RECLAIM THE CITY – DEMONSTRATION IN POZNAN
On Saturday, 9th May, at around 3 p.m. a demonstration organized by Rozbrat Collective took place, it started in front of the Opera House. Around 1,000-1,500 took part in it. The participants of the demonstration were also people from different organizations and groups such as Anarchist Federation, members of different groups of protests from Poznan neighborhoods, including those protesting against the F-16 airport, anti-eviction organizations, alternative theaters' members, trade unionists from different unions, representatives of the Berlin autonomous communities, squatters from different cities in Poland and abroad and loads of other supporters of Rozbrat from Poznan, Poland and abroad.
During the rally in front of the Opera house many sympathizers of Rozbrat
made speeches talking about the necessity of having such place as Rozbrat in Poznan, about its value in the cultural, social and political meaning. They also emphasized that the protest was not only in defense of Rozbrat, but also against the arrogant and ignorant city politics considering the public space and housing issues. Every speech was met with huge applause and people shouting "Rozbrat Stays!".
After about 20 minutes, the demonstration under the main banner saying
"Let's reclaim the city – against the privatization of the public space – in defense of Rozbrat" started its way through Poznan city centre. People
shouted slogans "Hands off Rozbrat!", "Solidarity is our weapon", "City not for the investors", "Stop privatization of the public space", "Capitalism – cannibalism". On its route it met different surprises – a huge graffiti on the top of one houses in the centre saying "City is not a company". On of the crossings masked up activists dropped a 12-meter-long banner saying "Rozbrat stays".
The demonstration had a rally in front of the biggest shopping centre in
Poznan, which is owned by one of the richest people in Poland. One of the
participants of the demo made a speech about the still unclear story how the ground for the shopping all was sold to that man by the city authorities, people gathered were shouting slogans that both the businessman and the city president are in mafia. During that rally, the demonstration was met with a huge applaud from the people living in the street neighboring the shopping mall, one man selling flowers in front of the mall gave out all bunches of lilies of the valley he had to the participants of the demo. Few other speeches were about about the cultural role of Rozbrat, emphasizing that Rozbrat people never took any money from the city council, others spoke about the anti-social politics of the city. Also one of the organizers of the Poznan gay pride expressed their gratefulness to the Rozbrat activists for constant support of the pride and announced that if we're getting evicted they will physically come and defend the squat with us.
When the demonstration moved forward a rain of Rozbrat leaflets fell on theprotesters from one the windows of one house, some people also threw flowers from their windows. At that point some of the passers by joined the demo and there were almost 2,000 of us.
The demonstration entered the Old Square Market with samba drummers in the
front making a loud welcome. Another rally took place, different activists
made speeches, including anarchists from Warsaw involved in organizing poor neighborhoods, also anarchists who squatted Rozbrat 15 years ago. They emphasized that creating alternative social centres is important for
building the social resistance from below.
Then,the demonstration entered Zydowska street which was not included in
the official route of the demo. The cops walking next to the demo were
pushed aside with shields. Then everyone stopped in front of the building
which was squatted and evicted in January (
http://rozbrat.org/news-in-english/156-eviction-of-a-new-squat-in-poznan). A ladder was put against the wall and few masked up people went into the building. They dropped a banner saying "A House taken away from people is
still empty", fired flares fro the windows. The crowd shouted "Empty spaces in the hands of imagination", "Down with authority", "Stop evictions", during the speeches, one of the squatters announced that if the president of Poznan keeps on evicting people from their houses, we will squat his house, because we know his address very well. The action was supposed to show that if Rozbrat is evicted, the anarchists will not accept the situation passively.
The demo turned into a street party. People living in the houses nearby
joined the demonstration. After around half an hour the demo moved forward, leaving the banner and a red and black flag on the building.
The participants then shouted "If city attacks Rozbrat we will squat the
presidents' house", "Wait for us!". On the last stop we reminded about the
support from the Food not Bombs group. On of the people involved in
organizing action days in June in Berlin made an invitation speech for the
action days (6/06-21/06).
Rozbrat Collective would like to thank everyone for support and solidarity
for us. Your amazing presence, energy and active participation showed us we are not alone in our struggle for Rozbrat and for social resistance. Thanks to you we were able to reclaim the city at least for few hours!
Big big thanks to all of you who couldn't come and organized solidarity
actions for us locally – Reykjavik, Thessaloniki, New York, Oslo, the Hague, Budapest, Bucarest... who knows where else!
Solidarity is our weapon!
Photos:
http://rozbrat.org/galeria/category/187- http://www.flickr.com/photos/3stepsahead/sets/72157617933846468/show/overzicht eerdere posting NN - 25.05.2009 14:45
http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2009/05/59414.shtml Report from demo "Rozbrat stays" (report from poland) (may 2009)
http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2009/05/59225.shtml Soli rally with Polish squats (Den Haag) + foto Soli rally (may 2009)
http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2009/04/59086.shtml Squat Elba (Warsaw) facing eviction (apr. 2009)
http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2009/04/59021.shtml 6.05-rally in Hague in defence of the oldest Polish squat (info) (apr 2009)
http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2009/01/57107.shtml Problems in Poznan/Rozbrat -PL-Again!!!! (jan. 2009)
http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2008/02/50459.shtml Rozbrat-most active squat in Poland need Your help !!! (feb. 2008)
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