London: 52B Well Street evicted last week

A delayed update!

Last week we were evicted by High Court bailiffs after loosing court on the 30th January 2014. We made various attempts to contact the owners and negotiate an appropriate leaving date, to coincide with work commencing on the building, but the developers had no interest in speaking with us. The papers for court which inevitably led to our eviction was the only sign the owners gave us that they wanted us to leave. All too typical for squatting.

Additionally to the eviction of 52B (including 1 Shore Place, the living space for part of the crew, which included the popular anarcha-corridoor), an elderly lady who had been asked to leave by March 2014 was prematurely evicted, while the final pair of tenants in 52D narrowly avoided eviction, but are still due to leave on 15th February 2014.

None the less, a big thank you to all who supported the social centre over it´s short existance. We are no longer continuing as a social centre collective, instead we have gone our seperate ways, but it was fun while it lasted.

Long live social centres!

http://socialcentre.org.uk

Calais: Squatters turn the table on authorities

In theory, there are laws which protect squatters in France, but these are shirked everyday in Calais. It is apparent that the police and the City do not feel that they have to respect the law when it comes to squats in Calais, both because of their racist politics and the fact so far they have not had any negative/legal consequences for the illegal evictions they have performed in the past.

Squatters, who occupied a house in Route de St. Omer, Calais last week and had been evicted illegally, decided to challenge the cop’s reckless behaviour, authorized by the prefect. He and representatives of OPH will have to face justice/retribution already on 22nd of January.

Would be great, a lot of you show up to support the people, who try to dissuade the cops from evicting squats in the future.

Court case will take place at 9 am, in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Regional court at Place de la Resistance.

See you there!

Donations are welcome and needed!

Mark the payment for “CALAID”

For sending cheques:
“Vivre sans aéroport” :
La Primaudière
44130 NDDL

– pour faire un virement :
La Banque postale
Etablissement 20041
n° de compte : 1162852D032
IBAN : FR83 2004 1010 1111 6285 2D03 236
BIC : PSSTFRPPNTE

From: en.squat.net

Nantes: Open letter & news from the ZAD

Dear committees, We are a certain number of people who felt the need to write to you from the movement of occupation on the ZAD. Some months ago, while the eviction threat and works were paused, carried nevertheless by the strength of the fighting solidarity of last autumn, many among us started to entertain the possibility of the airport project being abandoned. We had even started to imagine what could become of this zone in social, agricultural and political terms. While these reflections were crucial and helped us to breathe new life into the struggle and a new sense to the movement, we feel today a regain of tension.

The pro-airport people, the police bureaucracy, Vinci and their cohorts are undeniably re-starting their offensives: warlike announcements and victorious commentaries of the rejection of the appeal to the European Union courts, leaks of sneaky plans of agent provocateurs, upcoming publication of police decrees necessary to the “improvement of the project”, hazy responses from the bosses of the civil aviation department about the cost of maintaining the current airport in Nantes, preparation of the transfer of endangered species and works on the barreau routier (4 lane highway to precede the airport), European authorization to the French government to release 150 million euros to build the airport… The sky which darkens in this time, the beginning of winter, is swept by dirty rumours and converging signs. It reminds us of the necessity of seriously focusing ourselves on the possibility of starting construction, accompanied or preceded by new police offensives. After having, in this letter, pared down to the most urgent and made the points of the threats that weigh on the zad and on the different points of view on actions, demos and reactions in the coming months, we would also like to take the time to give some feedback on life here and on some of the major events of these past months. We feel like we have not always managed to transmit where we were in the struggle and what was going on since the end of the military occupation, or only in a scattered manner. We see well that, from far away, it’s not always easy to figure out what is up in the fields and forests.

Before going forward, let’s remember that we are not speaking here in the name of the “movement of occupation” a diverse and heterogenous entity without unified representation (which is a good thing). We have nevertheless taken on the task in the second part of making heard all the way to where you live some voices of occupiers and we hope to re-start these dialogues and necessary exchanges to envision together what is to follow. The beginning of 2014 will be without a doubt decisive and thus we need to prepare ourselves accordingly. We can’t win the battles to come without counting on the cumulative force of all the committees. One of the important goals of this letter is to invite all the local committees to a meeting, notably those who are geographically the closest, Saturday January 11th 2014 (place TDB close to the ZAD) to prepare the next communal actions.

Cardiff: The Red & Black Umbrella Collective invite you to their festive Two Year Anniversary

From Red & Black Umbrella:

If you’re organised enough to carry ’round a diary (I am definitely not) penciling in the
1st AND 2nd of November is highly advisable as it will see our first festival!

A two day event ending on the 2nd November to celebrate 2 YEARS of the occupied building in Cardiff. Easy enough to remember, right?

Beginning as a vague plan to host an Anarcho-Folk festival in Cardiff; the event has now evolved into a two day celebration of the ‘Brolly.
The space it has provided us has been invaluable to many, so we invite anyone and everybody who has shared the space with us to come, in particular any guests we have had to stay, musicians who’ve played and individuals who’ve led any lessons or workshops. Please come and celebrate with us!
This is an open event and will be donation upon entry to pay the acts who are travelling. Any excess money donated to us will go towards Cardiff squat funds and to Freedom Press Bookshop (who are still raising money to repair their shop and replace up to 700 books lost after fascists petrol-bombed their shop earlier this year).
Nobody will be refused entry if they cannot pay.

We will be releasing more information over the next two weeks to keep you all in suspense, just know that you will need your best dancing boots and both headliners will be supported by amazing local acts and musicians.

If you would like to play at the festival, run a stall or workshop on either of the days get in touch.
Also, any help with cooking or supplying skipped/vegan food for the festival would be much appreciated as we will have many mouths to feed!

Doors TBA
Drink tolerated after 7pm, Drunkenness not.
No drugs, no thugs!

Calais: CMS callout to come and crack buildings

Winter is coming, shelter is a priority in Calais. The police have evicted and destroyed almost our shelter – buildings, camps, tents – in the past weeks.

There are empty buildings all over Calais town. We need people to come and open and secure them! We need people with skills and energy to join and support our resistance to this border.

Calais Migrant Solidarity have squatted a social centre, as it gets colder, more and more people are trying to sleep in it. Whilst we try to keep it a safe space for vulnerable people and people working on the ground, it’s getting over filled.

If you have a few days, a week or a month come to Calais. We recommend to come with friends, your affinity group, or make contact with people on the ground and find out when others will be around. Tools and resources are available in the Calais Migrant Solidarity/No Border space. Legal information about French law in relation to opening buildings is also available.

Pfffffffff…… The police also broke into our store of blankets/sleeping bags and sprayed them with gas making them unusable. We need supplies, if you are able to arrange a drop off or start collecting tat contact us.

CALAIS MIGRANT SOLIDARITY
Email: calaisolidairty [at] gmail [dot] com Email UK: calaistraining [at] riseup [dot] net (we can arrange for people in London to meet you to discuss ideas and logistics for Calais)
Communications phone: 0033645465986 Blog for all Info: http://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com
Source: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2013/10/513190.html

Nantes: Callout for a big protest and decentralised action for the anniversary of ZAD evictions

Unedited translation:

# Press Release from the ZAD ======================

19 October 2013: Protest anniversary of evictions. 14H instead Brittany, Nantes

The signatories of this statement calling for a big event October 19, 2013 at 14H, instead Bertagne in Nantes.This is part of the first anniversary against evictions last fall, the failed operation to demolish the ZAD called “Caesar” to those hard-housed occupying the space LU various places since then.

# # Evictions on ZAD …

---

October 16, 2012 in the morning, the state kicked off the Caesar operation to remove and destroy the places occupied the ZAD of Notre Dame des Landes in opposition to the airport project.

At 10:30 on the field with his troops, the prefect of the Loire-Atlantique said that the operation was completed successfully and that the military occupation of the ZAD would last “a few days” to complete the destruction of homes. Given the resistance that is organized and developed, taking many forms there and everywhere, facing external solidarity ZAD who provided logistical, political and moral support, these “few days” have become months .. . ZAD is always busy!

# # A call for decentralized anniversary days

---

This summer, during a meeting of local committees, the idea came to celebrate the anniversary of the start of this disastrous operation. A call for a day of action on October 16 relocated was launched. In response events will be held throughout the week of October 14 to 20.

# # And evictions inadequately housed in Nantes

---

Last fall also, while the government was trying to empty the ZAD, Ayrault, the PS state and the city of Nantes expelled precarious and homeless occupying the Lieu Unique to challenge the authorities on the situation of hundreds people on the streets and expose their hypocritical poor housing management. Today, as a result of this movement, more than a hundred homeless people occupying a former vacuum PJJ building facing eviction with no or their proposed solution.

# # Double reason to show for birthday

---

Many collectives have wanted to mark the double anniversary by offering a demonstration in Nantes against all deportations. It seems important to remind concreters ejectors and all kinds of our commitment to the risks of repetition of history, the ZAD as Nantes. That is why we invite you to join in the demonstration PLACE BRITAIN Saturday, October 19 at 14h.

# # Other events

---

* October 16: Night of Caesar Repression. 7:30 p.m. at the prefecture of Nantes

* October 18: discussion of the book “Predators of concrete survey multinational Vinci” 20h to B17 in Nantes (17 rue Paul Bellamy), with the author Nicolas De La Casinière.

* 18 October: Concerts Support Native American struggles 21h workshops Bitches in Nantes (3 rue de Bitche), Haymarket (anarcho-punk) & Klee Benally (folk-rock, a former member of Blackfire)

* October 19: 14h anniversary event instead Brittany in Nantes

* 19 October: Concerts 19h support Wardine on ZAD, Haymarket (anarcho-punk) & Klee Benally (folk-rock, a former member of Blackfire)

# Signatories: ==============

Nantais Committee Against Airport (CNCA), PAL 44, Collective against the University of Nantes Airport (Cunca) Collective A Roof for All and All, Anti Repression Committee, individuated …

London: Builders force entry to damage 195 Mare Street

From 195 Mare Street:

Today at approximately 10:05 a.m. as two of us were returning from scavenging fruit and vegetables a group of about a dozen builders forced entry into the social center.  They then proceeded to affix a notice board to the wall declaring that the building was a construction site. We notified them that the property was legally occupied in accordance with the 1977 Criminal Law Act and that they had committed an offence by breaking into the building while it so occupied.   Apparently unconcerned that their conduct was illegal, they proceeded to begin gutting the building while we were inside it. They also proceeded to disconnect the buildings water, by cutting the pipe connecting to the water main.

The builders were employed by CS Solutions and their supervisor was Jim Casey,the same man who had similarly threatened us weeks ago.  No planning permission has been granted for any work to be done on the building; despite this and despite the building’s listed status they proceeded in doing significant damage to the downstairs.

We called the police and notified them of the situation. Upon arriving the police seemed equally unconcerned with stopping their illegal conduct and stood by as the builders proceeded in destroying the building. They claimed that they needed to “find out all the facts”.  We asked if they could please ask the builders to stop destroying the space while they did so, and the police refused. With the help of a friend from the Advisory Service for Squatters, we were eventually able to persuade police Sergeant Gomes that the building was legally occupied and that Mr. Casey needed to take us to court in order to remove us, but not before considerable damage had been done to the ground floor and our property being kept there.  The builders then began to leave. However, as they were doing so Jim Casey threatened that he would be back in a week to continue what he had started whether we were there or not . We advised him once again that he would need to take us to court before doing this, and he stated clearly that he did not intend to do this.

We invite anyone who has any time today or this week come and help to repair the damage that has been done and help re secure the building.

See also: Contacts for CS Solutions from Indymedia UK

Calais: 65 Syrians blockade entrance to the port

 From Calais Migrant Solidarity:

65 Syrian refugees have been staging a blockade of the Calais ferry terminal for over ten hours now, demanding to speak to a representative of the UK Home Office.

The blockaders are taking direct action to have their voices heard. They are refusing to leave until their demands are met.  Some of them are hunger striking.

Families, including small children have set up a camp on the pedestrian bridge, in the entrance to the terminal. Friends of the group, including Calais Migrant Solidarity and other groups based in France have been joining their protest in solidarity.

The group have been subject to severe police harassment during their time in Calais. They have been constantly moved on from sleeping spaces, had their belongings destroyed and arrested many times.

In a town where the police act with considerable impunity on a daily basis, it is important that the blockaders receive solidarity from beyond Calais in publicising their demands.

The group ask for people across Europe to take action in support of their protest.

Letters of support, pictures of actions etc. would be welcomed, please send to calaisolidarity@gmail.com and they will be passed on to the group.

For up to date info on the situation or if you would like to come to Calais to support the group contact the CMS communications phone: 0033 645465986.

See also:

UK Press release: Calais: Syrian refugees stage blockade of ferry terminal

Campaign for Syrian refugees blockading the entrance of the port of Calais

Syrian refugees threaten to jump off roof of port’s departure lounge in protest

London: Another new squatted social centre

From 195 Mare Street:

The bohemian pub on Finchely High road has been squatted and is on its way to becoming a thriving community centre. It was opened by the same crew from that reopened Friern Barnet Library last year library last year.

They want to open it up as a ‘community hub’ and there going to use the space for games nights, cinema nights and other things. I’m really excited to see the space get going. It looks like a fantastic building that they can start hosting events and workshops in straight away.

There’s already a few articles out on them already http://wwwbrokenbarnet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/antic-bohemia-occupied-and-about-to-re.html

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/10703093.Library_squatters_take_over_The_Bohemia_pub/

They are holding an public meeting today at 7pm. Get down there and share your ideas.

It’ so fantastic that the community social centres are coming back north of the river. its exciting that we’re working on these projects and we hope that others will begin to see the value our communities centres have. Tell your friends, get everyone you know involved – talk to a random person on the street and in the back alleys, let them know whats happening.

Share your ideas, get involved, express yourself. 

London: Colorama to become yuppie flats (you can’t afford)

Picture says it all!