april2008

***PLEASE FWD WIDELY***Opening the Doors to autonomy: 

Worried about the credit crisis, rising rents, food prices and mortgage repayments? Ever wondered about DIY alternatives this mayhem?On the 29th of November Bristol Space Invaders present a day of workshops, activities and artwork on urban survival – credit crunching strategies for getting through hard times - from the legalities and practicalities of squatting and resisting repossession/eviction, to urban foraging, radical recycling, a bike workshop, Tai-Chi & self defence, screenprinting and DIY wireless internet and much more - this will be a day of sharing skills and building the networks to not only survive the current economic crisis but to begin to collectively shape what may replace it. Food and kids area will be provided. Come along, learn and share skills.- We’ve tried leaving it to the experts and ‘authorities’ - it didnt work - its time to rescue ourselves.Event Details:Where: The Red Factory, Cave Street, St Pauls. (Just off Portland Square)When: Saturday the 29th of November 2008, 11am - 6pmCost: Free Children Welcome.

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***More Detailed Version***

Opening the Doors to autonomy: 

On the 29th of November Bristol Space Invaders will be holding a day long event of art, activities and workshops aimed at creating DIY solutions to the problems facing many of us as the economic crisis begins to bite.Our group formed in April 2008 in response to an international call-out for actions in defence of squats and autonomous spaces and held an event on Colston Street, Bristol in a disused building in which we installed art, info, ran workshops and put on caberet and live music for the evenings entertainment. This was tied in with a carnival parade through Stokes Croft and St Pauls against gentrification and colosure of clubs in this area.This time we want to share the practical know-how on to reclaim the city and begin to live outside of the economic exchange - we have put on art and music before and done it well but we’re less interested in providing another experience to come and consume  - instead we aim to provide the tools to participate.Our next event entitled “Opening the Doors to Autonomy” will include workshops on the legality and practicalities of squatting and resisting repossession/eviction, gentrification, urban foraging/skipping, radical recycling, a bike workshop, Tai-Chi & self defence, screenprinting and DIY wireless internet among other activities yet to be confirmed. Food, films and a kids space will also be provided. The event is free.Where?: The Red Factory, Cave Street, St Pauls. (Just off Portland Square)When?: Saturday the 29th of November 2008, 11am - 6pmCost?: Free Children Welcome.

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and finally…

WHO ARE BRISTOL SPACE INVADERS?

We are a diverse bunch of enraged creatives, DIY tinkers and thinkers, dreamers and schemers drawn together by common threads but mostly by our indignation at the impending grip of corporate expansion on our city.  By that we mean the privatization of social space (aka if you havnt paid you can get out!), the plague of yuppy flats and identikit supermarkets, the marriage of local council to business interests and the rising rents and house prices that come as a result of all this and make our own neighbourhoods sterile, boring and out of reach for all but a privileged elite.We are aware of the social division in our city and refuse to be evicted or deported from the centre because we do not fit a certain income bracket or pertain to the correct market segment. And we recognize that the changes we see in Bristol are part of global processes but that does not mean we are powerless to resist them – because we too form part a global process.

SO WHAT?

Rather than hold a protest to ask others to change things for us, we believe in the confrontational reclaiming of social space – taking spaces back with our hands rather than lobbying, paying or praying for others to do it for us… we are creative and work as a collective be it making art, taking housing, holding workshops, discussions, talks, films, food/swap-shops, music, info-stalls, performances & open mic nights to name but the tips of icebergs. We are non hierarchical – we don’t follow leaders – and make decisions, openly and as a group, we reject prejudice and racism in all its forms. If any of that strikes a chord with you – or simply sounds like fun - join us We welcome your input, criticism, ideas, apprehensions and vision. Meetings 7.30pm Thursdays - The Red Factory, Cave Street, St Pauls.

ORGANIZE YOUR RAGE - CREATE YOUR REALITY

This morning at 7am, 40 high court bailiffs have evicted the Bowl Court
squat in Shoreditch. It is located in Bowl Court which is up Plough Court
next to the junction of Great Eastern Street and Shoreditch High Street.
Please come around - help needed urgently !

Website:
http://bowlcourt.wordpress.com/

BSI on youtube; a little taster of the weekend’s events:

Bristol Space Invasion Film

More detailed, belated, report to follow!

In the evening a former Methodist church was used for showing documentaries about squatting. Despite being let in to show them that a sound system was not being set up the police stayed outside the building letting people out but not in.

88 London Road Squat: We are a collective of people who have occupied this former church building. As well as making it our home we intend to build a positive, comfortable social space that is independent and self managed where people can be creative, share information and resources and build a stronger, informed and more connected community. We first squatted this church to show documentaries about squatting for the international days of action for autonomous spaces and squats (11th - 12th April 2008) now we have sorted out the space a bit more, and made it liveable we intend to share the building with the community, holding occasional free cafes, cinema evenings, open mic, arts workshops and events activism workshops, etc.

88londonroad[at]live.co.uk

In the previous article on action in Brighton, you can read a brief information about the action day and find links to some videos.

Prior to the action weekend, we had contacted the city with a letter
asking them to give us a vacant lot for common use without any
conditions. While being aware that the purpose of participatory planning
is to domesticate and channel spontaneous grassroots action into
institutional forms, we also had delegates in the participatory city
planning process for the traditionally working-class district of
Pispala. As could have been expected, this didn’t yield any results, and
so we took to the streets.

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Unfortunately that was nothing interesting here. There was a free movie projection + discussion on themes of the squatting and precarity but it was total failure because just a few people involved. There were in total less than 10 people at the screening and absolute failure. There were no people involved in squatting, zines, etc. maybe because it was just a week after the anti-nato days in Romania. So the people here didn’t have interest for the days of squats and autonomous spaces.

*Better late then never..* - This the summary from the ‘April2008′ -
international days of action from Denmark!

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Beside some public events, several militant actions took place during the week of the actions days for European autonomous spaces in Berlin. Here is the translation of two communiques revindicating some of the actions, both to be found in the Interim (Berlin’s autonomous underground bi-weekly newspaper).
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On Saturday 26th April, anarchists organized a rally in the center of Katowice with Food not Bombs, handing out leaflets talking about anti-capitalist alternative culture.

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Some videos from the Reclaim the Streets party which took place at the 13th of April in Barcelona, are available on utube

• Reclaim the Streets 1
• Reclaim the Streets 2

How Porto responded at the call for actions from Squat.net

“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.” This banner appeared at the facade of the CasaViva shortly after midnight at the 11th of April and just before we met to gather energy for the weekend for support of occupied and autonomous spaces and after we had dinner where we discussed what we had to do in response to the call of the squat.net network. (Call of CasaViva)

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The actions dayz started with a manifestation for free spaces and the preservation of the trailer park in Vienna. Several occupants talk about the current situation of the trailer park.

• Trailer Park Demonstration // 3:26 Min
• Video overview at kanalb.at

The trailer park is under threat due to ridiculous requests made by the department of building regulations.

(orginal posted at indymedia-germany)

Russia, Moscow

A movie program and a discussion were held in Moscow within the framework of decentralized days for protection of Squats and autonomous areas.

A Robert Hack and Jakob Proyer independent documentary of 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.

SPACE INVADED! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED…..IT WAS ACE!

A Summary of the events in Manchester around Squat Manchester 12 April. Including the film night, the banner drops, the new squatted social centre, the family fun day, the No Borders March, the occupation of Jacksons Wharf the busted ‘free’ party and more!!
SPACE INVADED!
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED…..IT WAS ACE!

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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.

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Another video from the Amsterdam Reclaim the Streets party which took place on Saturday the 12th of April

• watch the video on yxxtxxe

A report written collaboratively by the FreeSpaceBrum collective, supporters and participants of the last weekend’s social centre in Digbeth.

An abandoned warehouse on Warwick St. in Digbeth was 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 organising, 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.

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On April 15, L.Karagianni 37 squat became 20 years old. The squat’s birthday was
celebrated in a 3days festival, with theatre plays, a concert, video documentary
from the history of the squat and discussion, on April 11,12 and 13. The festival
was also organized as part of the international days of dcentralised action for
squats and autonomous spaces. It was realized with the contribution of other
squatters, friends and comrades and many people from Athens and other cities

participated. There were three days full of strong and beautiful moments of

comradeship. We continue… SOLIDARITY IS OUR WEAPON!

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The Autonomous Culture Center Jokikatu is alive and active! The house was squatted 11.4. During the first weekend hundreds of people visited at the Free Culture Festival, which was organized in Jokikatu. All kinds of culture happenings have taken place at the house, from puppet theatre to punk-gigs. Painting, writing, free movies and food also… Surprisingly the city has agreed to let us use the house and we are very happy about it.

Website (photos, videos)

Last Saturday evening, up to 200 squatters and supporters followed our call for an unauthorised demonstration in the city centre. We were accompanied by a samba band (Rhythms of Resistance) and two soundsystems mounted on bike trailers. With the cops not bothering to show up, we marched undisturbed from Victoria Station into the Northern Quarter, along Market Street and Kings Street, through Spinningfields into Castlefields.

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A big thank you to everyone who helped out or just popped in over the weekend!

The Audacious space was a great success in every way. Ironically while there are many people sleeping on the streets and while hundreds of people in desperate need of a home are forced to bid on just a handful of council houses every week Leeds City Council left their old housing advice office empty and unused. The building was occupied as part of the international weekend of action in celebration and defence of squats and autonomous free spaces. We put the formerly empty building to good use by providing free tea and coffee, delicious vegan food and skipped treats, a free shop, kids area, acoustic jamming sessions and loads of information. There was a free cinema screening radical films about relevant issues throughout the two days, ending in a packed out room watching the highly anticipated ‘On The Verge’.

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Friday, April 11

In Vienna some 300 people took part on a demonstration, afterwards a party started on a squatted areal: Report from Friday demonstration and squatting party (en) (de) | Fotos from Demonstration

In Graz a building in Annenstraße 3 was squatted on Friday evening. On Saturday a street party and workshops are planned there.

In Innsbruck some 150 people squatted a building and started a party. They demand more autonomous spaces. Report from Innsbruck (de)

Demonstration for autonomous spaces in Vienna, Friday, April 11, 2008.

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We dropped a banner that says: Autonomous Space for Budapest!

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Sweden is one of the richest and most controlled countries in Europe and it doesn’t exist any official squats. But, the need for autonomous spaces is as big as everywhere else and the activist scene in at least two cities have organized time-limited squattings during the weekend.

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Decentralised days of action for squats and autonomous spaces in Minsk, Belarus

11 April 2008 an open air party took place on a grass beach in one of the central parks of Minsk (without permission, off course). The weather was fine fortunately, only in the end a small thunder lightened the evening. A “squatters house” was made from cardboard boxes as a central symbol of the party; a small foto exhibition on the topic of houses, a distro space and a freebox were installed nearby. A zine about squatting was prepared and presented to the guests. Frankly speaking, they were much more than expected.

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On Saturday evening, up to 200 squatters and No Borders activists held an
unauthorised demonstration in the city centre. Accompanied by a samba band and two soundsystems mounted on bike trailers, they marched from Victoria Station into the Northern Quarter, along Market Street and Kings Street, through Spinningfields into Castlefield.

The event, called by the group Manchester No Borders, called for the defence of squatted spaces and the freedom of movement for all. Karen Elliot, a spokesperson for the group, said: “Squats and autonomous spaces face a hard time from the authorities. Yet, for many people, especially some migrant communities, they are the only alternative to homelessness.”

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As part of days of action for squats and autonomous space a squatters estate agents was been set up in a newly opened squat in the centre of London. It consisted of display of eighteen empty properties ranging from abandoned houses and flats, to empty pubs, shops and even government buildings. Some would suit small residential squats and others grand large scale housing communities, squat cafes, freeshops or social centres. Along with photos of each property, details were given about their location, history and suitability for squatting.

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Gipfelsoli held a presentation during the autonomous squat days about the European security architecture: recent changes & possible actions.

A general overview was given about new European treaties and control institutions and extended responsibilities for existing ones. Also the growing sector of police technologies and advice agencies for “security during major events” was highlighted.

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Coinciding with the Europe-wide days of action in defence of free spaces a new squatted social centre was opened in Shoreditch and a series of events took place in autonomous spaces around London starting on Friday evening with a social meetup and info night at the rampART and acoustic bands and performances at the NOID gallery. On saturday, the newly opened social centre opened it’s doors with an art-exhibition, free shop, films and a squatters estate agency. On saturday there was also a demo outside a homeless hostel in Hackney. In the evening around 300 ppeople turned up a the Hackney Social Centre for a gig raising money for the Advisory Service for Squatters and another benefit took place at the Wominspace. On the Mall, there was a banner drop from squatted crown property.

After the Space Is The Place and other contributions to the call out for decentralised actions in support of squats and autonomous spaces, what next?

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Here there are some shots we took on Sunday afternoon at the new social centre that was squatted in Shoreditch (London) to coincide with the Global Days of Action for Squats and Autonomous Spaces.

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Common Ground Community Garden
Over the last two weeks local activists have been busy quietly tidying up the garden, building new furniture and fixing a new lock on the gate ready for re-opening. However, a few days ago, RBC changed the locks and re-secured the gate with barricades. No worries though…

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In Vilnius on Friday the summerhouse was squatted and it opened it’s doors with photography exhibition, free tea and sweets, discussion and spontaneous stencil making/spraying. No police and good atmosphere.
On Saturday was created a temporary autonomous zone in open air space near ex-cinema “lietuva” with zines infoshop, alternative publishing “kitos knygos” books reading library, food not bombs, performances, concert. Also some speeches were made.
On sunday movies screenings were made in XI20 diy space.

Photos from actions in Lithuania:

Few photos and a report in Lithuanian from Vilnius

More photos from Vilnius

More from Vilnius

Photos from Kaunas

Photos from Alytus

19:00 Around 200 people gathered in Plza de la Virreina, Gracia, Barcelona to walk through the neighbourhood - flyposting 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 graffitti. The demo passed by the bricked up shells of many evicted social centres in the neighbourhood, decorating them with graffitti and posters explaining the history behind the now lifeless buildings.

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Sunday April 13th around 5:00 pm Baltimore Anarchists created an autonomous space under a parachute.

In Solidarity with squats and autonomous spaces around the world and the fight to live the lives we choose. For spaces free of commodities! For self-organization and the right to live free from oppression, hierarchy and authority! Make space for what you love!
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These are pictures of the banner dropping action on 11 april in Barcelona, banners were put up on 12 recently evicted squats….

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Brutal eviction of Squat in Vienna (Spitalgasse 11)

During the international action days for squats and autonomous spaces many activities took place in Vienna. After a powerful demonstration on Friday demanding free and autonomous spaces, followed by squatting a new place for the Viennese “Wagenburg”, the second day started with a “Bim Party” during which several tramways were occupied. In the evening dozens of people met to discuss queer-feminist aspects of squatting and their practical implications.

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During the night from April 12 to April 13, 2008 we have squatted the house Spitalgasse 11 in Vienna. The global Days of Action for Squats and Autonomous Spaces have motivated us to do so - but not solely: In Vienna the current situation regarding free and open spaces speaks unbearable volumes. Overpriced rental fees make life for most people a daily struggle, at the same time numerous houses in Vienna are empty.

It is the well known capitalist game about increasing market values. Not only that space becomes a commodity, at the same time those standards of exploitation are valid for humans themselves, too. If you don’t want to join this game any more you find yourself maladjusted at the very edge of public life. Many of those who are not considered as part of the national “we” are pre-excluded from occupying spaces or even deported.

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In Freiburg, four Days of Infos and Action took place. On Thursday we had a rainy Wagenburg-Bar-Party with great DIY-Pizza and networking. On Friday “Freiburg — Polizeiburg” (Film about Squatting in Freiburg in the 80ies) was projected in KTS, we had great food, Punk Gigs and more exchange about plans of action made throughout the world.

On the 12th, we started the Bike-Freespace-Rallye (”Reclaim Freiburg 2″) at about 1 p.m. with great weather and an unannounced street-party in the alternative district “Grün”. A lot of Police (more than 300) was in the city, when we started the Rally with four groups of about 15 people. Different actions were led against local housing politics, police repression, gentrification, biking-prohibitions and so on.

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On Friday a house in central Umeå called “Tullkammaren” was squatted as part of the April 2008 initiative and as a protest to the present normalization process in Sweden, the EU and the rest of the world.

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A Reclaim the Streets party took place in Wellington as part of the decentralized days of action for squats and autonomous spaces. 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.

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On the night of Friday 11th April offices of Angel Group came under attack. This was part of the days of action in support of squats and autonomous spaces.
Angel 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. This company are known to exploit their position of providing housing to vulnerable people who are not in a position to complain, getting away with providing substandard accomodation.

The front of the Angel group offices were redecorated, slogans painted, and locks glued. 12 company vehicles were attacked with paint stripper, spray paint, and had their tyres slashed.

This should send a message to Angel that their racist business will not be tolerated.

A video of pixies reclaiming the public space of Brighton with some banner dropping. To our surprise the pigs didn’t show up. The weather was great. The day went well.

Video on Indy UK .1.

Video from Indy UK .2.

The day had started with some tree climbing. After few hours the first banner was dropped. The bender was then erected on the Level and the food acquired from skips was displayed on the table to be eaten for free by the members of public. The second banner was dropped an hour later. The crowd gathered and there was some guitar playing to follow by the after-party.

On Saturday 12th, a concert and an exhibition of paintings and photos were held in a new squatted house Viktorie, in Ropice (occupied on 1st March). The concert was ended by police intervention, only three bands had played.

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(originally posted on wba.blogsport.de)

Yesterday night (april 11th / 12th), some activists embellished the hood at Hermannplatz at the corner Urbanstr./ Kotbusser Damm.

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Squatting action first, non-edited, part - Friday.

You can watch it HERE!!!

We’re still working on edition and uploading more stuff from international days for autonomous spaces in Amsterdam!

HERE is the link to non-edited small part of yesterday demonstration “Reclaim the street” with the police violence. The other parts of the international action days for autonomous spaces would come soon, and later in edited version ( hopefully ), we are busy with that.

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Pictures from the Demo!

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Twenty five brave souls motivated themselves to follow the tour de squat in Rotterdam. The weather was fine and sprits were high. We passed the sites of 50 or so squats, some still existing, others from the past. It was inspiring to have a look inside current squats such an old school in Kralingen and the eetcafe, infoshop and free shop at EKV Eigen Risico in Crooswijk. It was also interesting to pass by exsquats such as Aegdiusstraat, Waterloostraat, Ommordsestraat, Kethenstraat, Westersingel and Leeuwenstraat, although it must be said as well that it was a bit sad to see the yawning space or even empty shells ready for fresh yuppification where those old buildings had once stood and contained so much good energy. One person realised (perhaps with a tear in his eye?!) that he had lived in a total of six buildings which we visited.

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Saturday afternoon there was a street party in Tampere, with ca. 250 people that went through the city and squatted an old wooden house in the district of Pispala. House has been empty since last August, and it is destined to be demolished to make room for office buildings and flats.

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Yesterday afternoon about 100 people gathered in the center of the city for an autonomous zone,  and then left to demonstrate. The demo went around the city, stopping in front of former squats, chanting, tagging the walls on the way.They were carrying banners to show international solidarity, as well as local solidarity with the Mât Noir, threatened with eviction.

The demo encountered almost no cops (let’s say, 6 of them), and headed to the Toboggan, which was re-opened. Let’s say another 6 cops showed up with plain clothes, watching from the closest traffic light.

Pictures to come.

A street party took place on the embankment in the town center. There were few sound systems and people in costumes, masks…

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