Vogelvrij brings you a bunch of news from squats all around the Netherlands. There is always space for more news in the newsletter, so mail us your updates or publish them on a open publishing platform such as Indymedia.nl, or send your statements to Squat.net, and announce your events on Radar.squat.net. [Read More]
Netherlands: Vogelvrij Newsletter #2
Netherlands: Actions against the ban on squatting
This year, October 1st marks the ten year anniversary of the Squatting Ban coming into effect in the Netherlands.
Much like what we saw in the UK following the criminalisation of squatting in 2012, the repercussions have been drastic for our community and our movement. We’ve been pushed out of city centres, drastically reducing our visibility and contact with the public outside our own community. The number of squats across the country has been divided by ten, and the legal risks surrounding squatting have risen. Perhaps most damaging of all, our community is sorely lacking in participation from a “new generation”. A large number of people in that age group are totally oblivious to the concept of squatting.
Since the squatting ban came into effect, homelessness has doubled. Simultaneously, waiting lists for social housing have grown enormously, the average waiting time being nine years. The total lack of affordable housing constitutes a housing crisis which, since 2020, is being referred to as a housing emergency. [Read More]
Netherlands: Actions after 10 years of squatting ban
10 Years On! And you still can’t live in a waiting list!
Today, October 1st, 2020 marks the 10 year anniversary of the criminalisation of squatting in the Netherlands through the Kraken en Leegstand (Squatting & Emptiness) law.
Despite the law, kraken gaat door (squatting continues).
On the face of it, the law was created to end both squatting and emptiness. It has done neither. Buildings are still empty and for many people squatting remains a necessity. After all, it is not the existence of empty buildings that leads to squatting, but rather the lack of accessible housing.
Whether you are squatting, renting, or looking to buy a home, finding an available (let alone affordable) house is a struggle. [Read More]
Zaandam: Swimming pool resquatted
Today (20/2/17) we liberated an old Swimming Pool! The pool has been squatted before for 10 years after being empty for 7 years, in 2012 it got evicted to build a “Paramedical centre”. This never got build because the owner [J. H. Bakker] went partly bankrupt in 2014, its been empty since then. More pictures below. Source
[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]
Zaandam (NL): Cultural centre OVB evicted
This morning Botenmakerstraat 16 (OVB) in Zaandam was evicted by the special unit of the ME [riot police]. They took more than 2 hours to enter. Ultimately, there are three people arrested and at the station.
Big squat actions in Amsterdam and Zaandam
The former restaurant Planet Hollywood on the Rembrandtplein in Amsterdam was squatted on sunday 10.12.00. The squatters are now working on the founding of their Autonomous Social Center Cineak. With this they want to fight against the money orientated marketing strategy from the council of Amsterdam. Even the council program to legalise squats with cultural activities is only money orientated according to the squatters.
One of the first activities in the squat was a live TV program on saturday 16.12, also to be seen via http://live.dds.nl/from 21.00-22.00
The squat was evicted on the 19th. According to the council the building was in use. ‘Proof’ for this was some old equipment which was left in the building. The same day the riot cops also evicted about 100 squatted apartments in a demolition block just south of the city center. The 200 inhabitants were unorganised. Many of them moved out of the city or try to squat new places just as unorganised as before. Some of their places got evicted again. [Read More]
Zaandam (NL): A squat illegally evicted and resquatted
Werkhuis 2b-squat illegally evicted
Buildingcompany ‘De Wit’ tried to evict ‘Vrankrijk’ before. Then their company-building burnt down and they withdrew their actions. We are surprised that they want another confrontation with squatters, just at the moment they become active in Amsterdam again. Here a report about the squat in Zaandam (north-west of Amsterdam): [Read More]
Radar Online Agenda
