Den Haag: Vloek 5 court case report

Today was the courtcase against the Vloek 5. The judge ordered the release of all the prisoners, and will read a verdict in two weeks. During his ‘last word’ Kwinted Keesmaat read a great text we’re publishing below.

Dear attendants

Today we are standing here before the judge because we are being suspected of using violence. According to the Public Prosecution during the eviction of free-space De Vloek cops and buses of the riot police have been smeared with paint and the police has been violated so much by this that we are being imprisoned spread over prisons in The Netherlands for already 15 days.
I have nothing to say about the accusations of squatting and violence and leave that to my lawyer. [Read More]

Den Haag: De Vloek evicted: Convict the repression! Freedom for the ‘Vloek 5’!

Five of the 10 activist who have been arrested last Wednesday for defending De Vloek against eviction will be held in custody until their court case on the 23th of September. Yesterday they have been spread over five different jails throughout the country.

The ‘Vloek 5’ are suspected of violating the anti-squatting law (art. 138a) and of public violence (art. 141). A sixth anonymous person eventually got identified and was brought before the ‘super-fast-court’ and got a 500 euro fine (of which 250 euro conditionally and 100 euro deduction because of its detention of 2 days) for breaking the anti-squatting law, and has now been released. The other people were released Thursday evening with a summons, just in time for them to join the noise demonstration which was held in front of the police station for those still in custody. [Read More]

Den Haag: De Vloek is being evicted. 10 people arrested

De Vloek is being evicted right now, some photos and a timeline here. Watch a live feed here: http://185.52.224.3/

06:45 Riotcops drive into the street
07:13 Water canon is throwing water on the roof, and almost hits the people.
07:15 More Riotcops are arriving
07:30 Riotcops are waiting to start the eviction. Riotcops are attacking the front wall with a bulldozer
07:40 Riotcops are starting to cut through the roof [Read More]

Den Haag: De Vloek declares independence!

According to the judge’s verdict, social centre De Vloek [previously on S!N] can be evicted as early as this Monday [TODAY]. For this reason, we find it necessary to declare our independence on this day, September 3rd, 2015! An autonomous zone where equality rules, where refugees are welcome and where capitalism is a thing of the past.
[Read More]

Den Haag: De Vloek can be evicted says court. De Vloek will keep on fighting

The verdict from the court case between the city of Den Haag and De Vloek came out today July 30th 2015. De Vloek has lost the case and can be evicted within five days. Communique from De Vloek:

This morning, the judge gave a verdict in the case that the city of The Hague filed against social center De Vloek. These summary proceedings were meant to force the eviction of De Vloek. The judge decided that De Vloek may be evicted five days after the signing of the verdict. The signing of the verdict means that the bailiff must sign the verdict and deliver it to De Vloek. It is uncertain when this will happen. Technically, it could happen today, but it could also take longer.

The judge completely ignored the objections posed by De Vloek; for example, that there is no permit for the clean-up of the ground on which De Vloek stands and that this document has not even been applied for or approved. The fact that digging on the seawall is forbidden during the storm season was also disregarded. [Read More]

Den Haag: City takes De Vloek to court. The fight goes on!

Last Friday (5-6-2014), the city of The Hague summoned social center De Vloek to court to expedite the eviction of De Vloek. On July 9th, we have to appear in court for summary proceedings. In this way, the city is also blocking its hollow offer for a replacement location.

On May 27th, the city of The Hague demanded in a letter that we agree to voluntarily depart from De Vloek before July 1st 2015. However, it is in no way apparent that the construction plans are ready for the Top Sailing Center which they want to build in the same location as De Vloek. Our lawyer has made several requests to the city to discuss documents which show that the preparations for the sailing center are in order. The city has repeatedly refused, and our question has also been rejected. Our lawyer has asked for 5 days deferment for the unrealistic response time, but this was also rejected. Thus, we haven’t been able to gain any insight into the actual progress of the plans. The city is purposely trying to build up toward a lawsuit. [Read More]

The Hague (NL): Autonoom Centrum Den Haag eviction threat

The Autonomous Center (AC) located at Willem van Outhoornstraat 17 in The Hague is being threatened with eviction. The AC has already been squatted for 5 years and provides space for such activities as a vegan folks-kitchen and the alternative bookstore Opstand. During the past 5 years, nights devoted to information, films, and debate have been organized, and there is also room for music and meetings.
[Read More]

The Hague (NL): De Vloek resists

From saturday 28th til tuesday the 31st of March 2015 there will be four days of solidarity actions for De Vloek. During these four days of ‘Carnival of the Undercurrent’, De Vloek will take over the city with a Streetrave and a Critical Mass Bike Ride, among other fun things. We haven’t forgotten waterbased activities either, there will be enough room for that at #DeVloekDrijft.
[Read More]

Den Haag: Criminalization and silencing of De Vloek, judge also prohibits demonstration

The demonstration planned for this coming Saturday against the eviction and demolition of De Vloek has been banned by the Mayor of The Hague. Even the judge decided to support the city’s fallacies. We are calling on everybody to come this Saturday at 15:00 to the Kerkplein to NOT demonstrate together.

Protesting has been made impossible and we will also let this be known. We will assemble on the Kerkplein with tape on our mouths. Demonstrating has been prohibited, but coming together on the Kerkplein is not forbidden. To be able to demonstrate, one needs to have a right to free speech, and this has been taken away from us. We will symbolically illustrate this.

Because this demonstration would have involved many different people, including children and the elderly, we are canceling the demonstration. We have absolutely no faith in the empathy of The Hague police, and we don’t want children and elderly people to be beaten up by them. [Read More]

Den Haag: Mayor prohibits demonstration route. Stop the criminalization of De Vloek!

This Saturday, De Vloek and its supporters will demonstrate against the planned eviciton and demolition of the social center in the Scheveningen harbor. The protesters want to march a route from the Kerkplein through the city along places such as the site of the now demolished squat the Blauwe Aanslag and the office of the Christian Democrats. Mayor of The Hague van Aartsen has banned the route of the demonstration, on the basis of fallacies and is criminalizing De Vloek.

About a month before the planned demonstration against the eviction and demolition of social center De Vloek, the city and the police were given a heads up. However, the city kept delaying its response and the official limits placed on the demonstration were not made known until Wednesday November 26. The demonstration will not be allowed to follow the planned route, and we will also not be allowed to assemble at the Kerkplein. The reason that they gave was that actions centered around De Vloek have an increased chance of disturbing the public order because people were arrested at earlier actions, such as the squatting action at the Pier. From these imposed limits, it is apparent that the mayor wants to put a definitive stop to all future demonstrations by De Vloek and their supporters. [Read More]

Den Haag: December 26-27-28, Action Days for De Vloek and autonomous spaces

Because more and more autonomous social centres are being threatened and evicted, an Action Weekend will take place on December 26-28 in The Hague. The city of The Hague wants to evict De Vloek social centre in January 2015. Sometimes you have to fight for what you love, and now is the time! Stop the eviction of De Vloek, defend autonomous spaces and social centres.

Time and again, autonomous social centres have to step aside for yuppie projects. This year, De Valreep in Amsterdam was evicted to make room for a luxury Grand Café, and now the city of The Hague wants to evict and demolish De Vloek social centre to build a sailing centre. Everywhere you go, beautiful initiatives that have been built from the bottom up have to disappear for yuppies. The world should not revolve around the interests of real estate developers, but around people. That is why we are organising three days full of demonstrations and actions on December 26-28. [Read More]

Den Haag: December 6th, demonstration. The City Belongs To Us! De Vloek Will Not Go!

On Saturday December 6, a demonstration will take place against the approved plans of the city of The Hague to evict social centre De Vloek, and for the preservation of squatted social centres in general.

The city of The Hague wants to evict and demolish De Vloek in January 2015 to make room for a sailing center. There is already enough space for sport sailing in the harbor, but De Vloek must nevertheless step aside for the latest prestigious real estate project which nobody is looking forward to.

Even though the plan to build a sailing center for the rich
was not defeated in the city council, our campaign is still not over. The city promised to look for a replacement space for us, but the question remains whether this will happen or whether this space will be affordable. A unique quality of social centres is that financial pressure on projects and initiatives is low, allowing for more freedom for development; freedom that is difficult to find anywhere else. But our struggle extends beyond the preservation of De Vloek. [Read More]