Blockade of forced evictions

international | housing | news report Wednesday February 13, 2013 17:40 by littleink

Berlin Feburary 2013

Blockades of forced eviction of family of five in Berlin successful.
Attempt 3 from the bailiffs, polices and legal system tomorrow.

Tomorrow morning hundreds of supporters of the family Gülbol will turn up outside their door. The reason? To blockade a forced eviction of the family from their home by bailiffs. They have lived here for 30 years, renovated the house themselves at their own cost, and now as a result of extortionate rising rents…they are being forced to leave. The house is located in the central district of Kreuzberg, Berlin, well known to many visitors of the city.

This will be the third attempt to evict the family. The first two times blockading actions stopped the bailiffs from even reaching the front door of the home. Tomorrow, Thursday the 14th of Feburary, the effort will be accompanied by the might of 100 state police officers.

Desahucio is the Spanish word for eviction. In the last years the word had become one of horror for the Spanish living in cities. In place of the property bubble, and in the acute economic crisis, thousands of families have lost their homes because they could not afford to pay the rising rates demanded. The first blockades of forced evictions started in Barcelona in November 2010.

Between then and now a political movement has developed in Berlin. Inofficial figures estimate 3000 eviction per year in the capital of Germany. Neighborhood organisations along with political activists will be there in the morning to meet the bailiff, news has been spread through internet, posters and word of mouth. The people are keeping the city for those who live in it.

Forced evictions can be blocked. Get together, know your neighbors, sit in front of the door and show solidarity. Fight for your city. Fight gentrification. The houses belong to those who live in them!

Block Forced Evictions Berlin