Amsterdam: The refugee group ‘We Are Here’ opened a new building

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Wednesday night (July 9th), after the eviction of the VluchtMarkt, of the VluchtHaven, and the short tent-camp in the Oosterpark, the ‘We Are Here’ group opened a new building on the Linnaeushof 4, Amsterdam: the VluchtOpvang.

The building is owned by the speculator W.M. Honselaar Onroerend Goed BV. The same company facilitated the eviction of the social space of the VluchtMarkt (Ten Katestraat 49) by signing a contract agreement with the owner, ‘Peters and Van der Vloodt’, to develop an hotel. [Read More]

Amsterdam: Undeportables on the streets again…

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Half of Amsterdam’s 200 + rejected asylum seekers, will likely be evicted from two buildings this week. In their 2 year long political struggle they exposed Dutch deportation polices as the worst of northern Europe, and stopped even worse policies, generating support from many unexpected corners. But with crucial parliamentarians silenced by social democratic leaders, soon they will sleep rough again, in fear for deportation.

Untill now, unified under the banner We Are Here, they occupy three buildings:

First a former prison, end 2013 turned into a temporary mayer’s-shelter for undeportables, evicted from a squat. During spring the mayor started to arm twist the undeportables into ‘voluntary deportation’. But then the facts about their undeportability started to shine in his face: Deportation destinations were indeed much more dangerous then thought, foreighn embassies obstructed deportation routes, new wars broke out, and many refugees could prove that crucial parts of their rejected stories were indeed true. [Read More]

Amsterdam: VluchtHaven update

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Van der Laan have announced that the eviction will take place on Thursday, July 10. He also said that anyone who will be found still inside will be arrested by the ‘foreign police’.

Lawyer Pim Fischer appealed (urgent appeal) against the verdict of the court on the eviction about the Vluchthaven. The verdict and the next steps were discussed on Friday together with the group of refugees living in the building. The lawyer also asked for suspension of the sentence (and thus delaying the eviction) until the appeal will take place. [Read More]

Den Haag: City wants to evict De Vloek on January 5th, 2015

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Today, July 2 2014, a process-server delivered a letter from the municipality to De Vloek free space. The letter states that we have to vacate the premises before January 5th, 2015. If the city gets its way, then one of the last squatted free spaces in The Hague will disappear.

The city already let us know in a letter that De Vloek has to move aside for a Top Sailing Center. Currently, this sailing center is located in the Nautical Center across from De Vloek. The Nautical Center, which has been built especially for sport sailing, was completed in 2006 but has been mostly vacant for years. Many other building in the area are also vacant. There is certainly enough room for sport sailing. More new construction is simply unnecessary, and our free space will most likely have to disappear to make room for more vacant buildings. [Read More]

Amsterdam: VluchtMarkt to be evicted on July 8th

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The Vluchtmarkt (Ten Katestraat 61-63) has lost the court case against the state, and it will be evicted next Tuesday, July 8.

The verdict of the Vluchtmarkt court case is negative. The judge argued that although the people who live in the squatted buildings are undocumented migrants who have no right to work, to welfare and to a roof, this is a social problem that does not have to fall on the backs of private owners.
The judge evaluated the ‘proportionality’ of interests between the squatters and the owner, and ruled that the owner has the right to access its properties at any time. [Read More]

Amsterdam: The Kraak Spreek Uur, autonomous squatting assistance

An interview with Rogier from the Eastern KSU and Maks from the Student KSU, in Amsterdam (Wertheim park, July 28th, 2013). The interviewers are Y & Z, two Frenchies involved in the squatting movement in Paris. You also can find a French translation of the interview on the French pages of Squat!net.
[Read More]

Utrecht: new squat on Voorstraat 36

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Today we have independently taken use of the building located on the Voorstraat 36. Our motivations for this action are the declining opportunities for acquiring affordable housing (largely caused by the breakdown of social housing), the increasing repression of every from of self-determination and alternative social organization (as once again has been shown by the recent eviction of the Valreep in Amsterdam), as well as our dissent with the application and execution of the law ‘Kraken en Leegstand’1, (squatting and vacant buildings) that has been in put into use on the first of October 2010. Today its nearing four years after its implementation, and as expressed by article VIA of the law Kraken en Leegstand, it will soon be up for evaluation. Considering our opinion that the effectivity of this law in practice is extremely disputable and the effects do not approach its aimed goals whatsoever, we now want to raise our voices loud and clearly; against vacant buildings the municipality doesn’t do anything, but we do! [Read More]

Amsterdam: Summary VluchtMarkt Court Case

In the court case of the State (Openbaar Ministerie) against the VluchtMarkt, lawyer Uppal argued that although since 2010 squatting is a crime, the decision of evictions must be evaluated as proportionate to the interests of the squatters and the ones of the owners. Apart from a few technical exceptions, so far no judge has ruled in favour of the interests of the squatters. [Read More]

Amsterdam: VluchtMarkt Court Case – Ten Katestraat 61-63

Tomorrow, Thursday 19th, at 10.30 AM court case for defending the VluchtMarkt

The squatted buildings on Ten Katestraat 61 and 63, owned by Rochdale, are under threat. The officer of justice Otto van der Bijl has sent the 8 weeks notice, which means that not the owner, but the state itself is taking initiative against the refugees. It is the first time that a ‘We Are Here‘ squat is treated with the criminal law. According to local politicians, Rochdale still seems to have no plans and no permits to renovate the properties, while the people occupying them have spend many weeks re-building the spaces (including toilets, showers, electricity, floors and ceilings) and made them safe and liveable. [Read More]

Amsterdam: Valreep getting evicted right now

Live ticker (in Dutch)
SUMMARY:
The Valreep never got the chance to present our plans to the city council and the project developer OCP, even though we have an investor and valid business plan. The Valreep could have survived without subsidy but apparantly has to be replaced for yet another yuppie cafe.

The riot cops needed thirteen hours today to evict social centre Op de Valreep. The bustling, independent neighbourhood initiative has existed for almost three years without any subsidy and with volunteers only. At least 17 people have been arrested. People were locked on top of and in the building in lockons, big barrels filled up with concrete. Update: 12 people have been released!
[Read More]

Amsterdam: Op De Valreep Defense!

For three years Op De Valreep has created valuable infrastructure for people living in Amsterdam East and has provided opportunities to build community. Despite campaigns to legalize the space, the city of Amsterdam and the developer OCP are moving to evict the squatted community center.

Supporters of “Op de Valreep” have constructed massive barricades to block the city government and the police from carrying out the eviction.

The eviction is expected to occur on Tuesday, June 17th, 2014

[Read More]

Den Haag: Council wants to evict and demolish the Vloek

On May 30th, De Vloek (Pirate Bar) received a letter from the city of the Hague indicating that there are construction plans for their location. The city wants to demolish the building and sell the land to a developer who wants to build a top sailing center.
[Read More]