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Struggle for squats in Prague

p | 04.07.2009 20:14 | World

On the 30th of June the Milada squat was evicted. The house was not a part of the cadastre, because it was meant to be demolished years ago. This hasn't happened and the squatters occupied an INVISIBLE house, because for the authorities it hasn't legally existed.

This was 11 years ago.
The place changed a lot, people left and came, at the moment noone from the former collective was living in the house. Few years ago, the place got through a crisis and with a new collective, more actions were held and Milada built quite a strong background and managed to cooperate with other struggles.
Now, the controller of the building (UIV - Institute for Information in Education) owned by state tried to make Milada a legally acknowledged place again, though it is not sure, if they were really succesful, anyway they ordered an eviction, and paid a security agency with neonazis as employees. They used violence, hurt people sitting on the roof, destroyed all accessories of Milada and completely damaged the roof.
Video (more on utube):  http://www.archive.org/details/DemonstraceProtiVyklizeniSquatuMilada1.7.2009
Stencils:  http://www.csaf.cz/spravy.php?sprava=1415
Twitter (mostly in czech):  https://twitter.com/squatMilada


The next day in the morning, people gathered in front of the office of UIV and had an informal breakfast, later a demo was held and the entrance to the building blocked. The blockade ended when negotiations between squatters and UIV started. The discussions were unsuccesful and UIV denied all complaint about security guards and their connection to neonazi movement. The negotiations were unsuccesful, but few flats were offered to squatters by a private subject.
A box of rotten vegetables was handed on to the mayor of the city district, Prague 8, where Milada is standing, for his manipulative report from the destroyed squat. An infopoint was held in Orlova. In the evening, Food Against repression - Cooking For Undercovers was served in a park and a benefit disco was organized.

Actions took place in Slovak towns Bratislava, Kosice and in the town of Zilina a building was temporarily squatted and a banner hanged out of the window.
Photos:  http://www.priamaakcia.sk/Zo-vcerajsich-protestov-Ruky-prec-od-squatu-Milada-v-Kosiciach-a-Bratislave.html

Today (4.7.) an infopoint was held in the Ostrava town at 12 o'clock a Reclaim the Streets Party was organized in Prague and a former squat, the Cibulka (now empty), was temporarily squatted for a party. The Cibulka mansion was a center of alternative culture in 90ies, last year a group of autonomists tried to create an alternative space there. The whole process was interrupted by a brutal police attack, while allegedly searching for a criminal. The reaction was immediate, people gathered in front of the space and later in front of the police station, more incidents between police and supporters happened...
Today's squatting of Cibulka is a part of protests against Milada eviction and a part of a wider struggle.
In the evening a benefit concert took place in the 007 club.
Today and tomorrow a festival in Jarov near Beroun town is taking place and it is dedicated to the Milada squat. Flyer:  http://ingkralik.freetekno.cz/wp-content/gallery/letaky/bmf_milada2.png

Tomorrow (5.7.) and there will be a Food Not Bombs cooking and food distribution at 14:00 in Karlovy Vary (a huge film festival is taking place in there at the moment). In the evening a party will be held in the Liberte Club in Cesky Tesin.

What is the situation now? The squatters have been offered three flats and the basement in the center of Prague for 6 months use, they partly accepted.
BUT THIS IS NOT THE END OF the STRUGGLE!
As you might read in the squatters manifesto:  https://squat.net/en/news/prague010709.html
And at the same time, more direct actions, soli parties and concerts are planned, because those three flats are not what we really fight for.
And even while the negotiations with the minister included no prosecution for any squatter resisting the evictin, some people ARE accused, one for attacking a policeman and breaking his nose, though the policeman started the fight. The second one for police car damage, but nobody knows who is it and there is no contact with such a person. 4 people are charged with an offence.

ACTIONS OF SUPPORT NEEDED!
HELP US BUILD A MOVEMENT!

p
- e-mail: prahaATsquat.net
- Homepage: http://https://squat.net/praha