The battle for the squat in Cologne has been won for now. After 5 days of extreme police-patrol in Cologne Kalk, the part of the city where the squatted center is located, and the direct threat of a violent eviction of the squatters, the rightful owner of the building (the bank of „Sparkasse") has declared itself ready for negotiations. Probably, the public pressure on the local politics, the owner of the house and the police got too high for a violent eviction of the peaceful squatters, since as an addition several solidarity actions took place and a big and angry rallye was planned for the weekend after.
Since today, a contract between the rightful owner and the squatters has been signed. The squatters do not have to pay rent, but the contract only reaches till the 30th of September 2011. From this date on, the city of Cologne will become the owner of the object, but experts from and around the squat seem quite sure, that this date should not be problematic.
After the announcement of the contract the crowded squat was filled with euphoric mood. But in the same night, the people started to work on the house and to regulate the final constructional defects in order to fulfill the last conditions of the contract.
For today, the squat and other groups in Cologne still mobilise for the rallye. As it turns out, the rallye won't be the expected, angry black-bloc-rallye; with this successful results, the rallye turns out to be a peaceful party-victory march from the center of the city to the squat, where the gathering will dissolve itself into a party.
RALLYE „FOR AN AUTONOMOUS CENTRE – EVERYTHING HAS TO BE DONE BY OURSELVES!" Saturday, 2nd April, 6 pm, Domplatte (directly by Central Station) Cologne
Website: http://www.selbermachen.blogsport.de
1 comment:
Whew! Comrades were able to defend what is justly theirs to occupy and use. Fuck the police and their capitalist masters. I give all my solidarity to the squatters in Cologne. (A)
Post a Comment