Berlin: Rigaer94, our statement on the current situation

Today, on the evening of June 16, we look back on a militant day and a temporary autonomous zone and look forward with a clenched fist. Yes, we will remember the barricades in Rigaer Straße and their collective defense for a long time with a big smile on our faces. Step by step, the Senate and the owners are burning their fingers at the attempted destruction of our home.

After the street, there are now problems on the legal level. A higher administrative court has considerably complicated the starting position for those responsible at the Senate and the letterbox company for the attack on our house. The latter, represented by Bernau, Luschnat and von Arentin, was forbidden to enter our premises at all. Moreover, the cops are to be given access only to the stairwell, attic, courtyard, etc., but not to the private apartments.

At this moment, the expert, who is now declared to be responsible, is told by our lawyers that he can inspect the fire protection in our house without any danger to his health and can come in and out without any problems. Of course, without even a cop, as we have already declared in January 2021. And we keep our word. That should have become more than clear again today. Completely in contrast to the word of numerous politicians, whether in the district or senate, that of the cops or even a windy letter box company. Some of them still dare to claim that it is not about an eviction of Rigaer94. [Read More]

Lugano: CS()A Il Molino under eviction threat!

Unnamed comrades, friends who remain
be strong and spread the social truths,
This is the revenge we demand from you.
This is the revenge we demand from you.
(From the song “Addio Lugano bella”, Pietro Gori, 1895)

The social center Il Molino in Lugano (Ticino-Switzerland), is under eviction threat. Following the strong repression of the 8th of march demo in the train station of Lugano, when the police used pepper spray and batons against the demonstrators, politicians (Lega dei Ticinesi, UDC-SVP, PLR-FDP) and local media started a campaign for the eviction of the Molino under the old bourgeois discourse of the “respect of the rules of democracy for all its citizens” and “for social peace and law and order”.

The message is clear: in the tax haven of Lugano, there is no place for a space that does not follow the capitalistic rule of profit. In a city where you have a bank in every street, what would you expect?
We don’t know when it will happen, but it could be soon! So better be prepared! [Read More]

Berlin: Fire protection inspection today at Rigaer94

This morning an inspection of Rigaer94 by the responsible official for building supervision/fire protection of the district office Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg took place. As we had previously announced, this independent expert inspected all the rooms of the building without the protection of the Berlin cops and without feeling threatened.

As suspected by us and now also confirmed, our house is not in a condition that makes an evacuation necessary due to fire protection. The official has also not identified any deficiencies that we cannot remedy ourselves. As has been clearly stated several times: Our own safety is important to us and we do not need cops or self-declared “owners” or “property managers” or any party to “protect” us or our neighbors from us.

The report is not yet in our hands, but it will certainly be in the hands of the Senator of the Interior when he commits political suicide with his invasion on Thursday. [Read More]

Berlin: Rigaer 94 – What‘s the price of this shithole?

Berlin, March 2021: A conflict, in which there will be no other option but to take a stand, escalates. This is not about fire safety. This argument is only a masquerade. Those ruling try to make the public believe in the morality of their actions and to create a spectacle. We have repeatedly stated that an independent fire safety expert can walk through the building with us at any time, as it happened in 2016 and November 2020. As this has been ignored, it is obvious that this mission is about the eviction and destruction of Rigaer94 as she has been existing for 30 years. It intends nothing more but a siege and a gradual transformation into a destroyed, uninhabitable house controlled by fences and security gates. It is an attempt to evict us. Those responsible chose March 11th and 12th, 2021 as kick-off. This attempt will meet our fierce resistance! [Read More]

Berlin: Rigaer94 – A thunderstorm is coming

As already explained in our last text from Friday (1), we expect from now on a bigger operation against our house. The initially ridiculous fire safety issue has led to developments that put the continued existence of Rigaer94 as a (partially) occupied space in the highest danger. We would like to explain what happened legally, what we expect concretely and what we can do now to defend this place and the idea behind it.

New judgment regarding the legal representation and the house management

During the last attack on our house in the summer of 2020, the duo of Luschnat and Bernau gathered extensive information about the house. Despite court orders in force at the time, which had unanimously declared their powers of representation for Lafone Ltd. invalid, the police task force had given the two access to large parts of the house. Pretext of the whole action were search warrants for two dwellings because of alleged social fraud and the search for a laser pointer. Luschnat and Bernau, who were involved in the operation, used the information they had obtained to compile a list of alleged fire safety deficiencies. Police also documented the house with this in mind. [Read More]

France: Zad du Carnet, eviction risk confirmed

This morning, February 10th, we had the pleasure to be woken up by the bailiff accompanied by the cops. We were given the eviction order.

On February 4, the local elected officials and the harbour manager gave formal notice to the prefecture to demand the eviction of the ZAD du Carnet, during a hearing in summary proceedings at the administrative court of Nantes. We expect to learn the court’s decision any day.

After 5 months of pressure from the cops, the fascists, the mayors who are waiting for their checks, and the media smearing us, this time they think they can finally subdue us.
We have strong reason to believe that the decision will be to our disadvantage and will order our eviction. We expect the cops taking action within the next few days. So we need moral, human and material support!

Let’s not wait for their deliberation to organize ourselves! If you want to defend the ZAD du Carnet: it’s now or never! [Read More]

Berlin: Rigaer94 calls for international solidarity – destruction of our space expected

After the eviction of the anarcha-queer-feminist house project Liebig34 on 9th of october 2020, the offensive of state and capital against self-organized structures in the northern area of Friedrichshain and other parts of the city did not cease. The Liebig34 is since then under the control of the owner and the presence of his gang had also an affect on the local life. The so called Dorfplatz (“village square”) lying directly in front of the house was during the last months less used by residents and visitors as a common space and saw some minor confrontations with the invaders. With having taken one of the strategic points in the area and in the same time removing a political obstacle, state and capital could focus on the Rigaer94, which lies just some meters away from the Dorfplatz and has been a constant topic in the medias over the last year.

A few days ago, cops and diggers destroyed a settlement of homeless people in Rummels Bay, a few kilometers from us. The pretext here was the extreme frost, in reality it is also there to serve the profit of investors. Also expected in the next few weeks is the eviction of the Potse Youth Center – the city is in the process of removing any rebellious site. [Read More]

Arlon: Call to resist. Eviction threat at the Zablière on January 26

For more than a year, a piece of land has been torn from the concrete. The former Schoppach sandpit, where wild animals and plants used to coexist with Sunday walks, is threatened by a zoning project for businesses including offices and parking lots, and this since it was bought from the municipality by Idelux-Aive.

Some people decided to occupy this forest in order to defend it against this threat, responding to a call from local residents desperate for attention to their voice. This year was an opportunity to bring about another turning point in the struggle “for the climate” by making it take a real ecological and social turn; from the occupation of roundabouts by yellow vests to a forest occupation by Zadists. In this way, the tree houses made it possible to hear the cries of the birds.

For a year, the winter, police and mafia threats did not succeed in lowering the mood of the Zablière’s occupants, not even a few slanderous opponents. From this impulse of resistance were born direct actions, a book of photos and poetry, a film, a free university, friendships and a lot of other things impossible to describe without being there. [Read More]

Pully: imminent eviction from the Spyre

Destroying life to create emptiness: imminent eviction from the Spyre, an ecological and committed squat in Pully, Switzerland. Here is a press release from the Collectif Bambou, living in a squat ecologist and engaged threatened with eviction in the commune of Pully. We would like to highlight the social and ecological issues raised by this situation.

Have you already heard about the Spyre? On an immense green field in Pully, a large villa and its annex is home to a whole world: colorful, lively, communal. For nearly three months now, the Bamboo Collective has been living and bringing these places to life with ecological and solidarity-based ways of life. The occupied buildings were empty, left abandoned since the plot was bought by Dune Capital SA, property developers wishing to raze them to the ground to build twelve new luxury buildings. This huge project had aroused about twenty opposition from the neighbourhood, and the building permit has not yet been issued. “Welcome to our world, the one we build in the dustbins of theirs. We used to live a bit hidden, busy living, creating and fighting, but today here we are, sharing with you what they are about to demolish: our desires, our creations, our houses, our living hope of another world” expresses a resident. [Read More]

Bristol: Picton Lane site resists eviction

Last week Freedom reported that the Picton Lane site in Bristol was facing eviction after having been given a notice to leave. The notice was not a court order and was delivered only a day into the lockdown 2.0. Picton Lane site is a home to a number travellers & friends.

The current government lockdown guidelines state that evictions mustn’t happen unless it is a case of “emergency”. There is no emergency on Picton Lane: the owner of the site has been applying, unsuccessfully, for a planning permission since 2017, and the decision to evict people from here during the covid pandemic is more than inexplicable.

Below, we publish a short report from Picton Lane residents, who resisted the illegal eviction attempt with the support from others.

Awake most of the night, we were pleasantly surprised to see supporters begin arriving as early as 5am. However, the bailiffs were not so keen. Even police reacted quicker, with a few officers coming down at around 7.10am. [Read More]

Bristol: urgent call for support to resist site eviction

Freedom received the following call-out from the people living in the Picton Lane site in Bristol. If you are able, support them tomorrow, 9th November, in resisting illegal eviction. Pass it on.
We are a group of travellers & friends currently residing on a site in Picton Lane, Montpelier, Bristol, in caravans. Just one day into the second lockdown, we were given a notice to leave by tomorrow morning, 7am by Andrew Wilson & Co bailiffs. The notice was NOT a court order and even included a spelling mistake.
The owner of the land we are on has been applying for permission to build apartment & offices there for years, with applications going back to 2017. We are sure these would not be affordable flats and locals oppose them. All of these applications have been rejected. The land has been staying empty for years, excluding another group of vehicle dwellers who were evicted about 18 months ago.
The current government lockdown guidelines state that evictions mustn’t happen unless it is a case of “emergency”. We don’t think this situation is an emergency at all. No planning permission has been accepted and we have just started a second lockdown. Criminal cases fall under “emergency” in these guidelines, however, this is a civil matter.
We seek support on the day, 7am and earlier, as we expect the bailiffs to be aggressive. We feel we must resist and that our demands should be met: 1. To have contact with the owner 2. To be allowed to remain until the end of lockdown and 3. If an eviction must happen, we want it to be done via proper means aka via a court order. [Read More]

Nantes: what future for the Maison du Peuple?

After a year of hard work, the Maison du Peuple was able to meet its challenge: a place open to all, capable of accommodating those who needed it unconditionally. Hundreds of people, families with children in difficulty have found a place to rebuild (education for children, unconditional support by the State, etc.). But also to offer a meeting and gathering place to the inhabitants of the city, to set up solidarity actions, to let artistic and sports talents (painting, visual arts, music, dance, etc.) flourish. And yet, this place of life and mutual aid is now threatened with eviction.

There are many reasons for this: the Maison du Peuple is a squat and does not, moreover, meet the safety standards that would allow it to be a permanent place of accommodation. It does not matter that the Maison du Peuple was able to safely accommodate homeless people at the time of confinement: it must close! Supported by various associations of all faiths, the leaseholders found themselves obliged to disassociate themselves from the silence of the public authorities. The work that would have made it possible to rehabilitate the premises was not undertaken despite repeated requests. [Read More]