October 1 2011 marked one year since the Kraakverbod made squatting illegal in the Netherlands. However, hundreds of people still squat and will continue to squat.
With squatting in the UK coming under threat, join us to hear 3 squatters from Amsterdam talk next week in several cities across the UK about squatting before the ban, resistance to the criminalisation and what’s been happening since the Kraakverbod became law.
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September 13th, 2011
Once upon a time, there was a group of people who were declared criminals overnight and who then took to the streets and said: Your laws, not ours. And they set fires in order to show that they will not go away silently, they will not surrender… Come to Amsterdam on 1st of October to show that the fires of last year are still smoldering – and they might flare up any moment!
A timeline of events and actions in the Netherlands during the squatting ban
October 1st, 2010
The first day of the squatting ban.
Head of the police and a public prosecutor known for his hatred towards squatters are placed under 24-hour surveillance and protection after threatening texts (for example “an accident is just around the corner”) are supposedly painted outside their houses the previous night.
In Amsterdam 1000 people take part in a demonstration against the squatting ban. During the demonstration a house is squatted, and slightly later a riot breaks out when the cops charge the crowd. The police uses tear gas for the first time in years. 2 cops, 3 cop horses and several squatters are injured. One squatter is beaten severely and ends up in hospital with a fractured skull. 11 people get arrested.
Photos.
09.10.2010
As everyone knew for a long time already the squatting ban finally became a legal entity on the 1st of October. How the law isto be implemented and enforced is still speculated upon. In the week before its arrival there came some very hard talk from the mayor and the chief of police.
The mayor stated that 300 squatted buildings and appartments in Amsterdam are to be evicted and that squatting is now a criminal offence and must be treated as so. The chief of police said “man power is no issue” and that the number of eviction waves are to be at least doubled.
This was very strong talk coming from the city officials and the response is as follows.
Wednesday 6 October 2010
On the first of October – Squatting in the Netherlands has been criminalised
On the first of October, squatting in the Netherlands has been criminalised. The major cities, though decided not to execute this law.
When the new mayor of Amsterdam Eberhard van der Laan announced a week ago to evict all of the existing 300 squats as soon as possible, people were very surprised and angry at the events.
The next day the main prosecutor for squatting cases Otto van der Bijl and the chief of the special eviction unit Leen Schaap got threatened and are now under 24 hours police protection.
Published on Indymedia-Uk on september 14th, 2010
A CALL OUT FROM AMSTERDAM
From 1st of October on squatting will be illegal in the Netherlands. These are our last days of ‘legal’ squatting and the first days of our new lives as criminals. Unlike claimed, the new law provides no solution for vacant houses but instead just gives more protection to house owners that love to speculate with their properties. In theory squatting, or simply being in a squatted house, can very soon lead to up to two years in prison.
It is time to revolt against the squatting ban and the State with its repressive politics against everything that is not mainstream and commercial. We will take to the streets – we will show them our anger and our strength. We need to make clear that this law will not scare us and stop us from squatting. With all our actions, with keeping up living the way we do let’s show that we are not afraid of their laws and their bans. This time they should really expect resistance. The time for action is now!
Kraakverbod the new law forbidding squatting in the Netherlands.
In 2008 three political parties (CDA, ChristenUnie and VVD) began working on the new law “Kraken en Leegstand Wet”. It aims to completely criminalizing any and every form of squatting in the whole country. On the 15th of October 2009 the Dutch parliament (Tweede Kamer) voted in favour of the new law. The parties that supported this squatting ban were VVD, ChristenUnie, SGP, CDA, PVV and the independent member of the parliament Rita Verdonk.
For the new law to be passed the senate (Eerste Kamer) still has to vote on it. This voting is going to take place on the 1st of December this year. After that the new law only needs the Queen’s signature to become reality. This would most likely happen before the 1st of January 2010.
What exactly does this law say?
In general you can split it into two parts.
On 27.11.09 at 1 p.m. around fifteen people, including members of Anarchist Federation and Rozbrat squat collective, gathered under Honorary Consulate of the Netherlands in Poznan to protest against anti-squatters bill according to which from 1st of January 2010 squatting in Holland would be a crime. Consul accepted our statement, the content of which is published below.
The aim of the picket was to show international solidarity to Dutch squatters, that soon may be defined by law as a criminals. Similar action is to be held in Gdansk and in many other European cities.
SOLIDARITY IS A CRIME THAT WE WILL NEVER STOP COMMITING!
STATEMENT
We, squatters and anarchists of Poznan, are deeply concerned with the anti-squatters bill. Squatters movement in The Netherlands is wide-known and accepted by the society. It has several decades of tradition and expanded its own infrastructure and counterculture, which provides shelter and enables tens of thousands people to freely develop themselves. Authorities want to introduce anti-squatters bill virtually without any public debate, what make us even more outrageous. We notice that the proposed act is a part of wide, European plan of making society dependant of big-business. Privatization of higher education, health service and other public services so in this case, attempts to limit the choice of residence by forcing the expensive rent. Almost every week we are noticed with information from all-over Europe about evicting squats, often lasting for several decades and gathering hundreds of people around them. In every state the governments want the same- pacification of grassroots movements that refuse their “freedom” and “democracy”.
If the Dutch government adopts this bill, from 1.01.2009 the act of squatting a house will lead to imprisonment. Is it rational to regard satisfying one of the basic human needs that is a shelter as a crime? We consider, that Dutch politicians has only one aim- identify libertarians with criminals, thus justifying imprisonment of people who loudly talk about infirmities of capitalism. The authorities want to steal places in which the critical and independent thought is created, places that allow to prepare actions against social injustice, racism, propaganda of consumption and all other forms of domination.
The anti-squatters bill will hit not only the squatters movement itself, but also the poorest class, workers, immigrants, and everyone who is forced to squat due to lack of money for high rent. In the name of the media model of law-abiding citizen who works eight hours to pay half of his salary to a landlord or a bank that gave him a loan they will be pushed to the role of criminals and idlers that steal someones house.
We do not agree with the proposed reform, as we are threatened with eviction ourselves, although we have run our social and cultural centre for over fifteen years without taking a buck from the authorities. We know what thousands of people would feel when after new year bailiffs and cops will start to knock on their doors. We know that as we fight for our squat, Dutch squatters will fight for their houses. We are sure that if only Dutch authorities will strike squatters, hearts and streets will ignite just like two years Copenhagen has flared!
ROZBRAT SQUAT COLLECTIVE, ANARCHIST FEDERATION POZNAN
http://www.rozbrat.org/news-in-english/600-solidarity-with-squatters-from-holland
Source Indy NL
In about one month Queen Beatrix will sign the new law to illegalize squatting in NL. To prevent homelessness we should squat her little apartment at Dam Square in Amsterdam. The Palace is big enough, so if you face eviction, come squatting!
The ban of squatting (kraakverbod) is a consequence of long term lobbying by rich landlords and real estate agents. Their friends in parliament have a majority now, which makes the ban of squatting likely to happen. On December 1st, the first chamber of Dutch parliament will have to decide, if the proposed law is passed on to Beatrix, or if adjustments or required. We attack that day to start our resistance!
21.11.2009 23:47
We are squatters from the Netherlands. We are asking you to organize a protest (for example by dutch embassy) in your country against squatting prohibition in the Netherlands. We suggest to organize your protests between 26 and 28 of November, because Eerste Kamer (First Chamber of dutch parliament) will vote about squatting prohibition beginnig of December.
To all the people who are against squatting prohibition,
to all the squatters,
to all ex-squatters,
to all young people who would like to become squatters in the future,
to all the friends of the squatters,
to all political activists,
to all antifascist activists,
to all artists who create art and/or perform in the squats,
to all bandmembers and DJ’s that play in the squats,
to all people who enjoy parties and concerts in the squats,
to all travellers who visit and stay in the squats,
to all of you who are not mentioned above.
Fast translation from a communiqué written in french:
https://squat.net/fr/news/pays-bas031109.html
Banner and fire, in solidarity with the squats
During the night of november 1st to november 2nd, party of the dead, we did awake !
We’ve put a banner on the wall of an ex-squat, on Phalanstère street, in Grenoble city-center. This building is empty for years, its owner is Actis, who is “managing” business with “social housing” and so on (owning a lot of empty spaces). This building has been squatted in 2005-2006 (Parad is Yack) and in 2007 (La Poulie / Parad is Back).
Everytime, it has been evicted by the Justice & Police crew… The second floor has been burnt a few weeks after the last eviction, to impeach the squatters to come back. The building is still empty.
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