Last Sunday we were evicted from our home after having been there for 5 days. Here are some reflections on what happened. We had a small taste of what could have been when we made Waldeck Pyrmontlaan 8 in Amsterdam our home. Even though the last few days have been hard on us, there were many moments filled with joy and hope. The support and acts of solidarity we received from old and new friends, comrades and neighbours have deeply touched us. After 5 days of occupation and what we thought was a successful public revealing of the squat, we were quickly reminded of what should’ve been so obvious to us; that there is no safety for people like us living under the state and it’s capitalist system. All evictions are a form of violence and Sunday was no exception. We have yet to hear all the stories and experiences surrounding the eviction, and we are only representing our own experiences here.
Who we are
We are people with political convictions, with a longing for freedom. Our struggle and our wounds are written and felt in our bodies. We are individuals with hopes and dreams, worries and problems. We squat for many reasons, both political and personal. Out of necessity, because we need housing, but also because in these acts of collective resistance, we create the space to feel free and find each other. Most of us are students at different universities, MBO’s or highschool in Amsterdam and around. Others with us are not in university at all- but would have liked to be- if it wasn’t for the prospect of crippling debt and the financial pressure to go straight into work. Like that of many people, our lives have been defined and shaped by precarity. Our housing situation is precarious. Some of us sleep on couches, in shelters, hostels or squats. Others have rental contracts ( mostly temporary- almost all overpriced). Student life is often described as the time of your life- But it is hard to be alive when you are struggling to survive.
Continue reading Amsterdam: Some reflections on the eviction of Waldeck Pyrmontlaan 8
A mafia boss was arrested in Spain in December after 20 years on the wanted list after Italian anti-mafia cops used Google Street View to confirm their ‘traditional methods’ which led to information that he was running a hairdressing salon, a restaurant and a grocery shop in Galapagar, Spain. To his “How did you find me? It’s been ten years since I even called my family on the phone.” “We saw you on Google Maps”, was the reply.
Recent mobilizations against psychiatric restraint offered us some reflections and we looked for information concerning the debate on mechanical restraint, a practice that the State declares it wants to abolish with a three-year implementation which should end in 2023. It must be noted that in institutional documents themselves, evaluations start off from data and notes dating back to 2001 and that from these analyses they come to “recommendations” and “suggestions” which since, 20 years on haven’t had any practical confirmation: people continue to die with violence.
Godissard district, Fort-de-France (Martinique), 27 November. Ripping out the Post Office ATM with a stolen digger, looting and then setting it on fire
Another “very agitated” night
