[kraken] Pragmatism beats idealism among squatters

Auteur: Maikel <maikel@schrijfsels.org>
Datum: 29 aug 2006 13:33 uur

Ik heb persoonlijk deze lui een aantal uur informatie geven, jammer dat alles
van de 'georganiseerde' kant word genegeerd. Maar ja, het waren dan ook
totaale hippies on holiday.

Dit artikel is al een poosje geleden verschenen, maar ik was het helemaal
vergeten. Tot vandaag...

En laat ik al helemaal me mond maar weer dicht houden over Die Erik van
Duivevoorde JAK! zou hij niet alles door sturen naar de hededaage krakers? Ik
begin het een echt zat te worden!

Maikel

http://www.cafebabel.com/en/article.asp?T=T&Id=7894
In the 1980s, a political movement of squatters changed the face of the Dutch
capital. Today, young apolitical Eastern Europeans are joining the squatter
movement
On a warm summer’s night, five shadows flit through Frederik Street, towards
the south of Amsterdam’s town centre. Their new home lies just within reach –
tonight they might be lucky. The target in question has a metal front door,
spray-painted in green. They get to work with a crowbar, as the door gives
in, the last obstacle is out of the way

“It can take years”

We had spent months planning our expedition,” explains Anna, a squatter.
Planning means: “countless patrols around the building and numerous calls to
the authorities; we wanted to make sure that the house was definitely
uninhabited”.

According to Dutch legislation, a house must be empty for a year before it can
be “squatted”. Once it has become a squat, the owners find it very difficult
to rid themselves of the uninvited guests. “One day we will have to move out
of here again. But until then all the owner can do is plead before the court
to obtain a eviction warrant, which can take years.” explains Anna.

The 21-year-old from Poland is evidently satisfied with their achievement. All
the walls are covered in plaster and the floor is hidden under rubbish and
dust. “It is clear that we will have to do some renovation work here so that
we can get it looking really good” she says whilst giving her future
flatmates Peter, Kasha, Tomas and Chechv a challenging look.

“The School of Social Education”

Peter is the only one who was born and bred in Amsterdam; Chechv comes from
the Czech Republic while the remaining two are Polish like Anna. But just how
many other Eastern Europeans have moved to the Dutch capital in the last year
and have joined the squatter movement? “I came to Amsterdam to live in a
squat,” says Anna. “I like the culture and the experience will certainly be
beneficial for the future”. She has already made plans for the future: “I
would like to open a centre in Poland for disadvantaged youths. Living in a
squat is good experience all right”.

Many young people today believe living in squats teaches tham about life more
than about political activism. “As a foreigner I cannot be politically
active, I know very little about the problems here,” muses Anna.

Peter, who has just rolled a joint, adds: “Our generation have set ourselves
apart from the squatters of the 1980’s. We no longer plan big campaigns, but
are simply looking for a place to live”. Toady squats are also far less
crowded. “Whereas before there would be sometimes 20 people to a room, we
make sure that each person has his or her own room,” says Peter.

No political fire

Eric von Duivenvoorden belongs to the old squatter school. The 43 year-old
journalist has recently published a quasi-biographical book about the
squatter movement in Amsterdam. He himself lived in a squat from 1980 until
1985, a period which was known as the golden years. He misses the political
fire which the contemporary generation lacks. “Squatters are in danger of
shrinking away and becoming an insignificant sub-culture”. According to
Duivenvoorden, there are currently just under 500 squatters living in the
city, where once there were at least 20,000.

For Duivenvoorden and his fellow fighters, the movement is about changing the
world: “We were quite radical and extremely politically minded. We had many a
confrontation with the authorities”. The movement came about due to the lack
of living space in the Dutch capital. However, the squatters found it unjust
that there were numerous empty dwellings in the centre and they felt the need
to protest: “Many homeowners were intentionally holding out for higher rent
or a better sale price for their property,” explains the journalist.

The Ghost Police

Van Duivenvoorden remembers barricades, street protests and the first big
success: “Eventually the government had to give way and accommodate us.
Council housing programmes were created and many squats were legalised”.
Legalisation means that the squat was purchased by the council and its
inhabitants were given dwelling rights. Today, many of these legalised squats
are alternative culture centres.

“The political legacy of the squatter movement is huge in the Netherlands,”
continues Van Duivenvoorden. He emphasises that the movement continues to be
of great importance. “There is still a dramatic housing shortage which must
not become a precedent. In spite of their low numbers, the squatters retain
their power in this struggle. They are a band of ghost-like police taking
action against empty standing living space. Homeowners must stay on their
guard”. Van Duivenvoorden hopes that the Amsterdam squats will influence
other European countries: “It would be terrific if a squatter movement
emerged in Eastern Europe.”

Katrin sits on the late night train between Frankfurt and Würzburg without a
valid ticket. The 26 year-old Slovakian, who is on her way to visit a friend
in Prague has just left a squat in Amsterdam: “I lived there for 2 years and
now I need a break”. For her, squatting was a “great experience of freedom”.
Can she imagine the movement taking place in her homeland? Katrin is
pessimistic: “a friend of mine once stayed in a squat in Bratislava and an
anti-terrorist unit removed them by force”. The young Slovak maintains “that
Eastern Europe is far removed from a liberal lifestyle”. That is why she
would like to return to Amsterdam soon. “ Perhaps I may even set up a squat
in Barcelona”.

In collaboration with Thijs Lammers, from Amsterdam's local team.

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ontvangsttijd Tue Aug 29 11:55:08 2006