* * *
Last year, a call to decentralized actions in support of squats and
autonomous spaces was issued, proposing to join forces in April, 2008,
for a few days of direct actions, public demonstrations, building
occupations, open celebrations of our struggles and counter-cultures...
in a desire to bridge our energies, and use a common determination
fighting our local situations.
The initiative was met with enthusiasm: up to 130 people took part in
the coordination meeting that was held in Dijon late November, and the
call was translated in 18 different languages. Thankfully, it appeared
that we were quite many, those feeling that the diminution of "liberated
spaces" locally was to be met with international solidarity, and that
this struggle was not about isolated spaces, but about a movement
without borders, crucial to anticapitalist and anti-authoritarian
practices.
Moreover, the april2008 mobilisation has been an occasion to relaunch
some "national" intersquat regroupings and gatherings, as in Germany or
in the UK. So, yes, we did expect a handful of actions to make this
April month special, both for us and for private property. Still, we
must admit to be quite amazed at how successful the initiative turned
out to be: events and actions were reported in at least 95 cities,
scattered over 26 countries; mostly located in Europe, but also across
continents, with reports coming from New Zealand or the US, Israel or
Russia!
A great diversity of tactics were used, ranging from banner drops to
sabotage actions, along with street theatre, exhibitions, food not
bombs, parties and discussions. However, the april2008 week-end was
predominantly filled with demonstrations, Reclaim The Streets and
squatting actions! More than 30 new squats were opened, quite often in
cities which lacked a squatted social centre, and/or where antisquat
policies had previously made it harsh to occupy empty buildings. While
some of them have been evicted already, some are still here fortunately!
While it has been absolutely great to see so many actions coincide and
"make squatting a threat again" ;) over a week-end, the most thrilling
bit might be yet to come, with the imminent perspective of a european
"interspace", bringing together various squats & autonomous places to
push the april2008 dynamic further, to build longer term connexions,
hopefully, and shape new perspectives out of our commongrounds. More
info on this Berlin late May event on http://interspace.blogsport.de/.
Let's hope that april2008 was nothing but a step in a broader process;
it's up to us all to make it so! This said, greetings and solidarity to
everyone who contributed to these action days, proving that yes, indeed:
« We are everywhere! »
some folks
from the april2008 crew
http://april2008.squat.net/
* * *
What follows is a summary of actions that took place within the
april2008 framework. It is by no way exhaustive, as a number of actions
were unfortunately not directly reported to us, and were found by
crawling Indymedia networks. No doubt we'll still learn about stuff that
happened in the upcoming days; in any case, you are encouraged to check
out the april2008 campaign website - http://april2008.squat.net/ - for
more information, updates and translations!
Though they are summed up in a few lines only below, detailed reports,
together with photos and/or videos are available for a number of the
listed initiatives on the april2008 website. If you were part of an
initiative that should be documented more thoroughly, please send your
materials to april2008-www@squat.net to get them published.
Please note that help is needed to translate this summary to as many
languages as possible, so that the april2008 initiative gets a chance to
inspire non-english speakers too. Please share your language skills by
joining the april2008-translation team and its mailing-list:
https://squat.net/mailman/listinfo/april2008-translation
* * *
Note: the summary can be found on http://april2008.squat.net/summary/
-----------------
A U S T R I A
-----------------
Vienna
------
- (11th) In Vienna some 300 people took part on a demonstration,
afterwards a party started on a squatted area.
- (12th) The wagenburg-party which started after the demonstration on
Friday on a squatted area in Vienna was finished on Saturday, 1pm
without problems. But afterwards the police stopped and controlled
some of the cars when they had left the place.
- (12th) The first Vienna “bim party” was celebrated from 4pm to
7:30pm.
- (12th) A building in Spitalgasse 11 was squatted around 8pm. The
results of the negotiations with city authorities and police is that
the police will stay away for now and new talks will start on Sunday
1pm. The owner is still unknown. The activists decided to stay and a
party started…
- (13th) Early afternoon, police started showing up at Spitalergasse
11 and announced the coming eviction which eventually started at
7.30pm. At 9pm, riot cops made their way through the people, who
blocked the way to the building, and started invading the house. It
took three more hours to get the 50 squatters out of the house. Some
80 activists organized a noisy protest in front of the police
station where one arrested person stayed in custody. After two hours
the person was released.
Graz
----
- (11th) Meeting at Suedtiroler Platz for squatting. The goal was to
establish the first autonomous center in Graz since the 80s, working
title: “Projekt A-Z”. In the evening, a building in Annenstrasse 3
was squatted.
- (12th) The Project A-Z in Annenstraße 3 was still squatted. Some
workshops and a party were organized.
- (13th) Several workshops and concerts took place at the Project A-Z
- (14th) A discussion with the squatters, representatives of the city
council and the owner of the building, the housing corporation BeWo
took place. There was a proposal to postpone the eviction if the
squatters took over the operating costs of the house. The proposal
was discussed in an internal plenum later in the evening.
- (15th) The squatters announced that they accept the proposal of the
housing corporation to use the house for 30 days as an autonomous
center. But it was also made clear that there is no perspective in
using the house only temporary and to look for a new space
afterwards.
- (18th) Promises made earlier by the owner were broken and the
Project A-Z was evicted in the evening. It took almost two hours to
remove everybody from the house but nobody was arrested.
Linz
----
- (11-12th) The second day of the squat action days, Saturday, April
12, 2008 started in Linz with the opening of the squat “Louise” at
the Kaisergasse 17.
- (13th) The squat was left…
Innsbruck
---------
- (11th) A demonstration for autonomous spaces took place in the
afternoon with about 250 people.
- (11th) After the demonstration, the station of the old Hungerbahn
was squatted. The police discovered the squat relatively late which
gave between 100 and 150 persons the chance to gather in the squat.
- (12th) A meeting with a representative of the city council took
place in the early morning at 2am. The discussion was relatively one
sided and the only proposals made by the city were: leaving at 12
o’clock on the same day or eviction.
- (12th) After longer discussions between the activists and city
officials, the squatters left the building at around 4pm. There were
no controls. The future plan of the city for building is demolition.
Salzburg
--------
- (11th) An open air concert at the building site Nonntal Unipark took
place and there was a reading in the bus.
- (12th) A manifestation for a social center was organized at the
Max-Reinhard-Platz in the afternoon and lasted until 8pm in the
evening.
---------------------
B E L A R U S S I A
---------------------
Minsk
-----
- (11th) An open air party took place in a park in the center of
Minsk, where an exhibition on houses was displayed and a zine was
distributed. Later there was a discussion on squats, followed by FnB
distribution, samba band gig, independent theater performance and
capoeira wrestling and drumming. The event was attended by about 100
guests.
- (12th) An open film night took place in a local university, with
some 50 people, who watched movies on Rozbrat in Poznan and Zanon
Ceramics. Discussion on squatting in London followed.
-----------------
B U L G A R I A
-----------------
Sofia
-----
- (12th) Free movie screening and discussion on the topics of
squatting and precarity. Few people attended. It is to be noted that
the action days took place a week after the heavily repressed
anti-NATO protests in Romania.
-------------------
C A T A L U N Y A
-------------------
Barcelona
---------
- (11th) Banner dropping in the city. Banners were mounted at 12
recently evicted squats.
- (12th) Around 200 people gathered in Plaza de la Virreina, Gracia,
Barcelona at 7pm to walk through the neighborhood - putting flyers
on details of up-coming events in the city (events against
speculation, solidarity with the bus drivers strike etc.) and making
pro-squat and anti-police graffiti.
- (12th) The demo arrived at Ronda General Mitre 9 (in the Plaza
Lesseps) at 8pm and people succeeded in entering the long-empty
building in good old-skool punk style! The new squat was then
secured while people outside handed out flyers to those passing by,
explaining the social, political and economic reasons for occupying
the building. The new social center is called the Ateneo Mayo ‘37.
- (13th) Reclaim the Streets party and street theater
Vilanova i la Geltrú
--------------------
- (11th) The L’Assemblea de Joves de Vilanova i la Geltrú squatted an
abandoned building in order to transform it into a youth center.
------------------------------
C Z E C H R E P U B L I C
------------------------------
Praha
-----
- (12th) In Prague, a Reclaim the Streets party has been organized.
400 people - some in masks, with sound systems, cheerleaders -
gathered for a short march, two banners were dropped on the way. A
squatekk took place in the evening - a party in an occupied house.
An expo on evicted places and previous squatting actions was
displayed.
Ropice
------
- (12th) Ropice, a place squatted few weeks before April2008,
organized a first gig, with photos, free shop, benefit materials.
The concert was ended by police intervention.
---------------
D E N M A R K
---------------
Copenhagen
----------
- (10th-11th) The citizen group - Citizens against privatization of
public property - put FOR SALE signs on the facade of public
buildings the night between Thursday and Friday. Libraries,
educational facilities are, among others, endangered of being
privatized in the Copenhagen of the future.
- (11th) The days started with a previously announced
bicycle-demonstration in the streets of Copenhagen from the district
of Nørrebro to Østerbro. Along with slogans such as; “Cars out of
Copenhagen now!” and “CAR’ism is equal to industry and oil-wars” (it
sounds better in Danish). The promise of a “Grand Surprise” at the
end, made more than 300 show up, even though it was still early
Friday.
- (11th) There was a deluxe vegan kitchen in “Folkets Hus” (the
peoples house) under the theme ‘Everybody has a right for good
food’. Afterwards followed by a screening of different political
movies.
- (11th) When many lovely bikers pulled up near a compound which have
been empty for more than 5 years, a bunch of activists unrevealed a
small urban park they had been creating. The compound was surrounded
by a fence and the park had been non-visible from the street,
because of huge sheets covering it. When they were pulled of, the
activists received the ovations of the crowd. The garden is supposed
to be open for everybody and is run autonomously by the collective.
- (11th-12th) Friday evening the fun continued. After an extensive
text message mobilization, an empty building, in another part of
Copenhagen called ‘Amager’, suddenly was filled to the bursting
point with several hundred partying people. In Denmark these parties
are referred to as “Pirat-Parties”, which are basically a non-profit
party in a one night squat - and therefore illegal. The party was
well planned and different pieces of art, graffiti and of course a
soundsystem was put up. The party kicked off at 23:00 with
Slum’n'bass, hard break beat and revolutionary Hip-hop. From 1am on,
the cops began making individual arrest and dogs were released on
those who resisted. The cops were now extremely aggressive and
brutal. Some people were bidden, others were beaten.
- (12th) In a part of Copenhagen called ‘Valby’, an old Café was
squatted by “papersquatters”.
- (12th) In the suburban area ‘Vanløse’, a house was squatted for
several hours. The action was dedicated to an independent and free
Tibet.
- (12th) In a part of Copenhagen called ‘Amager’, a group called RAK
(Revolutionary Anarchists in Copenhagen) squatted a house in order
to create a new autonomous free space. Unfortunately the danish
police were on spot as ever and surrounded the house. After a couple
of hours trying to clear the streets the police left the scene. The
house then again stood unused and empty. In total 10 people were
arrested.
- (12th) Saturday evening another massive text message chain went
around and invited people to come to a gigantic “reclaim the
streets” party in the inner city of Copenhagen where around 500
people reclaimed a small street for three hours until the party was
closed down by police.
- (12th) Several hundred participants moved from the reclaimed street
to the streets with more traffic. Suddenly a spontaneous demo was
formed, about one hundred people took the streets and walked though
the city night. It was decided to walk all the way to the symbolic
“Ground69″, where the now demolished “Ungdomshuset” was located.
- (12th) The legalized squat Bumzen had arranged a small afterparty
for the actiondays. The mood here was chilled out, relaxed and above
all a relief satisfied with a very successull and active weekend.
Svendborg
---------
- (12th) In the city of ‘Svendborg’ a house was squatted and the cops
had to break a wall down before they managed to get inside.
Næstved
-------
- (12th) Bannerdropping were made in the city of Næstved saying that
they also needed an autonomous free space in their local area.
---------------
E N G L A N D
---------------
London
------
- Early April, a new squat was opened in London with it’s launch to
coincide with the Europe-wide days of action in defense of free
spaces and series of events took place in autonomous spaces around
London.
- (11th) The weekend kicked off on Friday evening with a social
meeting and info night with films and cafe at threatened rampART
social center. There were also acoustic bands and performances at
the nearby squatted NO:ID gallery.
- (12th) The newly opened social center opened it’s doors with an
art-exhibition and films plus badly organized workshops and
discussions. The space also hosted a free shop and very popular
squatters estate agency with a display showing a number of empty
properties around London along with details about their location,
history and suitability for squatting. Available properties ranged
for abandoned houses and flats, to pubs, shops and even government
buildings. People could add details of other buildings or put down
their contact details to meet up with others to go open buildings.
- (12th) Also on Saturday there was a demo at a homeless hostel and
several hundred people partied at benefit gig for the Advisory
Service for Squatters that took place at the Hackney Social Center
(also threatened with eviction that month). Another benefit took
place at the soon to be evicted Wominspace.
Nottingham
----------
- The Old County Hall occupied as part of the international days of
action. The Council sold it off in 2000 and it has remained empty
for years. During the weekend people put this marvellous and
significant building back into good use.
Leeds
-----
- In Leeds a closed down council housing advice center was squatted
and reopened. Ironically the council had left a sign reading “The
Housing Advice Center Is Changing.” and it certainly has - giving
out advice on squatting, autonomous spaces, alternative housing
advice and anti-gentrification info. A report said, “It was the most
open squat i’ve ever seen - having the doors wide open on a busy
Saturday right in the middle of the city center… Loads of people
coming in for advice on squatting, to read some of the info, watch a
film or just sit and drink tea.”
- Also in Leeds offices of Angel Group were attacked - slogans
painted, and locks glued. 12 company vehicles damaged with paint
stripper, spray paint, and had their tyres slashed. The group make
their money by providing poor quality housing for asylum seekers,
profitting from vulnerable people and racist asylum laws. This
company were targetted as part of the days of action in support of
squats and autonomous spaces because housing is a right, not a means
to make profit.
Bristol
-------
- A vacant city center building, the Little Theatre in Colston Street,
was occupied by homeless Bristolians as part of a co-ordinated day
of action round the world.
Birmingham
----------
- A temporary autonomous zone was established in Digbeth, Brimingham
and became the venue of three days of workshops, talks and
discussion on diverse themes: from the struggles of the indigenous
peoples of Mexico, to the Disability Rights Movement in the UK; from
12v power workshops, to ’seed bombs’ and guerilla gardening; from
public sector workplace organizing, to bicycle repair. Hot food was
served each day with music in the evening and spontaeous sculpture
and painting popping up around the building throughout.
Manchester
----------
- Manchester Space Invaders were really busy, months ago using the
Archways squat as a hub for plotting towards the days of action
intending to use it as the central venue but it was evicted before
the weekend. Instead a spacious new squat in Hulme became the venue
used for the weekend and Jackson’s Wharf pub was also squatted by a
hundred people after a ‘free spaces’ protest in the city center on
Saturday. It was turned into a drinking den again for a couple of
hours but then abandoned. The big finale was supposed to be the
large warehouse party in Ancoats but while 500 people made it in
before 1am a large-scale police operation prevented 300 more from
entering and the whole thing was shut down by 2am.
Reading
-------
- A community garden was reopened, many people came through during the
day, local neighbors expressed their support, there was a barbeque
and a concert.
---------------
F I N L A N D
---------------
Helsinki
--------
- (11th) In Helsinki around 150 people demonstrated for free spaces,
and headed to house squatted on Sunday in Töölö district.
- (12th) GhettoExperience08 a two day seminar with discussions from
city space and feminism to nuclear power, internet piracy and
planning of future actions was announced.
Tampere
-------
- (12th) 250 people gathered for a Street Party in Tampere and
squatted an old wooden house. In the evening, there was a house
meeting and a party.
- (13th) House meeting and movies.
Turku
-----
- (11th) Jokikatu, a new social center was squatted and a Free Culture
Festival was held during the weekend. There was a puppet theatre,
punk concerts, painting, writing workshops, movie screening and
cooking. The city agreed to let the collective use the house.
-------------
F R A N C E
-------------
Dijon
-----
- (11th) In Dijon, France, a group of some 80 people gathered in front
of the Préfecture (local representation of the state), blocked the
road with banners (”Solidarity with illegal immigrants” & “Free Ivan
& Bruno now!”) and filled the street with smoke-bombs, in solidarity
with two activists, Ivan & Bruno, who are waiting for their trial in
jail, accused of “terrorism” after being caught with smoke-bombs, on
their way to an illegal immigrants’ solidarity march. After an hour
of successful road-blockade and chanting slogans, demonstrators
left. The police stood near throughout the action with a few vans,
but didn’t make any move.
- (12th) A temporary autonomous zone was set in the city center at
2pm, with a free zone, an infoshop with tons of leaflets and
fanzines, music, vegan food, a billboard subversion workshop, and a
photo exhibition on squats and social movements. A hundred people
gathered to demonstrate in the streets, carrying banners against the
eviction of the Mat-Noir squat, and in defense of autonomous spaces
around the globe. Smoke-bombs were lit as pro-squat graffitis were
being sprayed, slogans were being chanted, posters were being glued
and advertisements were being sabotaged. The demonstration ended
with the re-squatting of the Toboggan, a former squat that was
evicted by the city council a year ago, and left empty since then.
- (12th-13th) Re-squatting: as some people had climbed up the roof,
the police couldn’t do much. The garden was invaded and the walled
doors collectively destroyed with sledgehammers to open the way.
This action was aimed at show publicly the lies of the city council
representatives, who had claimed a year ago urgent projects on the
house and are now using the same kind of lies on a newly opened
political squat “le Mât Noir”. On Saturday and Sunday, gigs, DIY
pizzas and movies were proposed inside the “Toboggan 2″ and its
great sunny garden. On Sunday evening a group of people from Dijon
and other towns decided to stay in the house to live in and to
organize regular activities. Le Toboggan and le Mât Noir are
presently threatened with eviction and are calling for people to
join them to build a collective resistance on both places.
Romans sur Isère
----------------
- In Romans an action was organized by a group of people from “Le
Mouton”, a squat evicted a year ago and then retaken, more or less
in agreement with the owner. People from Le Mouton, infamous for
their massive “eat as much as you can-pizza parties”, organized a
“Fondue Belge” : they cooked a big pot of mashed potatoes on one
side, tons of french fries on the other, masked themselves with
balaclavas and ate the fries covered with mashed potatoes as in the
traditional cheese fondue.
Cévennes
--------
- (13th) Around 40 people occupied a piece of land in the village of
La Borie, to create a potato field and a collective garden. After a
day of work, the ground was ready to be used and people decided to
meet weekly for gardening sessions. Let’s also say, even if this
second event didn’t coincide on purpose with April2008, that on
Friday the 11th, a public demonstration was organized at the front
Florac’s justice court for the Trial of the Squat Del’ Pronc, a farm
occupied by peasants since April 2007 with various agricultural and
artisanal activities aiming at material autonomy, but also public
events, debates and screenings. That morning around 50 people
invaded the justice court and created so much noise that they made
it impossible for the judge to fulfill his duty. In the end, he had
to report the trial for the next month. Outside the court, some
clowns then proposed a satirical trial, before a noise demonstration
leading to the door of the State office.
Lyon
----
- (13th) Some squatters called for a block party at the front of an
evicted squat “Le Kawa”. In 2007, Le Kawa had been used during a few
months as a house, but also as a daily open internet center, cafe,
cine-club and free shop used by people from the neighbourhood,
activists and migrants. On Sunday the 13th around 60 people gathered
to share food and talks at the front of the still empty squat on the
roof which two banners, one saying “We are everywhere” had been
hanged from. The debates focused on the issue of the solidarity with
Roma people and projects of new squats openings. Indeed, 72 Roms,
including a lot of young kids had been evicted from a squatted
building two weeks before, after a small fire. The various families
had therefore been welcomed temporarily in various political squats
in Villeurbanne, which increased the police and institutional
pressure on some of these spaces. Linked or not, one of them “Le
Boulon”, opened three years ago, was simultaneously threatened with
trial and eviction. In the weeks before and after April2008, a few
new squats have been opened to rehouse the Roma people.
Montpellier
-----------
- (13th) On Sunday the 13th, a night street party was organized, with
music and discussions about free spaces and to reclaim the public
space, through the (re)-occupation of Candolle plaza, place used by
all kind of young, precarious, homeless or rebellious people to
gather, create and party. It became a symbolic place for the fight
against the gentrification of the city during the winter 2007, as
Montpellier’s city council decided to forbid gatherings there and to
install a camera. During months there were regular fights with the
police, barricades established and illegal parties to keep the
place.
Toulouse
--------
- In Toulouse, people have been opening a huge squat, the “Brasil”,
9000 square meters in an old factory called MAP, in the middle of a
business area. Activities have started there. They also organized a
free zone in the town center.
Poitiers
--------
- A new squat, La Chienlit, was opened during the action days, and it
is ready to house new projects, e.g. a free shop, infoshop,
workshops, concerts, exhibitions and other activities. They want to
work on self-sufficient alternatives for electricity, rain water
collecting and grow their own food. The activists were intimidated
by the police, who came more than three times, one squatter was
injured.
St-Étienne
----------
- Squatters from St-Etienne decided to contribute to the action days
by broadcasting a radio program about the history and current
situation of the squatting movement in their city, covering squats
such as “Izmir” and “Rochetaillée”, as well as “La Poulaille” and
“Le Frigo”, mostly through interviews. It can be downloaded from
http://punkerzz.free.fr/numero_zero/
---------------
G E R M A N Y
---------------
Buchholz
--------
- (4th and 5th) Small autonomous camp in the municipal park with the
motto ,,Freiraum Manie Fest” on the 4th and 5th of April. It was an
experiment to show that this kind of camp can be done between police
stations and Public Order Office.
Hamburg
-------
- (4th) The weekend kicked off on Friday with an info-presentation
about gentrification in St.Pauli and surrounding quarters. About 300
people of all ages and and backgrounds came to listen about the
consequences of and the resistance against gentrification.
- (5th) A street party with free food, concerts and informations about
“how to squat St.Pauli and Wilhelmsburg” took place at the
Hafenstrasse on Saturday. Later on, a punk rave joined the party and
and in the evening, a crowd with a mobile soundsystem moved
spontaneously to a nearby quarter and made noise between noble
hotels and multistory buildings until the police came.
- (12th) Students mounted a banner on the west-wing of the main
building at the University in Hamburg to declare solidarity and
oncoming actions against closing of the self-organized “Philosophen
Café”.
- (12th) The group “for an autonomous youth center” spread flyer with
the demand for a youth center in the district of Hamburg-Altona.
Flyers were distributed to almost all corners of Altona.
Freiburg
--------
- (10th)The actions dayz started with pizza at the trailer park “der
Schattenparker”
- (11th) VoKü and screening of “Freiburg - Polizeiburg” and a benefit
concert for the action day afterwards.
- (12th) A Bike-Freespace-Rally ( Reclaim Freiburg 2) started with 15
people at about 1pm. After three hours of decentralized actions and
putting up banners on empty houses, about 100 made a spontaneous
demonstration through the city center to block the main square “just
as if”. After speeches about the Action Days and local shit-politix,
the crowd went further on, towards the Augustinerplatz. There, a new
street party happened and the different groups could play the LPs
they where carrying throughout the rally. They all won a dance, to
different styles of music…
- (13th) On Sunday, people organized an open Day in KTS with lots of
Workshops (Samba, Screen-printing, Dancing, Filming, Technix…),
Infos, Films…
Berlin
------
- (march) The Köpi gained an extension of their rental agreement for
30 more years. The cancellation of the old contracts has been
withdrawn. However, the situation of the trailer park is still
unclear due to non existence of a long-term contract and other
projects such as Der Schwarze Kanal, Rigaer 94, XB-Liebig and Liebig
14 are still under threat.
- (8th) Several militant actions took place in this night to protest
against the “valorization-process” of the neighbourhood: color
beautification and window smashing at estate agency “Prenzlauer
Gärten Immobilien”,”German Architectural Center” and at a Sparkasse
Bank and several luxury cars have been burned down. A big event for
publicizing the Media Spree project (revaluation of the area around
the river between Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain, where many luxury
complexes and offices of important companies have/are being built)
was cancelled after the various direct actions in “fear of possible
tumult” (as the organizers said in their press release).
- (11th) Pirate radio “squatted” the airwaves at 95.2 FM, broadcasting
local information and international streams.
- (11th) 30 people protested towards the home of the caretaker of the
Rigaerstrasse 94 building, Olive Rohn, beautifying his house and
garden.
- (11th) In the night activists dropped a banner at a house in
Neukölln to show their will to prevent the neighborhood from
becoming another yuppie area.
- (11th) In the night a construction-machine went up in flames in the
Dresdenerstr., Kreuzberg. It was involved in the building of luxury
apartments.
- (12th) A street party was hold at Rigaer/Liebig. The crossing was
occupied for several hours in support to threatened housing
projects.
- (12th) A Spontaneous radical bike ride cycled around the
Friedrichshain and Prenzlauer Berg, and blocked for some time 6 main
junctions and distributing leaflets. Flyer were distributed to
watching people to inform them about the action days and the “we
stay all” campaign of several housing projects in Berlin. About 15
cyclists made a spontaneous demonstration at the Danziger Strasse.
- (12th) The clowns army gave their two cents and soap bubbles and
created a mobile free space. The space, which was surrounded by a
yellow barrier band with the label “Attention Free Space”, moved to
a park of the nearby threatened free shop. The clowns “freed”
everything which narrow freedom in their opinion, like cars, trams
and exhaust emissions :)
Münster
-------
- (12th) Free-spaces-bicycle-rally through the city with different
stations, where participants made the surveillance-cameras visible,
painted banners, cross-dressing into a big store and more.
Cologne
-------
- (12th) A critical mass with about 40 participants and one mobile
soundsystem moved through the inner city to the ,,Reclaim the
Streets”-Party which started at the Rudolfplatz at 6pm. The party
started with 70 people and grew to around 1000(!) which totally
turned the city into a party zone for six hours. Various small
actions took place in the streets and the atmosphere was great.
Naumburg
--------
- (12th) A demonstration & Concert was supposed to be organized for a
new autonomous youth center and band rehearsal rooms.
Erfurt
------
- (10th) Misleading leaflets about a street party confused the police
and allowed 150 people to demonstrate in the city. Stopped by the
police for a sec but continued strongly.
Heidelberg
----------
- (11th) There was a nice and powerful demonstration for free spaces
and a new autonomous center with over 150 persons and 4 clowns in
spite of a lot of rain. The demo moved through the city and ended at
the Cafe Gegendruck where a peoples kitchen was organized.
- (13th) A group of 25 to 30 persons hold a Picknick at the
Bismarkplatz. Later on, everybody move to the radio ballet which was
transmitted by free radio Bermudafunk.
Marburg
-------
- (11th) At 4pm, about 40 persons gathered for an alternative
sightseeing tour which passed by at current and past self-organized
housing projects.
- (11th) At 10pm, a reclaim the streets party started with 100-120
people. The party moved to various spots in the city and ended at
the cities market place. At this time, about 150 people had a nice
time on the streets with soundsystem and fireworks.
- (12th) Breakfast, discussions and a film screening took place at
place of the trailer park which will hopefully move soon to a fixed
location.
Dresden
-------
- (11th) Banners were dropped on empty houses in Neustadt, Cotta and
the Hechtviertel. Some of them survived the heavy wind on Friday and
could be seen for a couple of days.
- (12th) A demonstration with around 300 people and soundsystems moved
through the city center and blocked the traffic. After 4 hours, the
demonstration ended in the Hechtviertel and there was also a radio
ballet for free spaces.
Mannheim
--------
- (12th) 26 cyclists met at 2 o’clock in the afternoon for a critical
mass to the street party at the harbor. Nonstop bell ringing
accompanied the critical mass until their destination. Over 200
people came to the street party at the harbor to pinpoint the
gentrification process that takes place in the neighborhood. The
party lasted only until 7 o’clock in the evening due to heavy
obligations of the city council. Until then, a flea market and
several workshops were organized, a samba band played, people made
speeches and good food was served.
Oldenburg
---------
- (12th) A Radio Ballet with 60 people took place in the commercial
center of the city.
Nürnberg
--------
- (10th) A banner that says “fighting for autonomous spaces coz the
city is ours” was mounted at the former self-organized center
“Komm”.
- (11th) The “Reclaim the Underground-Metro-Party” took place with 40
persons, carpets where put on the ground and hammocks in the air.
The crowd drove through the city for about three hours.
Castrop Rauxel
--------------
- (11th) A party-crowd moved through the cities of Castrop Rauxel,
Recklinghausen and Dortmund. Street theater was staged various times
and flyer with the title “The Capitalism and You” were distributed
to pedestrians. Leipzig
- (11th) About 30 people organized a spontaneous barbecue in front of
a house in the Alten Salzstraße, which people fight to open as a new
autonomous youth center.
- (12th) A demonstration for a new autonomous youth center went
through Leipzig Grünau. About 300 people participated and moved to
the place where the future AJZ may reside. There, the demonstration
turned into a street party with soundsystem, food and informations
about the necessity of a new AJZ. The police was afraid that the
house could be squatted and secured all entries of the building but
eventually moved away as the demonstration and street party were
officially announced in advance.
Erlangen
--------
- (11th) About 50 people gathered for a spontaneous ,,Reclaim Your
City” Party in the main station in Erlangen. It was decided to
relocate the street party into the main station due to heavy rain.
Banners were mounted, info material was distributed to pedestrians
and the station and air was further beautified with balloons,
streamers and music. Later, after the police closed the party, a
crowd of 20 people moved further through the rain to reclaim public
spaces.
Rostock
-------
- (11th) Some people occupied the children’s playground sitting on
lawn chairs. Police checked participants’ IDs and a radio ballet
took place afterwards at the Uniplatz.
Bremen
------
- (12th) About 100 activists built up a living room including sofas
and a table soccer in the middle of the cities market place.
Stuttgart
---------
- (12th) Monsterwalk through the city and street party with music,
theater and information about the squatting days on Saturday with
around 100 participants.
- (12th) People mounted the “squatter” banner at the Daimler Tower and
at the same time, about 20 people occupied the Königsstrasse and
build up a living room.
Darmstadt
---------
- (12th) About 200 people gathered spontaneously at the Friedensplatz
as a kickoff for the “campaign for a autonomous center”. The party
lasted about three hours until one o’clock in the morning.
- (12th) Further on, different small and creative actions such as
playing in front of surveillance-cameras, water-battles and theater
about police violence in the city, a walk in the city to make it
nicer and a bicycle-flash-mob took place.
Bochum
------
- (in the night of the 12th) There was a “Dance into the
freespace”-Party with around 100 persons in a temporary squatted
empty villa. The house was beautified with banners and graffiti. A
chillout lounge, a bar and peoples kitchen were arranged and the
basement was turned into a dancefloor. Later in the evening, the
police came but left soon after they made sure that nobody could
stay in the building which was actually a large deposit for all kind
of waste. Even the neighbors were interested and joined the party in
the eveneing.
Magdeburg
---------
- (12th) The office of the German political party “Die Linke” was
beautified with graffiti.
- (12th) In the afternoon, a critical mass with about 20 people and
two big banners slowed down the traffic in the streets, which was
watched by interested pedestrians and doomed by the car drivers.
- (12th) Later in the evening, two fake occupations took place where
banners were mounted to remember the city about the many houses
which are empty and unused.
Mainz
-----
- (12th) About 50 activists transformed the pedestrian zone in the
city center into a nice living room with “telepathic” writing
garage, peoples kitchen, street artists, a video tower which showed
contributions extra produced for this day, a rapper and a samba
band. A public manifestation took place before.
Dortmund
--------
- (12th) Spontaneous demo requesting the creation of free and
autonomous spaces. “Dominique” anti-repression demo at the
Freitreppen, with 200 people.
- (19th) The “Move Ya” demonstration with about 300 participants
occupied the streets of Dortmund-North. There was also a public
kitchen. The “AK Freiraum” group initiated a temporary occupation
later in the evening at an abandoned railway building where a pirate
party with 100 people took place.
Neustadt
--------
- (17th) Eviction of silent occupation. The house was silently squated
at the 11th April. The squatting action was meant to create a free
space for a anti-racist-sexists-fascist and self-determined living
for the youth in a city insensible to existing fascist nazi
structures and with little interest in left-wing antifascist
politix.
-------------
G R E E C E
-------------
Athens
------
- (11th-13th) Lelas Karayanni 37 celebrated its 20 years birthday. A
festival was held from 11th to 13th April with theater plays, a
concert, movies and discussion.
- Events in squat Prapopoulou were canceled due to a severe arson.
Heraklion
---------
- (11th-13th) Days of public activities, including a bike ride, a
demonstration, film screenings, concerts, and discussions.
Thessaloniki
------------
- (11th-12th) Radio coverage of the april2008 events and discussions
about the squat movement by the autonomous pirate radio 1431AM.
-------------------------------
T H E N E T H E R L A N D S
-------------------------------
Amsterdam
---------
- (5th) A demonstration in support of autonomous spaces and squats
took place in Amsterdam, announcing the April2008 action days. Some
200 people took part, together with sound-systems, street theatre,
and speeches.
- (11th) On April the 11th the Tekenschool (part of the Rijksmuseum
Amsterdam) was squatted by the April 2008 Coordination Group. The
building was used for socials and workshops, hacklab and as a base
for Indymedia NL. It was also the meet-up points for the Reclaim the
Streets action.
- (11th) The Blijvertje in the Oosterpark neighborhood organized a
neighborhood street lunch.
- (12th) In Amsterdam there was a Reclaim the Streets party with some
300 people. The atmosphere was great, not much trouble except one
arrest. After 4 hours it arrived back at the Rijksmuseum, standing
in the little street in front of the building, listening to bands
and speeches.
- (12th) The recently squated Art-Galerie Schijnheilig hold an open
day and people reclaimed free spaces with drawings on the streets.
- (13th) More workshops took place in the Rijksmuseum and the building
was left in the evening.
- (14th) A demonstration under the moto “Slim Blijven”took place at
the neighborhood office for the preservation of the Blijvertje and
against the demolition of social housing apartments.
Nijmegen
--------
- (11th) During the days of action, the old postal building (TPG
Gebouw) on the station square was squatted. A free shop, space for
initiatives shall be provided and living space shall be created
there.
- (23th) Vrijplaats “de Lastpost” (old TPG building) continues at
least until 7th of may. Then there is a hearing at the court.
Rotterdam
---------
- (12th) In Rotterdam a bicycle tour showed that squatting is a part
of the culture of a city. People cycled through the areas of ‘het
oude noorden’ (the old north), ‘crooswijk’, ‘kralingen’, Center and
‘kop van zuid’ (head of south) and in almost every street they
passed a squat, an ex squat or a hole where first a squat was.
Teuge & Deventer
----------------
- (12th and 13th) An open weekend was organized at the former Q8
terrain in Deventer. The weekend was used to inform about
alternative ecologic living.
Utrecht
-------
- (12th) Several squats and ex-squats opened their doors for
information distribution, workshops and movie screenings. People
could visit the Tivoli, a well known mainstream concert venue which
started as a squat, the Ubica, one of Utrecht’s oldest squats, the
ACU, a legalised cultural center and the Flying Puppy.
- (13th) A part of the new building complex “Dichtershof” was squatted
by the group “Pand X”. The building will be used, among others, for
a free shop and will provide free internet work places.
---------------
H U N G A R Y
---------------
Budapest
--------
- A house was occupied in Budapest, but the collective was very small
and didn’t manage to keep the house. A banner was dropped out of the
window, it said: Autonomous Space for Budapest!
---------------
I R E L A N D
---------------
Dublin
------
- The Seomra Spraoi collective organized a weekend-long gathering in
Dublin to discuss and inform about practical issues associated to
running a social center, viewing social centers as a political
project and how to further develop social centers in Ireland in the
future.
- (11th) On Friday, the weekend was supposed to kick off with
presentations of various social centers in Europe, a peoples kitchen
and movie screenings with thematic cinema.
- (12th) Three discussion session were supposed to be held to exchange
informations and experience in creating social centers and their
meanings in different contexts.
- (13th) A fun and kid friendly picnic marking the privatisation of
public space.
-------------
I S R A E L
-------------
Jerusalem
---------
- (11th) In Jerusalem, a banner was hanged over a massive bridge being
constructed in the entrance of the city, saying “Free Space for Free
People!”. Later that day, a street party took place inside a
pedestrian tunnel in a park. Party was joined by radical activists
from Tel Aviv.
-----------
I T A L Y
-----------
Bergamo
-------
- (12th-13th) Seeds of resistance sewing was announced with two days
wandering in search of green urban spaces against concrete.
Cesena
------
- (12th) The birthday party of Al Confino squat, 8 years of
self-employment and in full freedom.
Firenze
-------
- (13th) Initiative against election in the street, solidarity with
occupations.
Milano
------
- (12th) At 15.00, an abandoned building in Milano was squatted for a
temporary autonomous zone. The initiative was made to denounce the
lack of space of aggregation in Milan. In particular, as students,
people also denounced the lack of living spaces and prohibitive
prices of the houses. Writing, techno and d’n'b party.
- (13th) Breakfast and an assembly were organized.
Roma
----
- (11th-12th) A free party open to all performers, artists, and free
people was announced. And a squatting action was planned.
Dell’Ateneo Squat was to celebrate its birthday with concerts and
initiatives. A week against elections with posters in solidarity
with the occupation.
Torino
------
- (12th) On the pre-election-day to renew the national government, a
block of squatters, masked as politicians, brought 400 pounds of
concrete wall and brix ruins of a former evicted squat in the front
of the entrance of the Turin city hall. During the action some
flyers were distributed, and a flag saying: “Chi vota paga e i danni
sono suoi” (The more you vote, the more you pay-and the ruins are
yours) was attached. The group got back quietly and no one was
stopped.
-------------------
L I T H U A N I A
-------------------
Vilnius
-------
- (11th) An occupied summerhouse had a photo exhibition, with free tea
and sweets, discussion and spontaneous stencil workshop.
- (12th) A temporary autonomous zone was created in an open air space.
Infoshop distributed zines, a library with alternative books was
established, there were speeches, FnB, performances and a concert.
- (13th) Movie night was held in XI20 diy space.
Alytus
------
- (11th) A demonstration was organized through the city along several
empty buildings. See more a the photo-reportage.
- (12th) A street-squat concert was organized. See more a the
photo-reportage.
Kaunas
------
- (11th) The youth center “Vartai” opened the photo exhibition
“squats/autonomous spaces/culture of resistance”. One could also
join interactive discussion, taste tea and sweets. In the evening,
streets are becoming play yards with fire jugglers, music and games.
- (12th) Film screenings were hold in “Vartai”.
------------------------
N E W Z E A L A N D
------------------------
Wellington
----------
- (12th) A Reclaim the Streets party took place in Wellington, after a
protest against the Labour Party conference, around 30 people
marched through town to Upper Abel Smith Street where a group of
people was already setting up for the street party, outside 128 Abel
Smith Street, a radical social center, raided 6 months ago. Banners
and flags were put on the center. The police showed up very early
and the fire brigade came to deal with one of the fires. Noise
control found the party to be a problem and some stuff got
confiscated. But the party was a big success, with DJs, bands, belly
dancers and many people!
-------------
N O R W A Y
-------------
Oslo
----
- (12th) An anti-gay demonstration was interrupted with noise, dance
and love. Later a Reclaim the Streets party was held in front of the
city hall with barbeque, beer and music. A new Opera-house was
opened, and concerts were organized in the the squat Brakkebygrenda,
that is under threat of eviction.
-------------
P O L A N D
-------------
Poznan
------
- (19th) A week after the international days of action in defense of
squats and autonomous spaces, a demo under the same slogans took
place in Poznan, Poland. At the Old Market Square there were samba
drummers, Food not Bombs, fireshow, tallbike wars, speeches about
squats and autonomous spaces, soundsystem and screening of videos
from European squats’ evictions & slideshow about Rozbrat and
squatting in general.
-----------------
P O R T U G A L
-----------------
Porto
-----
- (11th) People hold a dinner to discuss the actions for the weekend
and a banner with the slogan “We are here to say that the occupation
and liberation of spaces will be one of the principal strategies in
the fight for an equitable world” was mounted soon in the evening at
the CasaViva as kick off in the action weekend.
- (11th) The zine Fankupa was published and distributed over the
weekend.
- (12th) The day started with drawings on the street to create a
bicycle parking space for the University Journal in front of their
doors. The city council refused to give permission for a legal
parking space, thus people did it by themselves.
- (12th) Later on, the public park “Jardim das Virtudes” which was
abandonded and closed for the public, was taken back and new
paintings has been made.
- (12th) A film screening took place in the evening to inform the
people about the recent fight of CasaViva for the preservation of
the public market of Bolhão.
- (13th) Breakfast was held in another closed area of the park “Jardim
do Marquês”. This space was transformed into a living room with
sofas, book, games, cancas, etc, in the course of the day. People
that past by by incident were surprised but understood the reason of
the protest.
- (13th) A conversation and plenum was supposed to be held with the
movement of homeless people, o MASA, which are staying at the “Praca
de Lisboa” but due to missunderstandings, the meeting had to be
postponed.
- (13th) The banner that was mounted on Friday was finally removed.
-------------
R U S S I A
-------------
Moscow
------
- A movie program and a discussion were held in Moscow. A Robert Hack
and Jakob Proyer independent documentary on squatting “Table, Bed,
Chair” was shown. Then the participants gave one another the benefit
of their squatting experience and told of previously existing squats
in Saint Petersburg and Moscow. The current state of things as well
as the possibility to organize a legitimate social center in Moscow
were also talked over.
---------------------------
S P A N I S H S T A T E
---------------------------
Madrid
------
- (12th) Discussions were organized with topics on society, direct
action and occupations, and there were other activities as cooking,
thaibox and jiu-jitsu shows, movie on La Traba center and fiesta in
the night.
- (13th) Debate forum took place in La Traba, topics: The struggle and
the change of the meaning of social centers and social centers as
places of debate, reflection, counterculture, self organization,
anti-fascism, anti-patriarchy and anti-capitalistic political
actions in general.
-------------
S W E D E N
-------------
Gothenburg
----------
- (12th) An abandonned floating restaurant was squatted by 50 pirates
for 24 hours. Banner was hanged out and three floors above the sea
level were cleaned up, different rooms/spaces were established.
Cooking, soccer and fun on the roof.
Umeå
----
- (11th) Tullkammaren, a house in the city center was squatted as a
protest against the normalization processes in Sweden and elsewhere.
Barricades were built and banners displayed, the action held by some
30 activists. A press release was sent out, later, police,
journalists and supporters arrived, but this was a temporary
occupation, people left around 11pm, four of them were subject to
identification. Situation about possible charges in the future is
unclear.
-----------------------
S W I T Z E R L A N D
-----------------------
Bremgarten
----------
- (12th) Two banners were dropped at a busy street and a fake
occupation took place at an empty house.
Basel
-----
- (11th) An empty house was squatted at the Vogesenstrasse 100 in the
morning. An info-cafe was supposed to be opened but the police
arrived quickly and evicted the place 2 hours later. 15 people got
arrested and may get sued by the owner of the building.
Luzern
------
- (12th) A massive free festival with 800 to 1000 people took place in
the basement of the old Unions Printing Press. The festival was
organized by “Aktion Freiraum”.
Thun
----
- (11th) The group “Aktion Hausgeist” organized a free party to call
attention for the need of an autonomous center in Thun. The party
took place in a former shelter for asylum seekers close to the
central station. Banners were mounted, the atmosphere was good but
the represantive of the city coucil, who arrive later, didnt
understand the purpose of this action and forced the people to leave
earlier as planned.
Bern
----
- (11th) A peoples kitchen was organized at the Waisenhausplatz in the
afternoon. Esse wer wolle…
Winterthur
----------
- (12th) An unannounced bicylcle demonstration with 40 participants
and nice fireworxs was distorted by the cops who used pepper spray
and beat the activists from the streets.
Aarau
-----
- Eight banners were mounted in the city as a response of the
prohibition of a free festival which should have taken place on the
4th of April. The festival took place in the city of Wöschnau
instead.
Wöschnau
--------
- (4th) The free festival which was supposed to take place in Aarau
but has been prohibited there, just moved on to Wöschnau where 80
people celebrated with punx bands from Austria and Germany.
-----------------------------------
T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S
-----------------------------------
Baltimore
---------
- (13th) Baltimore Anarchists created an autonomous space under a
parachute.
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