Calais: Come on! Come on! Communiqué regarding the occupation of a number of buildings

We are a group of people from different countries and different political backgrounds who are fighting for the right to housing for everyone, whatever their origin. We announce that we have been occupying (now for more than 48 hours), empty and abandoned public buildings in different parts of the town of Calais, and intend to continue these occupations and maintain them as “legal squats” for as long as possible:

Why here and why now? There are more than 4,000 buildings empty in Calais, which represents 9 % of homes (500 of these are the property of a single, large, housing association- the major ‘social’ landlord in the city), and yet against this backdrop more than 500 people are on the streets, out of sight of any dignified solution and used only as sound bites by politicians who proport to offer assistance and in reality offering nothing. To address this situation they (the town hall/authorities) have turned Calais into a ghost town . [Read More]

Calais: Fascist attacks continue against Rue Émile Dumont, Coulogne & call-out for assembly

UPDATE 8AM Monday 24/2:

Local Calais media are reporting the demonstration of around 50 racists continued through Sunday. The fire brigade were called after a group of men were spotted nearby by neighbours with jerrycans of petrol to prepare more molotov cocktails. [Read More]

Calais: Communiqué from people inside Rue Émile Dumont, Coulogne

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Saturday’s news from the inhabitants of 122 Rue Émile Dumont in Coulogn (suburb of Calais)

“We’re writing to you again with the latest news from the front. Our aggressors have reached a new level of violence. On Saturday 22, we were attacked by intensive volleys of stones from two in the afternoon until half past midnight. Around 4.30 pm, one man who had threatened on the fb page of ‘Sauvons Calais’ (‘Save Calais’) to kill some migrants and throw them into the canal threw a rock, from 6 metres away, which hit the neck of a friend who had gone outside to talk with some of the neighbours. When we went outside to eat in the garden, we received a rain of some 20 stones in just a few seconds. As the numerous attacks on the roof and the windows went on, the crowd shouted encouragement every time a stone hit its target. [Read More]

Calais: Fascists mobilise against squatters. International call-out for support and solidarity

Calais_new_squat_Rue_Emile_Dumont_Coulogne_under_fascist_attack

Tomorrow, Friday 21st Feb, fascists have called a day and evening demonstration outside a new squat in Coulogne. This is the accumulation of five days of heavy fascist activity in the Calais area.

In the last few months a racist anti-migrant group, ‘Sauvons Calais’ have mobilised in Calais to ‘defend Calais from migrants’. Last week people squatted a farm house in Coulogne and since Sunday evening groups of up to 50 fascists and angry neighbours have had almost a constant presence outside the building.

The fascist’s actions this week have ranged from shouting insults at the people inside, throwing rocks, fireworks and standing there for hours on end. At 7am on Tuesday morning three fascists, who had been out drinking all night tried to break into the squat with a sledge hammer. Two of them were arrested. Members of the demonstration have also been recorded making death threats against migrants. [Read More]

Calais, France: The Battle of Coulogne

Translation of article from fr.squat.net:

The spark launched by the Mayor of Calais with his call to denounce squats on facebook last October by the Save Calais page, and the handshake of two assistants to the mayor of Calais over their anti-migrant protesters in November, shows that this attack is invited to Coulogne.

Activists of Save Calais rallied in front of a recently opened Coulogne squat, a previously empty house. A banner  presenting themselves as residents, with ‘alarm bells’ sounding to the real residents – in an attempt to sow the seed of fear of an invasion of migrants. [Read More]

Calais: Police evicts a Syrian squat. Another migrant killed, protests at the port

Police close and destroy Syrian squat – Since the big eviction wave in autumn 2013, most migrants in Calais are forced to sleep outside in tents. But weather and temperature are horrible at the moment. Wind and rain makes it very difficult or impossible to live like this.

On Sunday the police closed and destroyed one of last squats in Calais. Just five persons have found shelter in this house, which had been empty since months.
The Cops arrived in the afternoon, when some of the inhabitants were at home. Without any warning the Cops broke their door and entered the building. The persons living there explained to the police that they are sick and can not live outside. But they did not care about that fact. They forced the people to leave their home. The were not able to take all their personal belongings with them. [Read More]

Calais: Report on the illegal expulsion of the squat in rue Saint-Omer, the petty maneouvres of the State

2014-01-10_Calais_eviction_221_route_de_Saint_Omer

Today February 5, 2014 there was scheduled for trial an injunction against the French State and the OPH due to the illegal eviction of the squat at 221 Rue de Saint-Omer. Originally scheduled on January 22nd, the trial was postponed until February 5th. ‘Coincidentally’, the prefect waited until the day before to instruct the trial lawyers to represent him, these latter requested an adjournment, granted despite the precarious situation of those evicted from Rue de Saint-Omer .

In contrast to the OPH, the representative of the State, the prefect in this case , had not sent any documents to the other party, the evicted, until the date of trial. It is therefore only today that the court of Boulogne-sur-Mer informed the applicants and their lawyer of the conclusions presented by counsel for the State. [Read More]

France: Squatters turn the table on Calais’ authorities – Court case on 22nd of January

House evicted illegaly, 221 route de Saint-Omer, Calais

In theory, there are laws which protect squatters in France, but these are shirked everyday in Calais. It is apparent that the police and the City do not feel that they have to respect the law when it comes to squats in Calais, both because of their racist politics and the fact so far they have not had any negative/legal consequences for the illegal evictions they have performed in the past.

Squatters, who occupied a house in Route de St. Omer, Calais last week and had been evicted illegally, decided to challenge the cop’s reckless behaviour, authorized by the prefect. He and representatives of OPH will have to face justice/retribution already on 22nd of January.
[Read More]

Calais: A new house occupied – illegal eviction after 5 days

Calais eviction squatted house on 221 Route de Saint Omer

On Monday the 6th of January 2014 a house in 221 Route de Saint Omer, Calais was squatted, which was left empty for more than 1 year.

5 days later, the house got evicted and all legal procedures have been ignored by the authorities. On Thursday, the cops and representatives of the owner, OPH (Office Public de l’Habitat) came to the house. The mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchard, actually ‘president d’honneur’ of the OPH, is for sure not amused about people claiming their need of a safe shelter.

On friday about 30 cops, together with the workers from OPH, arrived at the house. [Read More]

Notre-Dame-des-Landes (France): Letter to local committees, news and coming actions

ZAD

Dear committees, We are a certain number of people who felt the need to write to you from the movement of occupation on the ZAD. Some months ago, while the eviction threat and works were paused, carried nevertheless by the strength of the fighting solidarity of last autumn, many among us started to entertain the possibility of the airport project being abandoned. We had even started to imagine what could become of this zone in social, agricultural and political terms. While these reflections were crucial and helped us to breathe new life into the struggle and a new sense to the movement, we feel today a regain of tension. [Read More]

Calais (France): The Eritrean Squat has been evicted

Evicted squat, Rue Neuve, in Calais

The Eritrean squat in rue Neuve has been evicted, 70 + people newly in the street. Tents, sleeping bags, blankets are very much needed. Most of all we need activists to go to Calais and support!

Following lots of arrivals to Italy via Lampedusa there are now well over 100 Eritreans present in Calais. They are escaping a brutal dictatorship and a long war with Ethiopia. There are a record number of women from Eritrea and Ethiopia in Calais, most are in the safe space opened by No Borders. The ‘jungles’ where Eritreans and Ethiopians wait to go to England are full over the limit. Following the tragedy a shipwrecks south of Lampedusa, causing the death of over 350 people, mainly Eritreans, there have been protests in Italy and in many European cities.

After the Syrians went on hunger strike and occupied the pedestrian entrance to the ferry port, the camp of the Syrians in front of the place of food distribution was not disturbed by police for a while. About 50 people sleep there, including some minors. Today however a large number of police went around the place of food distribution. The Syrians in this camp are asking for support. [Read More]

Calais (France): Summer of evictions reaps devastation

Calais_Beer_house_eviction

As we come towards the end of the summer no borders are counting there losses, every shelter has been raided, trashed, evicted on multiple occasions, leaving many of the migrants on the streets without tents or sleeping bags. Added to this, the rain and the cold are sapping any remaining energy, and many are sick.

The project no borders have been most involved with, that had become a shelter for the most venerable woman, children, elderly and injured people in small house called Victor Hugo or often by the migrants the woman’s house. This project has gone through many changes from being a social centre on the first floor enabling many migrants to cook their own meals to kitchen for activist groups round Europe.

Unfortunately with the massive pressure put on the space by the police evictions, the rules decided by the women of the house aren’t being respected, as there are many men coming with no other place to go leading to a desperate situation. [Read More]