The current shift to the right in Europe is more and more visible by numerous attacks on social and autonomous centres of left-wing radical movements. So far, despite the increasing polarization, some keep existing. But we should not ignore the current reactionary tendencies and intensify the exchange of strategies and ideas how to prevent future marginalisation of alternative centres.
They keep coming closer
On February the 7th there was another massive attack on the Torino squats. Searching eight friends accused of "creation of a subversive gang" the cops arrested six people from the anti-authoritarian scene, stormed the squatted Corso Giulio and evacuated the social center Asilo, occupied since 1995. Not only in Italy surveillance, raids and arrests against free-spaces activists become more and more the norm. This repression affects us all. We condemn the constant criminalisation and demand more, not less self-managed spaces for culture and politics.
The reaction of our scenes to the recent repression were disappointing. At the beginning of the year, the historic ADM in Amsterdam as well as the autonomous center Klinika in Prague and the Squat Black Triangle in Leipzig were evicted. Strictly speaking, most of the attacks during the last decade remained without any serious cross-border resistance, be it a reaction to censorship, raids or evictions. In 2006 we’ve been able to obtain at least a replacement for the Ungdomshuset in Copenhagen through a spectacular and sustained international resistance. But today’s conditions are different, in the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, but also here in Germany.
Squat against gentrification and fascists
In the meantime, new right-wing populist agitators set the topics in the parliaments. In addition to stigmatisation of migrants they declared our spaces and all anarchists as top enemies. The smear campaign after the G20 led to further right-wing attacks - through the whole of Europe.
Openly fascist attacks as the one in Salzwedel last year are piling up in a climate of defamation of our spaces. The arson attacks against numerous projects in the Rhine-Main area at the end of 2018 clearly belong to this context. The wind gets rougher for youth centres in the eastern parts of Germany but they are becoming even more important for anti-racist and anti-fascist resistance.
The attacks by the state and the Nazis are, however, generally directed against visible and important places for emancipatory culture and politics. Obviously, in most cities, the level of repressive cleansing and gentrification is so high that there are hardly any ideas on how to defended our spaces. Former strongholds of the squatting movements are getting cleaner and cleaner. Often only the option of hidden squatting is left so that the social-impact of critics on property becomes invisible. But we will never shut up.
Act local, squat the world
The situation in Berlin is currently once again aggravating - countless spaces are acutely endangered. On March the 2nd there will be a demonstration in Berlin which will demand the protection of the autonomous youth spaces Potse&Drugstore as well as the feminist house project Liebig 34. The Syndikat and the alternative pub Meuterei are also endangered. The occupation in the Großbeerenstraße is precarious and most projects in Rigaerstraße always have problems with most authorities.
In Freiburg we also experience raids, surveillance and some evictions. Attempts to draw attention to the necessity of reclaiming our city have been criminalised. Even though there are some reformist approaches for a more just urban development in Freiburg the right to property and the private ownership of housing remain unquestioned.
Nevertheless the struggle for a city for everyone and against obscenely high rents continues in the south-west, too. In the weeks to come, further actions and demonstrations will happen. Kepp your eyes and ears open. The resistance against gentrification, repression and injustice will go on. Our anger is great and our memory is long.
We declare our solidarity with those affected by repression and call out to everyone to organise the defense of our houses and places!
Not a single day without autonomous centres!
KTS Freiburg
