Call out from the Netherlands

Saturday November 21, 2009 21:50

by "Spirit of unity" collective

We are squatters from the Netherlands. We are asking you to organize a protest (for example by dutch embassy) in your country against squatting prohibition in the Netherlands. We suggest to organize your protests between 26 and 28 of November, because Eerste Kamer (First Chamber of dutch parliament) will vote about squatting prohibition beginnig of December.

To all the people who are against squatting prohibition,
to all the squatters,
to all ex-squatters,
to all young people who would like to become squatters in the future,
to all the friends of the squatters,
to all political activists,
to all antifascist activists,
to all artists who create art and/or perform in the squats,
to all bandmembers and DJ's that play in the squats,
to all people who enjoy parties and concerts in the squats,
to all travellers who visit and stay in the squats,
to all of you who are not mentioned above.

As you probably might know dark days are coming for the squatting movement in the Netherlands. On 15.10.2009 the Tweede Kamer (Second Chamber of the dutch parliament) voted for a squatting prohibition. Please remember this would not have happened without the support of racist and xenophobic politicians as Rita Verdonk and Geert Wilders. From 1st January 2010 squatting can be illegal in the Netherlands. Beginning of December Eerste Kamer (First Chamber of the dutch parliament) will discuss and vote about squatting prohibition. If First Chamber of the dutch parliament approve this law, persons that try to occupy an empty building, will be considered a criminal and punished by dutch authorities. Penalties are very high and range from one year up to two years of prison!

This is very serious threat! Don't let politicians destroy squatting movement in the Netherlands! We can't wait! We must act now!

The future of the dutch squatting movement is in our hands. It is a big responsibility as well. We should show respect to those previous squatting generations who made squatting possible in the Netherlands. They sacrified a lot of time and energy for us. We should think about all the youth who would like to have the possibility to live in squats in the future.

Mass media and politicians say that we are few, but our spirit is stronger then this rotten and unhumane law that politicians have created! We are willing to show politicians and police forces our determination in the defence of our rights for housing. There is lack of cheap houses in the Netherlands. For example in Amsterdam price of renting one room range from 300 till 550 euros a month!

Mass media and politicains say that we are violent, but those christians from CDU (Christian Democratic Party), CU (Christian Union) and SGP (Orthodox Protestant Party) are violent. For them empty buildings are more important than human beings searching for a house. Those christians decided that police will come to arrest us, if we try to occupy a house after 31st December 2009.

We are proud of who we are and we are willing to defend our rights to occupy empty buildings. We won't give up without struggle! Some of you remember those proud and angry youth from Kopenhagen who were fighting for Ungdomshuset and dignity. Some of you probably have joined the struggle. If will be necessary, we are willing to bring the spirit of youth from Denmark and Greece to our streets!

Politicians did not leave us another choice! From 1st January we have to choose between being homeless or criminals. This choice is not suitable for us! We won't live on the streets or in the prison! We are human beings and we deserve respect!

There is few hundreds squats in the Netherlands. We can't afford to lose this enormous infrastructure! There are houses, autonomous centers, places for cultural activities. In all those buildings we live and/or practice and promote our political ideas. We use that space to promote independent art and underground counter culture in opposition to mainstream pop culture and art.

Let us be a bit sentimental. For many of us to be a squatter is way of life. A lot of us spent the best times living in the squats. We had unforgettable adventures together. We have plenty of invaluable experiences, like living in self-organized communities or housing collectives. Many of us met their best friends in the squats. Yet another reasons to struggle against squatting prohibition.

Don't ignore serious threats for squatting movement in the Netherlands! Use your imagination, open your eyes, stand up and act!

Our struggle is for a world without capitalism, race and gender differences, poverty and war!

We are going to be very thankful for all your support. Solidarity is our weapon!

You can write your complaint to Eerste Kamer, e-mail address:
postbus@eerstekamer.nl.

"Spirit of the unity" collective.

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Comments (6 of 6)

if the kids are united

by no gods, no masters

Sat Nov 21, 2009 21:52

Atari Teenage Riot - Kids Are United
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SIwUOII7hg

Inner Terrestrials - Squatters Rights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9Fgovv4sBc

Sin Dios - Casa Okupada, Casa Encantada
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QKj4YxmcWo

''Alternative life style'' supported by workers

by Joe Soap - Work makes you free

Sun Nov 22, 2009 11:22

The area in the photo above looks like an nice area. Would that chap tossing the brick be a squatter ? Well if is he is you dont have my support. Squatter, when the riot is over and you go back to your free accomadation to play your guitar and sings songs about the oppressed who will fix up the street outside that you ripped up ? The problem with you is that you are a loafer who does not want to work. You sponge your way through life on the backs of others and you do under the banner of art and protest in defence of freedom. Lets just say that when the state takes back your building and the police moive in they are also squatters. They (The police) should squat from the squatters and also claim rights to that building.

Squatting Generations.

by Smoker.

Sun Nov 22, 2009 11:27

"We should show respect to those previous squatting generations who made squatting possible in the Netherlands."

! ! ! !.

Methinks sombody has been in a good Dutch Marijhuana cafe !

Before you go medieval on the idea of squatting....

by Homeless

Sun Nov 22, 2009 12:36

Consider how many buildings there are currently unoccupied in Ireland after the property bubble. Consider then the number of people homeless or in rented accommodation often paid for by the state. Consider then the slow speed at which rents are dropping in this greedy country of ours. Consider the number of people with multiple properties. Is it right that thousands of properties lie idle while we bail out the banks and developers, meanwhile people are homeless or the state is paying exhorbitent rents for them. The current system has failed if it's objectives were to house the population. There must be a better way to do this.

JC Skiner, Pete, Joe Soap and Smoker - bunch of reactionaries, or just 1?

by louise

Sun Nov 22, 2009 13:21

It's hard to believe in this day and age when the shortcomings of the capitalist system are more obvious than ever in terms of distribution of wealth, opportunities, jobs and housing, there are voices (all from inside the 1 head?) still bleating on in defence of a property and employment legal framework that actively excludes vast numbers of us while protecting the sickening wealth of the ultra rich. What kind of lunacy counts decriminalised pot smoking and whoring as signs of tolerance at the same time as millions live in inadequate housing when there is good enough housing for all and millions are on the dole when there is plenty of work to be done and billions in taxpayers money is being squandered on the filthy rich?

thanks to Spirit of Unity for this serious report

by tomeile

Sun Nov 22, 2009 14:14

Very best wishes to the squatters of the Netherlands . It comes as no surprise that Rita Verdonk and Geert Wilders are enthusiastically supporting the eviction of people from their homes . The real agenda of racist and Islamomophobic politicians is to divide and divert any opposition to the rule of the rich and powerful.

Thanks to the Spirit of Unity collective for bringing the Dutch squat prohibition laws to the attention of readers of the indymedia Ireland site . This is what the Indymedia international network should be all about . I wonder if there would be any chance of getting a few people to go along to the Dublin embassy this week. I’ll certainly write them a letter .

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Call out from the Netherlands

Comments (6 of 6)