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Update on situation of Rote Flora in Hamburg and squatting a
international solidarity - 02.05.2011 18:59
Last weekend, a bigger demonstration in hamburg took place with 4000 to 6000 people for support of Rote Flora squat and against commercialisation of the city. The media attention was high, as there had been lots of discussions in the last weeks about the Rote Flora squat and also about gentrification in generell. Another bigger event was taking place last weekend, as several people squatted a house in the district altona, demanding a social centre "autonomes centrum altona bahnhof (acab)" and staying inside the former building of the fiscal authorities.
banner in solidarity with flora and zomia
demonstration 30th of april
bank in quarter schanze
squatting action in altona
trailerpark zomia
Last weekend, a bigger demonstration in hamburg took place with 4000 to 6000 people for support of Rote Flora squat and against commercialisation of the city. The activities were supported by the network "right to the city" and autonomous and anarchists from different cities. At the same day, a bigger antifascist demonstration in Bremen, close to hamburg "not any meter for the fascists" was not able to block the fascists, but had a quite successfull mobilisation with 5000 people including participants, who later joined the demonstration in hamburg. One day after, at the first of may, a revolutionary 1st of may demonstration took part in hamburg with around 2500 people and the EuroMayDay as well with 2000 people. The EuroMayDay is a political day of action against precarity promoted by a network of feminist, anti-capitalist and migrant groups and collectives in mostly Western Europe. It takes place on the 1st of May each year, May Day, traditionally a celebration of solidarity among workers across the world. EuroMayDay has been promoted as an attempt to "update" the traditional May Day by focusing on flex and temp workers, migrants and other "precarious" people living in Europe. It is made by people also close to the „right to the city“ movement in hamburg.So that all in all the police had a long and intensive weekend.
At the night, several cars were burned, including the one of the environment minister in hamburg and banks were attacked and windows broken. At the demonstration at the 30th of april, a car of german army, which was parked close to the demonstration were burned as police was focussing somewhere else in that moment. Nobody was catched, but all in all around 20 people arrested in all at the weekend.
In end of march 2011, the contract with the owner and the city expired in its original form. In the contract was fixed under which conditions Kretschmer could sell the place and that it has to be a social center. From now on, he has the possibility to sell it for the price he wants and to whom he wants. The house is squatted since 1989 and had never any contract since then. If Kretschmer sells the "Rote Flora", it will be in danger of eviction. The people using the Rote Flora started a campaign "Flora bleibt unverträglich" for activities against the possible eviction. A twitter account is as well available at: @florableibt.
The media attention was high, as there had been lots of discussions in the last weeks about the Rote Flora squat and also about gentrification in generell. But officials in the government are not interested that much in a conflict: "It was not bad for hamburg to have a place like the Rote Flora in the last years" the minister of inner affairs said recently in an interview. And allready in march the new major of hamburg said that the place should stay like it is. This does not mean the cities government is very liberal, but shows that they are afraid to burn their fingers with an eviction. Nontheless it is still an option that the owner will sell the house and future owners would probably try to evict the place and make a comercial place out of it.
Since 1.May the trailerpark Zomia is using the area where they live for some months allready without acceptance by the city. They decided not to leave the area in the end of april but to organise a big party and concerts instead to get support in case of eviction alert. A law in hamburg is specially used for criminalisation of people living in trailers since years. The biggest protests of autonomous and radical left in hamburg was in 2003 after an eviction of the trailerpark "bambule", thousands of people blocked the city for months and the government faced seriouse consequences that time. But the evictions continued since some years ago the government changed and the 5 left trailerparks have agreements with local officials about being tolerated. But there had not been any new successfull squatted trailerpark since and then people squatted the place zomia in wilhelmsburg quarter in last years summer and still stay there. The future of the project is still not clear.
Another bigger event was taking place last weekend, as several people squatted a house in the district altona, demanding a social centre "autonomes centrum altona bahnhof (acab)" and staying inside the former building of the fiscal authorities, a huge building which was not used for several years allready. The quarter altona is the setting of big restructuring, the government wants to build a "new city center" and is investing a lot of money for these plans. IKEA is building a big "Inner City Store" and the trainstation is going to be shifted. The quarter has left traditions but is changing a lot to commercial and expesive living. To confront the situation and show solidarity with Rote Flora, some activists squatted the building and good media attention especially in the context of coming 1st of may. The intention to use the building was failed but the mood of people and possibilities to resist plans of the city was very motivating. Around 80 persons startet to paint and decorate the house, up to 300 people where outside to support the suatters. There was food,drinks and music in- and outside. After four hours the police started with the eviciton of the house. They had to use a angle grinder to open up the basement door and went inside. After seven hours all suatters where set free facing a possible bill to pay, which is going to be covered by solidarity parties. A short videoclip about the action is here:  http://feuerloescher-tv2.blogspot.com/2011/04/leerstandsbesetzung-squatting-vacant.html
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