IndyMedia - Vrij Media Centrum Nederland

Wanneer: 13/03/2022 - 13:14

Also check out for the initial statement and more: https://en.squat.net/2022/03/07/amsterdam-waldeck-pyrmontlaan-8-resquatt...
This is the second time this building got squatted, the first time was in January and that time it got eviction the day after the squat was announced (https://en.squat.net/2022/01/20/amsterdam-some-reflections-on-the-evicti...). This action is a response to the evictions done by the police and to create a broader housing struggle.

The Police decided to speed evict the second time it got squatted, even though there was proof of house peace through pictures on a Twitter account but this was not deemed enough by the police as they had a witness the building just got entered with a group of people.

During the action, it became clear the police took the squatting action personally, even though it was the owner who left the building in a worse state (the windows on the top floor were smashed since the last time it was squatted, probably to make it unlivable.).

It took the police around 7 hours to get the people out of the house and off the roof. In the end, they needed to use the equipment of the fire brigade to get to the top floor because the doors were barricaded too well. The police had to break up the barricades from the inside (which still took them an hour) to get the people out.

Four people were found on the roof, it took the police till 0:30 to get those people off with the help of special climbing cops and two ladder wagons from the fire brigade. They also sent a negotiator on the roof, to convince them to get off the roof.

During the eviction people were active on the street, there were small spontaneous demonstrations in the neighbourhood in solidarity with the squatters and police were attacked from multiple sides, one cop car got hit by a paint bomb. After the eviction the building also got some decorations (https://www.indymedia.nl/node/51750)

Nine people got arrested, all of them were put into custody for FOUR days in a police cell. They had to endure repressive police treatment, violence and got threatened to be put into jail for 14 days. The acting magistrate decided that this was not possible and even said it was illegal to put the identified people into custody. The officer of justice made these decisions and knew they were illegal, this was just another way to repress squatters in Amsterdam who dare to resist evictions.

Everybody is free now and have a court case coming up (date still unknown), they try to charge them with Trespassing and Destruction of property.