Today one of the oldest squats in the center of Berlin was evicted. The squat was squatted in the 1990s because of many empty buildings at that time and the missing affordable living space in Berlin.
In the house people of the age of 18-40, including two babies, tried to live in an alternative way. They shared their money equal to their income and participated a lot in the left scene from Berlin – and where connected all over Europe. Often people from other countries visited the squat. Also the people from the squat where active in their neighborhood in social projects.
The new investor wants to destroy the old building and build new commercial rooms. This step was widley criticized – especially the neighborhood supported the sqaut and their protest. Many surrounding houses showed their support with banners at their buildings. Also members from the Green Party criticized the escalation strategy of the city.
More than 2.500 Riot Cops as well as heavy police cars like water-guns and armored police vehicles where deployed to get the squatters out of the building and to prevent direct protest.
Nether less riots and protest broke out in the streets around the squat at the Liebigstrasse 14 in the morning hours. Several hundred left winged activists had fights with Riot-Cops, several people where heavily wounded or arrested. Also Journalists got repeatedly attacked by police forces.
As Journalists tried to cover the events directly at the squat they where pushed away by heavy police forces. One police leader shouted at an Press Photographer :”There is no fucking freedom of press today!”.
The police managed it to get into the house after five hours and arrested nine people. Because of that a demonstration with around 500 people was held in the east part of Berlin at 3 pm. Another protest will start at 7 pm near the old squat.
There are reports of four new squattings in Berlin as well as support demonstrations all over Germany (Hamburg, Göttingen, Saarbrücken, Hannover etc.) – as well as in Kopenhagen / Denmark.
Berlin, Germany. 02/02/2011.
Source:
demotix.com
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