Today a group of squatter tried to resquat an unused building in utrecht. The first cop that arrived told the officer of duty that they went to the building because they got a phone call from the squatters, saying that they (the squatters) squatted the building. The officer of duty replied that this was not the case: they got a phone call from a neighbor that there were burglars. Coincidentally, a call concerning burglary is a reason to enter a house, a call explaining a squat is not. Was this miscommunication?
The cops found an empty window, called the anti-squat company (who was doing a very good job) to come and accuse everyone inside of burglary, so the cops could ‘lawfully’ remove them. When the anti-squat company came, the squatters went out by themselves. There were no arrests or fines. We will see what happens to the building now… [Read More]
Utrecht: Squatters trying to resquat a house
Utrecht: Squatters protest against gentrification – New house squatted on Kanaleneiland
Wednesday July 13, there is a court case in Utrecht about the squatted houses on Monnetlaan. The buildings were squated in April out of protest against the gentrification of Kanaleneiland. Everyone who has affinity with this story, or is interested in the courtcase, is welcome to witness the courtcase itself. The squatters and supporters will be in front of the courthouse from 8.30, the courtcase itself begins at 9 o’ clock.
Utrecht is finishing a large scale gentrification project that has wiped out 9500 social houses. Kanaleneiland Centrum is one of these projects, where 1100 sociale houses have been demolished. This project is now ending, the squatted have occupied the building which will be the last to be renovated. [Read More]
Zaandam (NL): Old post office squatted
On Sunday 26 June a group of squatters and about 25 sympathisers
occupied the old post office on Mahoniehout street.
The building is owned by Merin B.V, which rents out a lot of office and company buildings in the Netherlands. This building, where PostNL was based, has stood empty since they left 2.5 years ago.
[Read More]
Amsterdam: Yet another empty office building SQUATTED!
A office building in Amsterdam Noord was squatted successfully this afternoon [3/7/16]. It is one of many empty commercial buildings in the area. The group wants to use the building as a living space and a place for creative activity in the neighborhood. The object is one of many similar empty buildings in the street, most of which have their darkest corners inhibited by anti kraak.
Many thanxxx to all supporters!
Maastricht: Squatters are victorious in first step of eviction case!
Since february this year a group of squatters in Maastricht has moved into an old garden center with multiple greenhouses and a house on the premises. Occupying a huge piece of property belonging to a Belgian based supermarket corporation which had been unoccupied for 9 years.
As soon as the owner contacted us after police informing them about our occupation, we handed over our proposition for a user agreement to which they did not agree. When we still didnt leave after they cut the power and gas to the terrain and sending us threats that we should leave within 8days etc. They hired a specialised Dutch lawyer and we we’re summoned in court. In the subpoena they stated that we we’re the cause of lots of noise complaints and garbage on the terrain while the opposite was true. In those 9 years they had visited only once and never cleaned up anything, the terrain was a notorious illegal dumping site. [Read More]
Netherlands: The current housing crisis and the repression of squatting
The vacancy crunch: The current housing crisis in the Netherlands and the repression of squatting
Recently, an opportunity to discuss the current housing crisis in the Netherlands was wasted. The government published a report evaluating a law realised in October 2010 which both criminalised squatting and suggested a few paltry measures to combat building vacancy (see “From Convicting to Condoning: Evaluation of the Squatting and Vacancy Act” [Dutch]). The report received a few mentions in the media but was accompanied by no real analysis. Whilst the Minister for Safety and Justice writes in a letter to Parliament that “this assessment does not require policy changes,” a careful look at the statistics produced by the report instead indicates that much more could be done (see “Presentation of report evaluating the Squatting and Vacancy Act” [Dutch]). The number of people needing to be housed is increasing, and the best way to solve this problem is to liberate the empty building stock, putting it back into use through both legislative measures and squatting.
[Read More]
The Hague: Autonoom Centrum wins court case. No eviction!
Today, there was the verdict of the court case started by the owner Bewi Vastgoed to ask the eviction of the Autonoom Centrum in Den Haag. The judge rejected the claims of the owner. There is no eviction of the Autonoom Centrum on the Harstenhoekweg in the short term.
Autonoom Centrum Den Haag
Harstenhoekweg 4, 2587SL Den Haag, The Netherlands
https://acdenhaag.wordpress.com
acdenhaag [at] riseup [dot] net
Utrecht: Eight apartment flats squatted on Kanaleneiland
Last week, eight apartment flats were squatted in Kanaleneiland. The flatslocated at Monnetlaan (within the so-called “Eiland 8” block) are the property of the city of Utrecht, and are managed by housing corporations Mitros and Portaal who want to transform the flats into free housing sector apartments for rent and for sale.
The squatters disagree with the way former renters have been treated, and are against the gentrification of the city.
Before, there were 224 social renting apartments in this blok, which the former renters had to leave in due to demolition, as a result of the long-term neglect of the homes. These plans are part of a big-scale gentrification that is taking place in Utrecht (and the rest of the Netherlands).
Based on the “leegstandswet” (“vacancy law”). The temporary renters put into the appartments, were promised, in writing, to be allowed to stay until demolition. This is how project Eiland 8 came into being, realized by Wolf huisvestingsgroep and Sophies Kunstprojecten.
Eventually, there didn’t seem to be sufficient money from the city of Utrecht to be able to build the new constructions so, the project was then sold to the Swiss-Quatarese asset management company Aventicum, that hired construction company Heijmans to have the places refurbished thoroughly. [Read More]
Amsterdam: Kolenkit is not for sale!
The Kolenkitbuurt’s struggle is part of a broader struggle which is the claim for right to the city for people. Since the Kolenkit’s neighborhood was decided to be turned into transformations with renew urban projects, such as the Koelkit project, we decided to organize the struggle hand in hand with inhabitants.
Indeed, Rochdale has the plan to renovate and sell 4 buildings in which people with 5 different types of temporary contracts are currently living. This Koel Kit project will force these temporary tenants to leave, and replaced by others, given that the 154 housing accomodations are gonna be more expensive, sold and privatised.
Therefore we went to Rochdale on the 4th of January in order to claim our requests:
1. Stop sell out of these rental houses
2. Make temporary homes indefinite homes
3. No evictions without replacement housing [Read More]
Amsterdam: ADM – Lüske’ heirs commit fraud by tree-felling permit application
Again shoddy evidence by Chidda Lüske’heirss commit fraud by tree-felling permit
Last Thursday (January 28, 2016) Chidda C. S. again presented proof that was tampered with. Already before, crucial pages from an ecological report were made unreadable in an appeal against the municipally (10 dec 2015) and they withheld this important information in relation to the ecological value of the ADM from the environment department, who had to assess the permit for the felling of the trees and had specifically requested more information. Then Chidda hired another ecological bureau who were instructed to make a new report (19 jan) that suggests to make a summary of the previous report, but leaves out all the relevant conclusions and recommendations and presents completely other conclusions.
This is what the heirs of Lüske did in a court-case, where the residents of the ADM asked the judge to not allow the trees to be felled while the appeal against the permit to fell 470 trees in front of the gate is still going on. [Read More]
Amsterdam: In-depth procedure against ADM
Also in in-depth procedure the judge concludes: plans insufficiently specific and realistic. January 7, 2016
Last summer the judge concluded that the plans presented by Chidda c.s. [=> Lüske’ heirs] for the ADM-terrain are insufficiently specific (verdict July 13th 2015). The municipally concluded the same on September 15th and again on December 10th 2015.
Now the judge of the in-depth procedure, a thorough procedure where every detail is investigated, draws the same conclusion. [Read More]
Groningen, Netherlands: Pino has to stay!
Where there is a will, there is a way. The former pizzaria Pino, at the Hereweg in Groningen is the oldest house in the street and has been on the demolition list for almost 30 years.
Now, 2016, it is the home for creative, free spirits.
Because the place is squatted and its interest is not economical profit, it makes it easier for people to get involved and organise something here. We notice that this activates lots op people! A few examples of activities that have taken place at Pino:
– the March against Monsanto was planned at our table
– we had a benefit evening for a teacher who was raising money for children in Kenia
– because our stage is open to all kinds of music, we get lots of surprising acts. International, but also a lot of local musicians. Almost every week we host live music here. Once we had a Norwegian duo that made music with a beer crate and a loop machine and we also hosted the very first concert of De Kat, a band from Groningen. The Pino is also part of the festival PleuropSonic, during Eurosonic, which attracts a lot of people every year. [Read More]
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