state tries to crush radical Amsterdam
a concerned friend of the Afrika | 17.06.2005 10:03 | Free Spaces | Social Struggles
News from over the continent. The last few weeks have been very difficult for the Amsterdam radical scene. Now, the latest challenge:- the local Amsterdam government decided last night, with a snap decision, to forcibly and immediately evict (today at 6pm) arguably the most important squat/social centre in Amsterdam
At warehouse Afrika, 10/06/05
Greetings,
Apologies for posting a Dutch topic to Indymedia UK. But I thought it would be useful to let you all know that the Dutch (local) state is about to execute its latest attack on the Amsterdam radical
scene.
Last night the Mayor of Amsterdam ruled that Pakhuis Afrika
(Warehouse Afrika) must be evicted -today-, at 6pm. If any of
you have visited Amsterdam in recent years you will have probably been to the Afrika; it is an enormous concrete warehouse that, in the 2+ years since it was squatted, has become a true social centre, as well as a living space for many permanent and temporary residents. The local government has been trying for sometime to undermine the place; the government is clearly of the opinion that such an autonomous, radical, significant space does not help its dream of making Amsterdam a playground for the bourgeoisie.
The new wave of political attacks on the Afrika began a few
months ago when the government said that parties may no
longer be held there. Intervention with riot police was threatened
if this was ignored. The argument was fire-safety. But the residents of the Afrika have done everything in their power, and more, to ensure that ther space is fire-safe; the place was already fire-safe. Clearly the "fire-safety" argument is politically motivated:- last friday there was a riot outside the Afrika when the local government refused any form of co-operation and ordered another party to be cancelled, despite the place having been made fire-safe. (The local government sent police, rather than firemen, to ascertain
fire safety, presumably knowing full well that the residents
of the Afrika were not going to allow 20 policemen into their
house...) Quite a few people arrested at a time when many people
from the last wave of evictions (on the last day of May) are
-still- in prison on "pre-arrest".
And now, this:- the local gvernment has clearly had enough. The
local government has ruled that the upper floors of the Afrika
(where people live) are not safe for living in, and must
be within 24 hours evicted. (Clearly, having tried to break
the Afrika by trying to shut down its parties, it has taken
another approach...)
This "snap"-eviction is expected to take place at or before
6pm tonight, Amsterdam time. Horrific.
For those of you who can read Dutch, some links about the
imminent eviction:
http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2005/06/28586.shtml
http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2005/06/28589.shtml
The Afrika's website is at:
http://www.pakhuisafrika.nl/
Apologies for posting a Dutch topic to Indymedia UK. But I thought it would be useful to let you all know that the Dutch (local) state is about to execute its latest attack on the Amsterdam radical
scene.
Last night the Mayor of Amsterdam ruled that Pakhuis Afrika
(Warehouse Afrika) must be evicted -today-, at 6pm. If any of
you have visited Amsterdam in recent years you will have probably been to the Afrika; it is an enormous concrete warehouse that, in the 2+ years since it was squatted, has become a true social centre, as well as a living space for many permanent and temporary residents. The local government has been trying for sometime to undermine the place; the government is clearly of the opinion that such an autonomous, radical, significant space does not help its dream of making Amsterdam a playground for the bourgeoisie.
The new wave of political attacks on the Afrika began a few
months ago when the government said that parties may no
longer be held there. Intervention with riot police was threatened
if this was ignored. The argument was fire-safety. But the residents of the Afrika have done everything in their power, and more, to ensure that ther space is fire-safe; the place was already fire-safe. Clearly the "fire-safety" argument is politically motivated:- last friday there was a riot outside the Afrika when the local government refused any form of co-operation and ordered another party to be cancelled, despite the place having been made fire-safe. (The local government sent police, rather than firemen, to ascertain
fire safety, presumably knowing full well that the residents
of the Afrika were not going to allow 20 policemen into their
house...) Quite a few people arrested at a time when many people
from the last wave of evictions (on the last day of May) are
-still- in prison on "pre-arrest".
And now, this:- the local gvernment has clearly had enough. The
local government has ruled that the upper floors of the Afrika
(where people live) are not safe for living in, and must
be within 24 hours evicted. (Clearly, having tried to break
the Afrika by trying to shut down its parties, it has taken
another approach...)
This "snap"-eviction is expected to take place at or before
6pm tonight, Amsterdam time. Horrific.
For those of you who can read Dutch, some links about the
imminent eviction:
http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2005/06/28586.shtml http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2005/06/28589.shtml The Afrika's website is at:
http://www.pakhuisafrika.nl/
a concerned friend of the Afrika