tenants, the continuation of the rent of our space will be at the mercy of the owner’s will and the conditions that he wants to impose on us. [Read More]

Zeist (Netherlands): Callout for support in resistance to illegal eviction

Yesterday the police illegally evicted the recently squatted building at Utrechtseweg 86, Zeist. The squatters had written statement from a neighbour that he had seen them in the building for over 24 hours, but still the police claimed the squatters were ‘caught in the act’, and evicted on those grounds.
The police refused to arrest or ID anyone, even when they had to forcefully evict the building. One person refused to cooperate to the point that they were forced to arrest them, but they were released hours later without charge. This unwillingness to bring this case to court proves that the police know that they are acting illegally.
Today the building was re-squatted. After long discussion between the acting officer of justice, the squatters, and the police, the squatters were given until 18.00 to leave. We will not leave!
This is a call out for support inside and outside of the building. The police in and around Utrecht are increasingly deciding to ignore the house-peace of squatters, and are finding any excuse to evict squats in the moment which they appear. We aim to gather as many people as possible inside and outside the building, to make it as difficult as we can for them to do so.
We have a working legal team, the deadline for the eviction is 18,00 today. [Read More]

The Hague: Pand Egypte squatted and evicted

Today (6 november) a recently squatted house in the Archipelbuurt in The Hague was evicted. The building is owned by the Egyptian government and served for decades as the residence of the Egyptian ambassador. After more than 10 years of vacancy it is in a miserable condition. Instead of respecting the domestic peace established by the squatters, the police decided today to evict the building under false pretexts. It is already the 4th unlawful eviction by the Haaglanden police force this year.

This afternoon the squatters of Surinamestraat 20 announced to the owner and police that they have been using the building as a living space since Saturday. The Egyptian ambassador and his lads, not charmed by the action, used threatening language on the spot. They thought that the building would be on Egyptian territory and that therefore no Dutch laws would apply. The police, who had been informed of the action by a written notification and by telephone by the squatters, confirmed after consultation that the territory table did not give cause for eviction. Nor did a situation arise that made it opportune for the police to evict on criminal grounds.

Initially, a discussion between the embassy police, the squatters’ spokesperson and the Egyptians was started, but when the Hague police force started to interfere in the situation, it soon became clear that they would not be taking the facts and observing the policy line on squatting drawn up by the Public Prosecution Service so closely this afternoon. Out of sheer powerlessness, it was thrown back into a ‘red-handedness’, even though it was the squatters themselves who had informed the police of the newly started habitation. [Read More]

Amsterdam: 15 december, demonstration against the eviction of Amsterdam!

15 december 2018, 15:00, Daniel Meyerplein, Amsterdam

We are angry about the sale of the city: tourism, Airbnb, gentrification, sale of the social housing stock, segregation of neighborhoods and neighborhoods, the hunt on social centers and non-profit organizations, small businesses get into trouble because of extreme rents.  The city is becoming unaffordable. Young people and students can’t find an affordable place anywhere. Amsterdammers no longer know where their children should live. Teacher shortage because there is no affordable housing for new teachers, nurses, anymore. Tenants’ rights are being eroded. More and more temporary rental contracts, good housing disappearing from the social stock, waiting lists are endless. Properties are bought up to be used as Airbnb hotels. As the city becomes more commercial, free spaces disappear to make way for monoculture. All of Amsterdam has an interest in the preservation of the ADM, as the largest international sanctuary. 150 residents and countless small businesses and initiatives, unique events and festivals that cannot take place anywhere else in Amsterdam have to make way for a nonsensical and unrealistic business plan. But that doesn’t matter because once vacated, the land and port will increase in value enormously and that’s what it’s all about. Precisely to prevent speculation, the city council decided that only a shipyard may be built on the site, but now the city suddenly does not have a hard time. [Read More]

Amsterdam: De Mobiele Eenheid goes to court!

Three weeks ago, the collective De Mobiele Eenheid squatted the building Gedempt Hamerkanaal 86, Spijkerkade 2 in Amsterdam Noord. To counteract the commercialisation, mass-tourism and precarious housing market, we have created a social centre offering a weekly program. Soon after the building’s occupation in opposition to an all-encompassing property-based violence, the end is near. Following dangerous threats, the owner of the building is summoning the collective to court, based on his supposed plan to turn the building into a hotel.

Amsterdam contains a disproportionate number of hotels and is completely over-crowded. The hotel stop decreed by the previous city government, is hardly noticeable. But the owner in question, a diamond merchant and property speculator, knows that real diamonds nowadays have two legs, arrive in Schiphol and pull wheelie bags.

His presented plans are not only problematic, but also highly questionable. In 2006, the building was squatted for the first time and already then, the plan was to build a hotel. Besides an environmental permit in 2013, the owner has undertaken little to no action hinting at reconstruction of the building. Overall, the greatest part of his property has been standing empty for many years. [Read More]

Madrid: Inauguration of the Ateneo Libertario in Vallekas

In these times of generalized apathy, political opportunism, new contestatory fashions coming directly from the university, from iphone and misery living together, in short, in these times where it seems that the molecular development of an amoeba is easier than any type of social change, we follow our own. Combating capitalist modernity, reformism and, of course, the State. Unlearning their values and practices, and working for the construction of free people. On this occasion, we are pleased to announce the opening of the new Ateneo Libertario de Vallekas.
It will be located at Calle Párroco Don Emilio Franco nº 59, near the Nueva Numancia metro station and the Entrevias railway station. We are aware that we are taking possession of a space with an eviction process nearing its end. This circumstance only reaffirms our refusal to cease our efforts.
This new project aims to build a space for integral formation, at all levels: manual, intellectual, emotional … for which we will use different tools such as workshops, courses, talks, debates, round tables, conferences …

On the other hand, we also intend to form ourselves as a group to participate in a clear and active way in the social and political life of the neighborhood from a revolutionary perspective: evidencing the injustices of the system, encouraging self-management, direct action, solidarity among oppressed people, individual and collective awareness, and self-organized social action. We believe that it is only by starting from below and acting in the everyday that we can profoundly and radically change society. For no political party is going to fight for us. [Read More]

Utrecht: Eviction of the Swamp starts today. Come to support

Support the Swamp, the eviction of the Swamp has started.
07.00h: workers from Borghese open the fence that separates the Swamp from the neighbors field.
10.30h: Police vans arrive to the field.
Eight cops entered the terrain and a bailiff started to walk around asking people to leave.
11.00h: the first arrest police van arrived.
11.20h: five people have been found inside of the Swamp, the bailiff hopes there’s no one else in places hard to access or hiding.It won’t be that easy. The Swamp will resist.
Lock ons and a monopot tower await the cops. Come to the swamp and support! [Read More]

Madrid-Barcelona: Estate agents attacked in solidarity with the CSOA La Gatonera and the CSO Ka La Trava

Thursday September 27, the windows of estate agency Tecnocasa in Vallekas were shattered. The agency was also covered in paint. This action aims to encourage the comrades of the CSOA La Gatonera (Carabanchel-Madrid) and Ka La Trava (Gràcia-Barcelona), as well as all the people who struggle in defence of squats as a revolutionary tool.
Neighbourhoods are being transformed by capitalist speculation, gentrification being a tightening of screws in a cyclical process that affects all the cities of the world. Real estate agencies and other capitalist entities such as banks and speculators are responsible. Let’s spread the attack against them and build bridges based on solidarity and attack.
Refusing to negotiate with the State, the town hall or private property and resisting the scoundrels and the police must have an echo of solidarity in the form of seeking and spreading the struggle. This is only the beginning and we call for the reproduction of the attack, overcoming any path of mediation and negotiation with power. We do not negotiate with the State and capital. [Read More]

Amsterdam: ADM sympathizers squat in centre

ADM Sympathizers squatted out of protest a premises in the city center

On Sunday 28 October, a number of ADM sympathizers squatted a building in the Red-light district; Oudekerksplein 30.

The fringes of Amsterdam also belong in the city center

After hearing alderman Kock’s proposal to move the ADM to Almere in two years, many were stunned. One could not believe that the alderman had so little understanding of the social added value that Free-spaces & Fringes have for the city of Amsterdam. Recently, even in the media it was pointed out that the city loses its soul now that the fringes of Amsterdam are in Zaandam. Does Kock really want to move the fringes of Amsterdam to Almere?
[Read More]

Milan: Villa Vegan under eviction threat

In recent days it has come rumor that they want to evict Villa Vegan Tuesday, October 30th.
We believe it is a trust information and we are determined to resist, so let’s make a call to all the people in solidarity reach us to prepare together resistance and mobilization against the eviction. It is welcome anyone who wants to support the place, who has crossed over the years, who has carried on the struggles that here have found complicity, all the comrades who they think that if they want to evict an anarchist space occupied by 20 years must cost him dear.

In all these years of occupation Villa Vegan has hosted comrades from all over the world, has given logistical support to many self-managed projects, especially those from the hardcore punk scene, and a lots of fights, including those of against prison system and in solidarity to prisoners, ecologists and for liberation animal, against racism and CIEs (renamed then CPR), transfeminist queer and against gender violence, antifascist; struggles that refuse relations with institutions and always in opposition to the capitalist system and the state.

With the evacuation of the occupied spaces, the interminable overbuilding, the raids against the migrants, irregular and unwanted people of each type, the urban “redevelopment” of the neighborhoods, the growing militarization and surveillance of the roads, they want to transform the places where we live in the showcase cities useful only to run the economy and in dormitories for those included in the rhythm of production and consumption, closing more and more every possible resistance space. For this reason every eviction does not concern only the specific place that comes attacked but the more general plan of social control by the political and economic power, and must be opposed. [Read More]