Amsterdam: Ascii internet work place and Bookshop Fort van Sjakoo threatened with eviction

By: liberation - August 21st, 2001  Filed under: News

Ascii: http://squat.net/ascii

fort van Sjakoo: http://www.xs4all.nl/~sjakoo

Jodenbreestraat 24 on the street

900% rent increase

The internet werkplaats, ASCII, has received, along with their bookshop neighbours, notice of a rent increase of more than 900%. Our landlords, the Woningbedrijf Amsterdam (Housing Corporation Amsterdam), find this to be a “reasonable proposal”. A letter received from them began, “The Housing Corporation Amsterdam wants the rent from their commercial spaces adjusted to the market price level”. This startling rent increase is to start on Sept. 1 and go from f 580. to f 5100. per month.

Reasonable?

Though The Housing Corporation finds this to be a reasonable proposal, ASCII members, the volunteers of the bookshop Fort Van Sjakoo, and the volunteer-run Window to Europe, with whom we share our space, cannot come up with this kind of money. Once this money is demanded, the volunteer-run non-profit organisations sharing this space will be forced to find new premises, and face the loss of these initiatives. Not only can we not pay, we also find the thrust of the Housing Corporation to be unconscionable and excessive, pushing, as they are, more and more non-commercial, idealistic initiatives out of the city centre and towards extinction.

We need support

We beseech you now to support us in our struggle. ASCII started life in a squat on the Herengracht, and moved into the basement of Jodenbreestraat 24 in January 2000, to become the neighbours of the Fort van Sjakoo, and the Window To Europe. We are run entirely by volunteers, and survive in an entirely autonomous way. We supply the people who could not otherwise afford it with free internet access, and we support the activist community with computer access and a space to communicate. We have an online radio news hour once a week, with live streaming and incisive interviews, and every Sunday we have experimental jazz. We also run courses, including the popular Genderchanger Academy, teaching women computer hardware basics. We run popular courses in Linux and basic HTML. We have regular workshops that explain a range of technology related subjects, from PHP programming to monitor hacking. ASCII is also a meeting point for programmers and IT workers with a social conscience, who get together in the spirit of open source and share ideas, start new initiatives to support projects such as indy media, and give support to open source software such as Linux. The internet werkplaats is run entirely on Linux, with one computer running Free BSD, and the chance for volunteers to delve into other open source operating systems. Most of the hardware is recycled and donated. ASCII strives to prove that outdated, no longer fashionable computer hardware is perfect for low-end computer tasks such as internet surfing, and things thrown away by some can be used by others.

History

The Fort van Sjakoo has been at Jodenbreestraat 24 since 1977. The building was squatted 2 years earlier as a protest against its planned demolition to make way for an office building. The squatters made the building liveable and on the ground floor a successful bookshop was started. Thus the squatters’ resistance was successful and the building was saved. In 1989 the city bought the building for next to nothing; the residents and the bookshop became renters. The Housing Corporation was then still a part of the municipality, and they got possession of the building. Since then the company has become privatised. The bookshop supplies people with all sorts of information that they can’t easily find elsewhere. The collection consists of a wide range of left-wing political, social criticism, avant-garde, artistic, rebellious, odd and environmentally friendly books and magazines, often impossible to find else where.

Also housed in Jodenbreestraat 24 is the foundation Window To Europe, created in 1989 with the goal of promoting the cultural consciousness and mutual understanding between people who were for a long time separated by the Iron Curtain. They have through the years concentrated on the traditional musical cultures from the different ethnic groups who live in the former Soviet Union. Lately they’ve added a form of electronic music. In the bookshop is the office from the foundation European Juggling Association, who organizes, among other things, a yearly festival which attracts more than 3000 jugglers.

Alternative Amsterdam?

These four initiatives are all non-commercial, non-profit and vibrantly contribute to the life that makes Amsterdam the unique city that it is. If the Housing Corporation is successful in its push to make more and more money, they will be responsible for the sterilisation of a famously artistic city, a *dumbing down* of a city that prides itself on its creativity and social inclination. The Housing Corporation is not allowed to raise its rent for living space but is legally within its rights to raise the rent for buisnesses to the market level. This thinking comes from the assumption that businesses by default turn a profit. And The Housing Corporation Amsterdam isn’t legally bound to differentiate between rent increases for different types of businesses and organizations. But there are many non-commercial idealistic organisations which are purely altruistic in nature that are being turned out on the street with the gentrification of the city centre.

The commercial space in Jodenbreestraat has recently increased to absurd levels as its level of popularity has increased. For decades the street was full of unpopular ugly buildings, which were falling apart, and construction sites. The last few years the city has been busy with fixing up the street. First they took away the terrible buildings. Then came new buildings and the pavement was redone with fancy stones. The junkies were kicked out of the area, and since recently there is an alcohol ban. The policy of the city hall was successful: tourist attractions like the Holland Experience, big chain stores like Blokker and Albert Heijn wanted to be on the now upscale street. And the price per square metre increased in record time to 10 times higher. As these non-commercial and social organisations are under pressure because of the enormously inflated rent increases, the only way to stop the trend is to have a non-profit rent catagory for social and non-commercial initiatives.

Demand

We, along with our neighbours Het Fort van Sjakoo, the Window To Europe, and the European Juggeling Association, want the Housing Corporation Amsterdam to withdraw their rent increase. Support from the people who believe in what we all do is warmly welcome. We would really appreciate it if our supporters began their own actions in support of us. If you want to know what’s going on you can put yourself on a couple of mailing lists:

sjakoo-announce [at] squat [dot] net ascii-announce [at] squat [dot] net

Please send your opinion about the rent increase to the directors of the Woningbedrijf Amsterdam (Housing Corporation) and send us a copy too.

Woningbedrijf Amsterdam Muntendamstraat 1 1091DR AmsterdamPostbus 94278 1090GG Amsterdam Fax 020-6630829 e-mail: binnenstad [at] woningbedrijf-amsterdam [dot] nl ASCII Jodenbreestraat 24 sous 1011NK Amsterdam e-mail: ascii [at] squat [dot] net http://www.squat.net/ascii

International Bookshop Het Fort van Sjakoo Jodenbreestraat 24 1011NK Amsterdam Telefoon: 020-6258979 Fax: 020-6203570 e-mail: sjakoo [at] xs4all [dot] nl

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Italian consulate in Amsterdam still occupied

By: liberation - August 2nd, 2001  Filed under: News

 

  Italian consulate in Amsterdam still occupied

 

The consulate was evicted just before midnight. http://italy.indymedia.org for more information.
The italian consulate in Amsterdam was occupied this morning as a protest against the treatment of demonstrants in Genoa during the G8 summit.

The police just told that they won’t evict this night. Negotiations will be continued tomorrow morning.

Nobody is allowed to enter the consulate anymore. People are free to leave but the protesters decided to stay because their demands are not fullfilled (‘releasing all political prisoners’ )

This night there will be a street party to support the people still in jail and the people who are in the consulate

 

From http://italy.indymedia.org:

Today, Wednesday August 1 2001 at 11:30, 50 activists from the “Ya Pasta! Collective” occupied the Italian consulate at Herengracht 581 in Amsterdam. The action is a protest against the violence used by the Italian police on protestors during the G8 summit in Genoa.

PRESS STATEMENT

Italian Consulate in Amsterdam Occupied for Genoa Police Violence

Today, Wednesday August 1 2001 at 11:30, 50 activists from the “Ya Pasta! Collective” occupied the Italian consulate at Herengracht 581 in Amsterdam. The action is a protest against the violence used by the Italian police on protestors during the G8 summit in Genoa. There is no doubt anymore that many protestors have been beaten up without reason. During the July 21st raid on the Diaz school, where many people found a sleeping place, 93 people have been arrested, 52 of whom had to be taken into hospital. Of this last group, 32 had to stay in hospital for a longer period of time. In the end, only 1 arrested person was charged, the rest have been released without charges. Other evidence have shown systematic torture at police stations and in prisons. A group of women (including one with a broken leg) have been forced into ‘spreadeagle’ stand against a wall for 19 hours. People have been beaten and intimidated, women have been threatened with rape, one person was urinated on by police. The people who are still in jail (like the 25 people from the NoBorderNoNations Street Theatre Caravan) we consider to be political prisoners. The only reason for their detention are their political ideas on migration and neo-liberal economic globalisation. Berlusconi’s government party Forza Italia is (extreme) rightwing, coalition partners Lega Norte and Allianza Nazionale are both neo-fascist parties who are actively countering democratic resistance. Furthermore, most Italian TV stations are owned by the Berlusconi imperium, which makes independent reporting very hard in Italy.

The violence and repression against the G8 protestors in Genoa is not only inspired by a fascist police force and government. It is also the repression we saw being used in Prague and Gothenburg against the resistance against neo-liberal economic globalisation. We are getting too strong, and therefore dangerous to those in power: multinationals, politicians and high level officials. We are millions, not only in the North, but even more in the South, where many people before have died at protests against neo-liberal economic globalisation. The repression won’t stop us, we will continue our resistance.

During the occupation of the Italian consulate we have discovered a large amount of weapons: six kitchen knives, a petrol bomb labelled “thinner”, a black madonna, black shoe police, a broom (including stick) and a package of pointed uncooked spaghetti stalks. This alone would justify an investigation into the activities of all Italian government representatives in The Netherlands. The provisional closure of the consulate would be appropriate. We will remain inside until our demands have been met.

We demand the Italian government to:

  • release all political prisoners immediately;
  • enable an independent investigation op all police activities in and around Genoa, as well as the treatment of prisoners;
  • fire the Minister of Interior Scajola and those directly responsible for the police raid in the Diaz school on July 21st, as well as all police people involved;
  • pay the hospital costs and legal aid for arrested and wounded people, as well as the costs for protestors of coping with the traumas suffered during the police violence.We demand the Italian consul to:
  • convince all consulate representatives to dissociate themselves from the violence and torture protestors had to endure;
  • support the call for an independent investigation. There is enough evidence. If they would choose not to react on these demands, we’d kindly ask them to leave The Netherlands.We demand the Dutch government to:
  • call back the Dutch ambassador from Italy as a protest against the Italian police behaviour;
  • call the Italian ambassador in The Netherlands for an explanation;
  • support the call for an independent investigation.[squat!net]

     

 

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Leeuwenhoek (amsterdam): one year later

By: liberation - May 13th, 2001  Filed under: News

 

  Leeuwenhoek (amsterdam): one year later

 

Flyer found at the Counter information agency ->more info http://squat.net/cia

more information about the Leeuwenhoek -> http://squat.net/leeuwenhoek

One year later..

Alsmost exactly one year ago -9th April- Leeuwenhoekstraat numbers 4-7 were occupied by a group of young people in need of housing and with a vision of creating a diverse and creative community together.

The houses were transformed back from empty shells into homes again, the roofs were made into vegetable and herb gardens, a ground floor became the first CIA infocafe; a public space where people could have free tea and cheap tasty food while reading free information often marginalised by corporate media. The square was often bustling with activity as people met, chatted and gave and received mutual support.

When the houses on Eerste Boerhavestraat and Swammerdamstraat were squatted soon after, we worked together on making a community garden out of unused land between the houses, opening it up for the neighbourhood with an evening of outdoor cinema, a cooking fire and free food for all.

Prior to being squatted, all the houses had been social housing. The owners – De Key housing company – are the City of amsterdam’s business solution to what should be a social service; in effect a privatised housing department competing in the marketplace.

the city, the police and De Key treated us as a ‘top priority’ to be evicted; removing us cost around 600,000 guilders – just to make wau for unaffordable luxury apartments. On the morning of the eviction day many of the squatters made an action at De Key’s offices, putting mattresses on the street and demanding a meeting with the people responsible for making 60 people homeless in one single day. The company’s justification was that construction work had to start immediately. Now, one yoear later, the houses still stand empty, with just sporadic and irregular construction work taking place. Of course, they have made sure the houses are not in a condition where anyone would think of living in them …

to add insult to injury, De Key are now claiming that they need even more subsidies from the City and are reducing even more the social housing in fabour of private apartments.

We condemn the corporatisation of public services as socially irresponsible and unaccountable. We will continue to resist the repression and intimidation by both the police and City of autonomous creative cultural initiatives. Was our self-organisation and the level of support we attracted just to embarrassing for them …?

-end of leaflet-

May the 6th 2001 one empty apartment was squatted in the same project. The floors were destroyed.

[squat!net]

 

 

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Political parties support eviction of political centre Vrankrijk

By: liberation - March 30th, 2001  Filed under: News

 

  Political parties support eviction of political centre Vrankrijk

 

Past tuesday, 27th of march, the mayor of Amsterdam got the political backing to raid Political-cultural Centre Vrankrijk in an attempt to close it down. Vrankrijk is an independent and autonomous squat bar that has existed for 18 years. Since two years the city has been trying to force Vrankrijk to accept legal permits and licences. This means that we would have to accept police checks and control on our activities. This is of course not acceptable for us! The activities that happen in Vrankrijk and the goal of freedom and autonomy cannot function within a situation where such control by the police can and will happen.

link Over the past two years it has become more and more clear that the city has not entered in this proces for the safety of visitors of Vrankrijk, but only to gain some kind of control over a radical and independent meeting place for activists and squatters. This became very clear when high ranking police officers threatened the mayor with a lose of confidence of all 6000 policemen in Amsterdam if he would concider an agreement which didn?t involve police controls.

Now the city council has spoken out in support of the mayor and the policeforce, and are calling for a closure of Vrankrijk if we do not tolerate police control. This means that at any moment know a raid by the Amsterdam authorities can take place. They will try to close down Vrankrijk by evicting and then boarding up the place. We can and will re-squat the place immediately. (the building is owned by former squatters who are sympathetic). This means we have the opportunity to continue the fight for this place even after the first, second or third eviction. We do need support from as many people as possible to be able to do this. We call on everyone to resist in any way possible. To put pressure on the city of Amsterdam to stop there attempts to close down this independent and autonomous place.

Stop the eviction! For autonomy and solidarity

For more information: http://www.vrankrijk.org/or info [at] vrankrijk [dot] org

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Political-cultural Center VRANKRIJK under threat

By: liberation - March 17th, 2001  Filed under: News

 

  Political-cultural Center VRANKRIJK under threat

 

March 2001

After two years of threats by the City Counsil, Administrative Force against Vrankrijk can be applied since january 5th. This means that Political-cultural Center Vrankrijk can be closed down by the police and the authorities at any moment. Vrankrijk has become the next Freeplace that has to be destroyed by the authorities, as a result of a policy to erradicate all independent initiatives. In their opinion Amsterdam has to be in service of big-bussiness, tourists, and the upper classes. Collective and independent initiatives have no right of existence in a Euro oriëntated Amsterdam.

For 18 years Vrankrijk has tried to be an alternative for moneyhungry and commercialized nightlife. Vrankrijk is run on a voluntary basis. Collectively we take responsibility for Vrankrijk, so people can have a good time and are safe for, for example, fire-hazards as well. Vrankrijk respects everyone for whoever or whatever they are, not for what their financial status or position is. The underlying goal is not to just be an alternative, but also to support numerous groups and people who try to make an effort for a just society based on solidarity and autonomy.

Now the City Counsil is trying to ?normalise? this initiative by forcing police control by means of a permit or license. As an excuse they use the argument that normal nightlife facilities have to accept the rules as well. This is rubbish! Vrankrijk can not be considered normal commercial nightlife, but should be accepted as an independent political-cultural Freeplace. We have always been open to coöperation with the firebrigade or enviromental services, but we will never accept police inspection nor hand over membership lists. By demanding this the City Counsil is willingly forcing a conflict with the volunteers and sympathisers of Vrankrijk. They must not be allowed to force us into there regulations of profit, selfishness and the biggest common denominator. They should realise that Amsterdam needs independent non-profit initiatives like Vrankrijk. These places should not be forced into the straightjacket of regulated commercial life.

Now, after two years of talks, their restrictive and repressive policies threaten to lead to a forcefull closure of Vrankrijk. The Amsterdam authorities have repeatedly been trying to criminalise and de-politisize the Vranrijk volunteers and sympathisers. Most recently after the eviction of the Kalenderpanden and earlier in reaction to protests during the Euro-summit.

Recent soothing words, officially used to deëscalate, have proven to be of no value. It is evident that the Amsterdam police department has been blocking any possible solution that involves any loss of control and authority on their part.

Whatever happens, we will not give in to their repressive demands or any other form of faulty city-policy.

For Autonomy and solidarity Stop the closure of Vrankrijk!! http://www.vrankrijk.org/ or info [at] vrankrijk [dot] org

 

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Amsterdam – Evictions stir up sympathy for the squatters with a socialconscience

By: xxx - January 18th, 2001  Filed under: News

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]

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Amsterdam’s squatters run out of time and space

By: xxx - January 17th, 2001  Filed under: News

[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]

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Big squat actions in Amsterdam and Zaandam

By: xxx - December 24th, 2000  Filed under: News

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]

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Amsterdam: Anti-eviction exhibition at Weetwee squat gallery

By: xxx - October 8th, 2000  Filed under: News

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]

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Amsterdam: 2500 people show support for the Kalenderpanden

By: xxx - October 1st, 2000  Filed under: News

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]

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Squatters action week-end in Amsterdam

By: xxx - September 30th, 2000  Filed under: News

Last night supporters of the squatted buildings at the Entrepotdok paid a visit to the houses of councilmembers and put glue in their locks. According to the action group the council members are responsible for the planned eviction of the Kalenderpanden.

The kalenderpanden were squatted in 1996. Since then an active environment developed with a free radio station, bar, concert hall, art exhibition and last but not least housing for about 15 people. The last project which was started at the Entrepotdok was the Counter information agency. Their English homepage is http://squat.net/cia/. [Read More]

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Action days in Amsterdam: Kick off

By: xxx - September 30th, 2000  Filed under: News

Background information about the Kalenderpanden http://www.kalenderpanden.nl/

The action days in Amsterdam against the planned evictions started already on thursday. Some people can’t wait… The main action will be on sunday 14.00h when a demonstration will go through Amsterdam. On tuesday the 3rd the president of the worldbank will visit Amsterdam. According to the Amsterdam squatters he is responsible for most evictions in the world so he will be welcomed by protesters. [Read More]

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