By making from us criminals they are making idiots from themselves !
It's not good value to brag but sometimes situation, like now demand it from us and explain that. 01.06.2010 senate voted for baning squatting in Netherlands. To show what in reality they would try to forbid and from who they would like to make in one day criminals i wrote short history of one of many squats which by his activity and existence not only efficiently improves bad housing situation but also neighborhood and whole world. Positivenest 2. This place we squatted to support old people, who could be sneakily thrown out by the owner, the richest guy of Friesland, Riedstra. He owns 2000 flats while many people in this country not having even one. About 40 flats of old people, own before by the care taking complex Torendal was sold when nursing home moved to new, more modern building. Before it happened elderly people had to move out from four flats because they planned to make there clinic and social place for old people. It never happened, what was especially sad if we consider that for one place in this complex was 90 people big waiting list. New owner neglected elderly people. He didn't made his duty's, what the people paid for. (o.a. washing windows care for garden, repairing and maintaining place etc. ) When the flats or after moving out or after someone died, remained empty his sneaky plan become more transparent. While congress center RAI is developing, on the other side street new city hall just moved in, it is not difficult to predict that when the Nord Zuid line would be finished the price of the houses would increase diametrically. As more empty flats, as bigger the chance to change the status from the social to private. After one person asked we squatted four empty ground floors on a big, political action. We invited media and made a lot of noise about all scandal. In the press release we used old dutch proverb: "Someone death is another bread". We stated that we would give back those flats just when we would be sure that they would go back as a social houses for old people. It was one of the most difficult action in my life. When we were confronting the next difficulties i was asking myself : " Why I'm doing this ? It would be much easier to squat something usual." When at the first of the meeting of old people we heard in the first words : "We gather here thankful squatting action." - i knew that was worthy. That was one of the most beautiful moment in my life. The olderly people thankful organising themselves, after making the comity, they got the power and speculator Ridstra no longer could ignore their questions. Soon in the court they won a lot of money as compensation for not making his duty's. After our action Riedstra realised that he would get more shame that profits, that he would not make his sneaky plans. Then he decided to sell whole complex to housing corporation "Staat Genooten". When we heard that they promised to give the flats to the old people as social homes, even that for us it meant that we have to move again, we still achieved a big victory. In the meantime living here we made few open days for old people and neighborhood. We even wanted to arrange prat house but our neighbors explained to us that they are to old for such a things so we respected that. Our made outside always open giveaway shop become very popular. We got also a lot of good words for our geveltuin around our home.
With the posters in our windows we contaminated a bit our neighbourhood that even in the Lutheran church you could see anti fur message.
Lets see now whats going on inside. Just before action we involved in it K. in eighth month of pregnancy with her husband R. There wasn't other option for them so we had to help them. Soon small T. was born at our squat (natural born squatter:) . Their family occupied one ground floor. The second one occupied D. with her son, 12 years old B. D. is studying midwifery and she also have to make living for her and her son. Before she use to be more active with squatting but now her activism that midwifery. After some time her parents joined her because they were evicted from another squat. Tree generations of squatters under one roof :) . Two other grandflors occupied we. It means me, R. and 11 years old N. In the biggest room we made Yoga space, in other organic, ecologic, vegan kitchen and in the other combination of living room with office studio working space. Two last ones we left for guest or eventually future housemates. At the beginning in one of them was living homeless K. One day contacted us KraakSpreekUr Pijp and they said that some lonely mother,( who was sent by school social worker, who helped us in the past when we were taking care for younger sisters of R.) asked for us. T. and her ten years old son P. were thrown from place to place. Recently they had to live in the washing room of one drug addicted family because nobody else offer them shelter. Of course that was tragic situation that's why besides huge differences without second thoughts we received them with a open hart. T. without problem adopted and respected home rules and the kids got new friend. Their family happily lived by us for few months till with group of other parents they squatted empty school in the neighbourhood. Bad luck. They were already illegally evicted after few days. Good luck in it was that this what happened was "the stroke which broke the camels back" and after that T. & P. got the social home. Next one to who our squat was giving the place that's M. - a volunteer in the ecologic organisation A SEED and N. student of ecology volunteer in organisation UNITED Against Racism . Their voluntary, symbolic salary made that squatting was for them just one solution. N. after some time got proposal to live in some legalised squat next to his office and M. decided to come back to Germany where, because her nationality she could easier study ecology. After them one room occupied our old friend S. , who some day came back to his social home, he saw his things packed in to the boxes. He couldn't even to get them back. He didn't paid his rent for few months. In twenty years of his living there he paid more that the flat was worthy. When he got financial problems, just few moths of not paying was enough to kick him out. He had time to pay till Monday, but they throw him out already in Thursday, few days before. Nowadays housing corporations, before social organisations in the times of capitalism they changed in to "legal mafias". They could not miss such a occasions and broken S. didn't had enough strength and energy to argue with them. For the second empty room asked E. with her 7 years old daughter T. who found out about thankfully "mouth to mouth" mail . Just after her lonely father also asked for place. We made appointment with E. and her child. She told us her story. When she went for half year to Thailand, to father of her daughter, the owner of her place used it and during her absence, he made court case against her. She didn't had even possibility to come back at time. In this way after her return she almost was on the street. It didn't help her that she was lonely mother and that she was already fife years on waiting list. The office worker in the social office got paid for hard refusing even in such situation. Just before she moved in, she manage to get cheap two rooms flat what for her was a better choice that our small room. Lonely father also found something and the room was in the end occupied for half year by C., one of the squatter who had bicycle accident and she had to live on the grandflor with some care. Of course this time we also helped. Recently our friend, lonely mother of two children had not expected eviction and for the time till she squatted something i lend her even my own room. We also had often in our home guests just for few nights. Mainly it was our family, friends, but also happened that to rescue situation we let stay the bands from the concerts organised by our friends. In any case we took care not only for their hospitality but also for peace our old neighbours.
Now its time to write something about us. R mainly studying the history of Yoga and she is teaching Yoga. She is also helping me with everything. To make my living I'm working at ecologic bike taxi. We are not drinking, not smoking, not using drugs and we are buying almost nothing (our shopping we are making mainly in give away shops on other squats:) . The biggest expenses what we have that's ecologic food for our family. Especially we choose to live on squat to could more time use for things for us more important and more meaningful that making money for paying high rent in someones pocket or spending on never ending consumption. Beside family life our passion that's independent media, so spreading the good news. I'm mainly writing a book, which one of the chapter are You riding right now. We are making movies, news with which we are supporting initiatives, places and events close to our harts. In general that's human rights, animal rights, ecology, squatting etc. etc.etc... That's why we are also publishing our Internet pages ( as at many other internet pages...) I'm making radio show. Beside of that we taking care for our geveltuinen around home like for one in neighbourhood. We are actively participating in social, political, ecologic, cultural life of Amsterdam and whole world. In any possible way we are fighting for human rights, animal rights, future of our planet ( = us and our children ). That's why we choose squatting as one way of fighting for every one's right for roof above a head. Squatting also is widening possibilities to create all those good and meaningful things. "Activism is a rent what we are paying for living at this planet" . So if through banning the squatting they would make us criminals i think they would make in the same time themselves complete idiots. Not modestly saying if all people would life so altruistic as we do, the world would be a better place. That's why Kraken Gaat Door wherever it's allowed or not.
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