Tuesday 30 November, were the first judgments in a series of summary proceedings brought by the municipality of Amsterdam. The lawsuits were aimed at legitimizing the eviction of the residents of the National Provision for Foreign Nationals (Landelijke Vreemdelingen Voorziening, LVV). Judgments have now been rendered in two cases; in both judgments the court has granted the eviction claim. This means that the municipality can proceed with eviction as of this weekend, leaving the LVV residents in question on the street. This while the party responsible for the LVV, Groenlinks, again states in its party program 2022 that no one sleeps on the streets in Amsterdam. [Read More]
Amsterdam: Municipality wants to evict LVV residents, court grants this in brutal verdict
Amsterdam: New Policy. No Eviction for Emptiness…
As a squatter in Amsterdam, looking back on the past year is painful. 2019 dealt heavy blows to a movement that didn’t seem capable of much more than taking the beating. The city has lost its largest squats and despite numerous squatting actions, hardly any new buildings have survived the end of the year. What’s more, politicians tried to introduce a law at national level to further criminalise squatters while the media reported time and time again how afflicted property owners are being deceived repeatedly by squatters. To top it all off, the mayor concludes the year with a report on a new policy designed to implement a more rigorous approach to squatting.
There’s not much left to say beyond 2019 having been a rather grim year, making it difficult to paint a hopeful picture for squatting in Amsterdam in 2020.
We look back on a year in which we, above all, lost a lot. [Read More]
Amsterdam: We Are Here at the Entrada 600 in Duivendrecht
7 july 2018, Amsterdam – Refugee collective We Are Here, who previously stayed in a squat in Amstelveen, took the unoccupied building on the Entrada 600 in Amsterdam-Duivendrecht.
The offices space was empty and unused. Unfortunately, we are forced to get shelter in this way, because otherwise we have to roam the streets. the BBB is overcrowded and has a waiting list and in the Havenstraat only people with a Dublin claim are welcome.
In addition, the Havenstraat is a former prison and that can be felt in the daily controls we must endure. Recently one of our members was arrested because he asked for food because of this diabetes and this was refused. We do not feel safe in such an environment and ask for 24/7 shelter.
There are municipal plans to realize this 24/7 for undocumented people, but that will certainly take until end of the year before it is realized. We would love work and rent a house ourselves.
We intend to live here quietly and build a good relationship with the neighborhood and offices around us. We would like to meet fellow residents who are always welcome to come and have a cup of coffee with us. [Read More]
Amstelveen (NL): We Are Here lose courtcase
The We Are Here group lost in court and can be evicted from their new place in Amstelveen from midday today onwards.
Translation from indymedia
Amsterdam: Antifa activists forced Generation Identity fascists to leave “squat”
Generation Identity fascists claimed to have squatted an apartment next to the “We Are Here” refugee squats in Amsterdam. Squatted or not, the fascists had to leave after antifa activists attacked the fascists in their “squat”.
The Generation Identity claimed that they had squatted a house in the Rudolf Dieselstraat in Amsterdam, Netherlands. But the city council of Ymere in Amsterdam’s Watergraafsmeer district, denied that the house was squatted. The fascists were invited by somebody who has a temporary rent contract to avoid a squatting action.
[Read More]
Amsterdam: Communique from We Are Here Rudolf Dieselstraat
Today, an extreme right-wing organization called Identitair Verzet has taken possession of a house in Rudolf Dieselstraat, simply to provoke. They have announced their intent to do so a few days ago on their website. We are very startled by this and find it completely unacceptable. After all, we are looking for housing and a way to survive, while this group is clearly looking for conflict.
Two weeks ago our banner on the church at the James Wattstraat was set on fire by Peter van Vliet, a member of Identitair Verzet. The next morning Van Vliet came to the Rudolf Dieselstraat to try to burn a banner here again. We called the police to deal with the situation, but they chose not to arrest Van Vliet. Despite evidence that he set the banner on fire, and also while the police caught him on the roof of our office, they wanted to “not let the situation escalate,” and let the arsonist walk away.
Subsequently, a week later, Identitair Verzet returned to the James Wattstraat with a group of people. They climbed on the roof of the church and shouted racist and hateful slogans. Here too the police came down, and here too they did not take any action. They were escorted from the roof and then sent away. [Read More]
Amsterdam: April 28th, Demonstration Solidarity with Refugees, We Are Here!
Saturday April 28th 2018, Demonstration Solidarity with Refugees, We Are Here!
Meeting point 14:00 at Krugerplein (not at James Wattstraat 58)
16:00 arrival at Jonas Daniël Meijerplein.
We Are Here, the refugee collective based in Amsterdam, has been campaigning for years against the inhuman Dutch asylum policy. The refugee asylum policy is not conclusive, which leads to the denial of basic rights of refugees in the Netherlands. Many of them are unable to return to their home country, leaving them in limbo and without a proper roof over their heads or the care they need.
We Are Here is squatting to show the inhumane situation in which they live and to ask for attention for the situation of refugees whose asylum requests have been denied but who can’t be deported. Time and time again We Are Here is being evicted, putting them out on the streets and back into uncertainty again, without any prospect of permanent shelter.
These refugees are not the only people in Amsterdam looking for shelter: there is a crucial situation where many Amsterdam based or born people are unable to find a place to live. Social housing, which is the only affordable option for low to middle income people, is being torn apart as real estate is sold to parties eager to capitalize on gentrification. Meanwhile, the waiting list for houses continues to grow for those who have been in need of housing for a long time. [Read More]
Amsterdam: We Are Here village in the Rudolf Dieselstraat
Hello everyone! We would like to inform you that we have today successfully squatted 6 houses in the Rudolf Dieselstraat. We also have good news: after five years and for the first time, we have opened an office at Rudolf Dieselstraat 6. You are welcome at the We Are Here Village, next to Frankendael, under the Ringdijk.
We are also looking for volunteers and home items such as blankets, furniture, mattresses and more.
Ymere, the owner from the whole Rudolf Dieselstraat, has neglected the street for many years and wants now to hand it over to Camelot, a property guardian company. Together with the renters still living there, we are going to make a nice village of the street.
According people living in the neighborhood, the houses would remain in this state until August. This is the perfect moment to make our own village. How are we going to achieve that? Let’s talk about it this afternoon at the squatted church, on the James Wattstraat 58. Come along! [Read More]
Amsterdam: We Are Here squats a house for a woman and two children
Refugee collective We Are Here has squatted a house at Rudolf Dieselstraat 72 for a woman and two children, together with people who now live under harsh circumstances in the church in the James Wattstraat.
After more than 5 years of fighting for a normal life, we know what it means to live on the street or to continuously move from one place to another. It means that you loose all the time, your life looses sense, you are affected. Six of us have already lost their life. The pressure is rising. A solution has to come now.
The women’s building on the Burgemeester Roëllstraat 70, where 25 women of We Are Here are living since a year and a half, can be evicted by the housing corporation from the 10th of April.
Most political parties have agreed that no building of We Are Here will be evicted as long as they negotiate about the new board. We invite them to work together on a stable place and a real Amsterdam-style solution.
We are here and we need a place to live. [Read More]
Amsterdam: Support with We Are Here against an eviction
Solidarity with We Are Here. The residents of the Nienoord 2 (squatted since April 17th 2017) received the police letter announcing their evition: Friday morning 17 November 9:00, their property must be “left empty”. The general meeting of Sunday November 12th has permanently decided: The inhabitants will not leave the house voluntarily. They call all sympathisers of their movement to come in great numbers to their house to support their peaceful resistance. Sympathisers, let us support them and show that we do not accept this degrading policy of deterrence. We are here and we need each other to fight the system that oppresses us all. [Read More]
Amsterdam: We Are Here squat two new places
Today, Sunday, September 18th, We Are Here (Wij Zijn Hier) squatted two buildings on Burgemeester Röellstraat 70 (for women) and Rijswijkstraat 2 (for men). We squatted these buildings cracked because the Vluchtgemeente squat, where many of us stay, will be evicted on Monday.
[Read More]
Amsterdam: We are Here squat evicted and demo attacked
On Friday May 29, 2015 the We Are Here refugee group left the Vluchtgebouw. This is the squatted building at Jan Tooropstraat 649 where they had taken up residence since August 2014, after they were evicted from the Vluchthaven.
The refugees left the building voluntarily, after consultation with the owner, because the building will be demolished. The owner has in the 9 months of their stay been very helpful.
Where the refugees now have to go is unclear. Except temporary accommodation there is no other place. They are looking for a REAL solution, not a shelter where they can only sleep at night and in the morning again have to leave again.
[A mainstream media account suggests they found a warehouse in Amsterdam North]
[Read More]
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