Thursday 19 November 2009

SCHIZOFREHN #3 fanzine




new issue of this 'zine from Sweden..this time on 40 pages, written in English.. main theme of this number are other fanzines so it have interviews with: The Nightmare Continues, Voice Of The Street, Skrut and I.B.I.M. 'zine story, and with some bands: Project Hopeless, For Fuck Sake, Maniati Katz, Gonna Get Yours, Sig Reg, and with editor of Ungovernable Resistance DIY radio show.. also there is tour report from Russia of great band Massgrav, some reviews and so on.. big respect goes to Micke because of his wish for unity on the scene by interviewing various genres bands so everyone can find something for yourself..
'zine is completely free so you must only download it from the net and print it!.. enjoy!..

read or print
my space

Tuesday 10 November 2009

just few words about...

you've noticed that I post few infos about some squats in previous posts..  squats and similar places was always fascinating to me.. this way of living, various activities, constant struggle with city government and police, and all those stuffs which goes with squatting.. I admire to the people who lives in squats..
it's supposed to be a main theme in 1st number of 'zine, so if YOU have any experience, you live in squat or you have just visited some and want to share that here, please feel free to write at crufreedom@gmail.com
and yes..I almost forgot.. don't be afraid to comment stuffs posted here,heh..all this doesn't have much sense if it don't provoke any reactions and comments.. okay..enjoy the reading..
cheers!..

Sunday 8 November 2009

METELKOVA SQUAT info


AKC Metelkova mesto (Metelkova City, Alternative Cultural Center) is an artistic space in the heart of Ljubljana, Slovenia, formerly a republic of Yugoslavia. It is a non-residential squat for artists and activists. It pays no taxes, sells liquor without a license, and has never had any legal status within the city. Metelkova can therefore be thought of as its own city comprised of the subcultures of the surrounding metropolis. The complex consists of four buildings, which hold art studios, galleries, music venues, cafes, bars, and dance clubs. Two other buildings at the site, Hostel Celica and Metelkova 6, collaborate with Metelkova but have separate legal status. The Hostel Celica is legally owned and run by the Student Organization of the University of Ljubljana, while Metelkova 6 is owned by the Ministry of Culture and contains offices of various non-profit organizations.
 

There has been a long and complicated history between the city of Ljubljana and Metelkova.  Unlike the Eastern Bloc, Yugoslavia during the Communist era was open to Western influences and its citizens were free to travel to Western countries. When punk spread throughout England and the U.S. in the late 1970s, many in Yugoslavia took to the development of their own cultural scene. The punk scene in Yugoslavia was well received by mainstream media and flourished. By the time Slovenia declared its independence, punk and alternative culture were already well woven into the region. With the development of Metelkova, this culture found a home.


Following the independence of Slovenia from Yugoslavia in June of 1991, the Yugoslav People’s Army abandoned its head barracks on Metelkova Street. The Network for Metelkova, which was established in 1990 in order to reconfigure social and artistic space.  It requested that Ljubljana permit the use of the former barracks as a cultural center.  The Network was still forming and in regular negotiations with the city of Ljubljana when on September 10th, 1993, the government attempted to illegally demolish the buildings. In response, about 200 people squatted the space and began holding concerts and artistic exhibitions. Throughout the fall of 1993, the center held around 200 musical and artistic events. The subsequent public and media support for the squatters helped foster its growth. However, this did not dissuade the government from attempting to demolish Metelkova. Successful attempts occurred in 1997, when the “Old School” was demolished, and in 2006 with the destruction of the “Small School.” Metelkova’s relationship with the government has been an ever-changing process as Ljubljana’s City Council members have come and gone. As of June 2009, Metelkova has a much-improved relationship with the surrounding authority. A constructive dialogue has developed and there have been talks over the last year about Metelkova becoming city-owned. This would allow Metelkova projects to attain more solid legal status, but some AKC activists fear signing a contract with the city would threaten the voluntaristic, experimental orientation that has been a hallmark of Metelkova Mesto.

With constant struggles throughout the community’s history, it is not surprising that Metelkova is facing an uncertain future. This uncertainty is not based on maintaining the physical space; in fact, many people are certain that the physical community will continue to exist. The troubles come from the larger community of Ljubljana, where the city government has plans to legalize Metelkova by placing it under a contract, possibly changing the entire structure of the community. One member of the Meteorology community was able to articulate the irony, explaining that fighting against the more conservative government of the recent past was easier than protecting themselves from the liberals who, in their current support, may drastically change Metelkova.
  

source: http://metelkova.goucher.edu/history.html
web page: http://www.metelkovamesto.org

MILADA SQUAT info


The story of villa Milada, one of the best known and longest existing czech squat, began 1st May 1998, when was squatted by group of people evicted from another building. Milada is situated in Holešovice district in Prague, north of the city center, near a river. On the place it stands was old villa quarter, which had to fall back on account of new colleges project planned in „communist“ regime. But from the college project are finally realized only three high-raised buildings. Milada also had to be demolished, but finally it was only deleted from the cadastre. Demolition never happened and since the time, Milada didn’t exist in documents. Squatters wanted to make an agreement with Institute for informations in education, the administrator of Milada and surrounding land, all the time, but despite this, unsuccessful attempt to evict the squat followed soon. Eviction was unsuccessful, also thanks to support of college students. In Milada took place concerts, annual Resistance feast (reminder of eviction attempt), Food Not Bombs cooking, projections….
In 2003, a large part of squatters left the house after disagreement and four years of activity decline followed, house served primary only for habitation. In 2007 was unsuccessful tryout to squat a house in the Prague periphery. Squatters, who had idea to build an independent space with clear political direction, turned to Milada, where they decided to stay and revitalize it again. Since then, new collective organized, and helped to happen, hundreds of miscellaneous events: in addition to concerts of many music styles also projections with freegan dinners, poetry reading, theater performances, DIY screen printing and other workshops, discussions, thematic benefit parties, fire show…. It was not only about magnificent actions like celebration of International Women’s day „Toys for boys“ (an exhibition of paintings, theater, projection, squatters fashion parade, gig), Radical graffiti jam or week lasting anniversary of 10 and 11 year of existence. Milada was been valuable because it was a free space where anything was possible. Milada was place for meeting people and space for learning…. Place where we could do benefit concert if somebody got into hard situation, where bands, which haven’t money, could practice, where we cooked for homeless people, where we met lots of interesting and inspiring people, where we realized ourselves, felt free….    
30th june 2009 squat Milada was evicted by private security group hired by Institute for informations in education. Since this day, Milada is posted into the cadastre again, legaly it is again existing house. Police assisted the eviction and didn’t intervened when security employees (lot of them were monitored nazis) were throwing furniture, computers and other stuff from windows, even when they endangered lifes of squatters on the roof, police just covered them. Before the eviction nobody told squatters to leave. After discussion with last squatters on the roof, when the house was already destroyed, cabinet minister for minorities promised to find new substitute space. Now, three flats and cellar in apartment house in centre of Prague (Truhlárská 11), which offered private businessman connected to this minister, are provisory place. Squatters accepted to use this space as a centre for further actions. Soon appeared information, that squatters have to force neighbours to leave. After the emigration of last apartments in the house, which should ensure the squatter, the house would be converted into a hotel. Squatters immediately started to communicate with neighbours, who were scared by negative media campaign. Now, we have good relations with our neighbours, they see we are friendly, active and thinking people – the opposite image that is presented by mass media. Squatters also didn’t want to live here, but use the room just for an action basement – now e.g. as place for cooking and meeting, infoshop, gallery, theatre, gym, storage and multifunction room.

-links: 
http://milada.org/zpravodajstvi/
http://www.milada.org/projekty.php
http://www.myspace.com/klubsquatmilada

Friday 6 November 2009

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT MOVEMENT info


What is the "International Student Movement"?
The "International Student Movement" is a platform used by groups and activists around the world struggling against the commercialization and privatization of public education to network and co-ordinate protests together.
The platform is independent from any political parties, unions or other institutions. It is dominated by grassroots movements and generally open to everyone [students, pupils, teachers, parents, workers,...]. The forces pushing for the commercialization of education [unleashed by global competition] - just like the commercialization of every other aspect of life - are located on the global level. To effectively counter this development groups struggling for free and emancipatory public education need to unite internationally and globally.


"Education is NOT for $A£€ - Global Week of Action"
After the "International Day of Action against the Commercialisation of Education" [05/11/2008] and the "Reclaim your Education - Global Week of Action" [20 - 29/04/2009] activists from various countries agreed to call for another Global Week of Action later this year: Nov. 5th 2009 ["Warm-up" Day of united Action] + Nov.9th - 18th 2009.
Why this time frame? Last year on Nov.5th this platform called for the "International Day of Action against the Commercialization of Education". To have some sort of continuation we agreed during an international chat, that Nov.5th should be the "Warm-up day of united action". Nov.17th marks the "International Students' Day". Groups on the Philippines are already planning protests against the commercialization of education on that day.
An "info pamphlet" can be downloaded here. [print 2 pages on 1 + duplex!]
Please also consider to be added to the list of supporters for this Global Week of Action.

Materials, such as poster designs, can be accessed here.



What is this struggle about?


Students, teachers, workers and parents around the world ask themselves: Is the public education system still serving the interests of the public, or is the focus shifting to implement education systems that primarily serve private and business interests? Tuition fees are – once introduced – sky-rocketing, universities and schools are turned into businesses, student debt keeps increasing and education budgets cut.
Institutions of higher education become highly dependant on their ability to attract sponsorships (usually from economic actors). Consequently only those institutions and departments are able to survive, that are deemed valuable by sponsors.

Public education systems, from kindergarten to university, must prioritize emancipating aspects, be free and accessible to all. A proper democracy only exists, if society consists of emancipated and self-determined individuals, that are able to critically reflect their (social) environment, developments and power structures. Any system, that doesn’t fulfill these criteria is not democratic.

The fact, that groups in more than 20 countries on 5 continents joined the international day of action in November and the Global Week of Action in April this year shows how international this struggle is.

It is up to each group how and for how many days they want to express their protest during the week of action. It can be a smaller or bigger action. But it is important that we co-ordinate this together.
Therefore please leave a message inside this forum or send a mail to:

united.for.education[at]gmail.com
if you have any questions or decide to unite in protest against the commercialization of public education with groups and activists around the world.


- sign petition for free education HERE   
- source: "Emancipating Education For All"

Thursday 5 November 2009

EKH SQUAT info





The Ernst Kirchweger Haus (EKH) in Vienna, Austria, has been squatted in 1990 in order to establish an internationalist, anti-fascist and autonomous centre. It takes its name from the Anti-fascist Ernst Kirchweger, who had been active in the resistance against national socialism during the Second World War. He was murdered during an anti-fascist demonstration in Vienna in 1965. Including an autonomous living space and numerous political as well as cultural initiatives and groups, the project has played an important role in the radical left of Austria and beyond.

Since the 20th of October 2004 it has been known that the former owner, the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ), has sold the building for much less than its worth to speculators from the extreme right-wing. Shortly afterwards, all the symbol leases have been quit and all users of the house were given notice that they have to be out by the 31st of December 2004. After that, there have been a lot of attacks of the new owner to the people in the house. But at the same time a lot of people have done solidarity actions and protests against the sale of the EKH. They have started several big demonstrations, street parties and action squatted some new houses and party headquarters around the area of Vienna. So the city of Vienna and the “Fonds Soziales Wien” have decided to start negotiations with the new owner the Porr AG. The Porr AG has done a verbal promise that they won’t evict the house before June 2006. But then they have started a new eviction process. So after all there are still no leases for the house and the future of all the projects, initiatives and groups in the house is very uncertain.

The EKH defines itself as a free zone for cultural, political and artistic activities.

To find more information’s to the initiatives and groups in the house go to http://www.med-user.net/ekh/.

In addition to the EKH there are several autonomous projects in Vienna that are threatened like the TÜWI , the female centre in the WUK, Echo and Public Netbase. The “Gruppe Freiraum” still want to have the „Altes AKH“(university campus Vienna) for spaces that allow different ways of life and we still need a Punker house in Vienna!

You will find the EKH in Wielandgasse 2-4 in the 10th district (Favoriten!) in Vienna (Austria) near the red metro-line or bus 14A -station "Keplerplatz", or tram number 6 "Reumannplatz"



Infomaden
INFOMADEN (info-maggots) ...is the name of the new infoshop. The Infomaden is open Thur-Sat from 4pm-8pm. The new infoshop, in the same space as the old one, has been open since January, 2006. The collective re-formed and reorganized itself, some left and others came. But the agenda remains the same: there will once again be the availability of undogmatic-left, radical information, a communication platform and availability of our space for left-leaning debate and praxis, offerings of products from the non-commercial, d.i.y. scene (music, clothes, zines, autonomous-lifestyle-chic, etc), places to sit, internet access, warm and cold drinks. Whoever is interested in our work and wants to join us is warmly invited to do so. Because there are a few bridges to the past and we don't want to be stuck in a paradigm, we will not retain the name "Infoladen X." That affects how we are reached electronically. Starting immediately there is a new e-mail address and URL:
infomaden@med-used.net
www.med-user.net/infomaden
Also the library shares our space in the Portiersloge with the Infomaden.
EKH SQUAT: web page my space

KØPI SQUAT info




The Köpenicker Str. 137 was squatted on the 23.02.1990. Short time before that, the house stopped being rented. The house didn`t got torn down, how it was planned, because of the squatting. In summer 1991 there was made a pre-contract with the administrator of the estate, the W.B.M. (housing association Berlin-Mitte), for the use of all rooms. The contract included measures for D.I.Y. building up as well as making single contracts for the housing space.
On the 01.05.1993 there were made unlimited contracts for the housing space, with the new administrator of the estate, the G.S.E. (association for urban development).

 
failed tryings of eviction:

1994 Volquard Petersen became the new owner of the house with a back-assignment. He quit the contracts and made a action for possession in 1996 to have room for his plannings to built an office block. The case got dismissed and the quittings void by law.
Meanwhile Petersen got huge bills so that the house got distrained and set under forced administration. The Commerzbank applied for a forced sale, what got tried 1999 several times.
Because of a lot of protests and solidarity actions, and also because of valid rent contracts, there was not even one interested investor on the first two auctions. The third auction got taken back in Mai 2000.



forced administration of the house:
The forced administration of the house was stopped and given back to Petersen, from whom noone heard since then. The people who lived in
KØPI started a rent community and made contracts with public utility companies. Since then the rent community ist handling the whole administration of the house.
The drink- and wastewater system as well as the roof was rebuilt totally D.I.Y. Also the basement got developed. Comprehensive reconstructions in the living spaces and smaller reparations are people here doing themselves.
There is no owner or administration needed to keep our project.



the forced auction:

On the 8th of may there was another forced auction. The local court and the creditor Commerzbank talked beforehand and tried to keep the auction secret. They sold KØPI and the KØPI- trailerpark for half of the value to the speculator "Besnik Fichtner", which is operating out of a dubios company mixup. The public prosecution department investigates a case, against him and several persons behind him, because of hard fraud and a lot of other things. Fichtner said to a newspaper "Berliner Zeitung" that he wants to built luxuslofts and berths for yachts. It seems like Fichtner forgot in his greed, that the KØPI is not built up right next to water and it´s going to be difficult to built a harbour on our ground.


Kopi - autonomous and self-organized culture and living project:
The house gives around 50 people living space including their children, from which some of them are living here since their birth. The common used rooms offer space for all different kinds of uncommercial cultural events. There were hundreds of bands from all over the world playing in the two concerthalls, the last 18 years. Young talents from berlin as well as well known musicians from America, Europe or Asia. For a lot of east-european musicians was KØPI the place for their first gig in Germany. Also a lot of theatrical performances or Dance- and other performances are taking place on the stages in KØPI.
We also have a non-commercial cinema, charge free sport- and theaterrooms, a self-organized screen- printing workshop, the techno- basement, berlins oldest climbing room, the open office, vegan/vegetarian Soupkitchens, a band-exercise room and a lot of more.
And all that in conscious of without one cent from the state, city, partys or any other "benefactors"...

 

 

After the auction in March 2007, and the following cancellations of the house contracts, the future of Köpi was unclear.  But since then, the situation has changed in some concrete ways – therefore this update.
It came to long and hard negotiatons with the new owner of the house to secure the Köpi as a living and cultural project.
The first priority in the negotiations was the idea to bring the whole of the Köpi complex, for an extended length of time, under self-management (eg. in the form of a contract that is continueously passed on i.e. that is linked to the project and not specific people so that it has no ending).  We wanted to keep the Köpi for as long as possible out of the capitalist economy.
A possible solution was canceled by the Commerzbank, who, still officially, has veto rights (and is still using them against the Köpi).  Therefore, we have concentrated on maintaining the present contracts and getting them extended.
On the 18th birthday of Köpi, the owner extended the contracts for to the whole ground floor, the first floor and the side wing (the concert spaces, some living spaces and the office) for 30 years (based on the conditions for the rest of the house).  The cancellation of the old contracts for the rest of the house for the 31st of May have also been withdrawn.  Through this, there are no longer any unclear legal positions for the whole house and the land it sits on, i.e. all rooms, including the yard and the land in front all are covered by contracts.
These contracts allow us a continues existance for an unforseeable length of time, without us having to compromise or bring to an end our concept of a non-commercial living and cultural centre.
Our concept: „Köpi stays – and the way it is!“ is and was not negotiable.
This success would not of been possible without the help and support of our thousands of friends from around the world.




The various acts of support, the demos, solidarity actions, donations, the massive publicity, created a lot of pressure and put us in a strong position with regards to negotiating with the owner to halt his plans for an eviction of the house.  To all our supporters, once again, a massive thank you -  we could not of done it without you.
Thanks For All The Support – We W ill Never Forget It!
However, even though the threat of eviction has been lifted from the house, this does not mean that we can sit back.
The situation that has existed for a long time with regard to the Köpi Trailer Park is still unclear.  There exists at the moment an allowance by the owner but there is still no long-term contractual solution.  At the moment there is no danger of eviction but if the owner of the land changes, the next conflict will be forseeable.  We need to stay alert.  Please keep your eyes open and come to the action days at the end of May and show that they cannot push projects like the Köpi out of the life of our city’s so easily.
Apart from that, we still need to show solidarity with the other projects in Berlin that are faced with eviction.  The situation being faced by Rigaer 94, XB-Liebig, Liebig 14 and Schwarzer Kanal remains critical.
The example of the Köpi shows that through massive public pressure, we can win.  We see the saving of the Köpi as just a small step in the struggle for the maintaining of all our free spaces.


KØPI SQUAT