Occupy Spring in Barcelona: Multi-Cine successfully Liberated

La Cinètika     Last Saturday a gigantic 10 screen cinema was occupied as an autonomous social center in Barcelona. The abandoned building is owned by the City Council who had failed to find a use for it. en català per sota
vegan lunch at the ocupied multi-cinema
vegan lunch at the ocupied multi-cinema

The action began as an advertised 4 day series of debates and workshops, meals etc… with a whole range of strikers, squatters, immigrants, feminist struggles etc.. taking part.. all to be held in a local square, and beginning with a street parade around historic struggle sites.,.

The parade ended with the Cinètika occupation

The liberated area, with thousands of square meters and ten cinemas will become, henceforth, an open space in the neighborhood. The promoters of the project want to build a squatting assembly, feminist and outside the institutions. No alcohol will be sold at the venue, as the group believes that “alcoholism and drugs are a problem in the workers neighborhoods.”CfHeBW3W8AA-yDm

True to its name (in classical Greek “that which moves”) the Cinètika hosted during the whole weekend a whirlwind of activities that have combined cleaning and clearance of the facilities with big publiv meetings on  making the independent anti capitalist Palomar barrio, a series of lectures, meals and screenings of documentaries scheduled until Tuesday.( see poster)

The lobby was filled with talks and debates  which have included the participation of the workers in the Telefonica struggle, the Barcelona Metropolitan Transport strikers(TMB), the  Auditorium and Liceu conflicts,  the movement against mortgage evictions PAH, the Union of Popular Street Vendors , All Strike, the Stop the Fare Rises platform, the writer Joni D. and the bus driver and the councillor Josep Garganté CUP.

the barrio ..'St Andrew of the Pigeon Loft'
the barrio ..’St Andrew of the Pigeon Loft’

“Refuse to continue watching passively the media circus of symbolic televised statements of the ‘new left’ institutions, while on the street there is no change in our living conditions which continue to worsen,” states the occupation manifesto entitled ‘End of the show: a letter to the districts from the new squatted cinema in Sant Andreu, published by Cinètika on Indymedia Barcelona.

“We want to equip ourselves with the tools and weapons necessary to build neighborhoods and strong communities […] able to build ways of living and meet their needs apart from and against relationships of domination and oppression that characterize today’s society “.

the agenda..to be held in a local square!
the agenda..to be held in a local square!

Regarding the legal aspects, sources have told the group that “although we have seen police and plain clothes patrols around the cinema, to date there has been no incident. Neither have we received messages from the City Council. ”

Indeed the City Council is in an awkward position, controlled by Barcelona en Común, and led by Ada Colau, herself an ex squatting activist against mortgage evictions , which makes an immediate eviction unlikely, but there must be intense pressure to stop the wave of occupations getting out of hand.

How is it possible to seize a multi cinema in Barcelona, but unthinkable in most other cities? The occupiers in San Andreu barrio have been active and trusted for many years, their tactics are excellent and there is a long history of anarchist type self organisation in the city.

Cinètika make this assessment of the progress of the project. “In the cracks of the Barcelona Brand Name  we are making combative living spaces: a cinema opened up to fill it with life,”

@La CinètikaLaCinetika

Cinema occupied for an autonomous, feminist, anticapitalist space in Sant Andreu.   Rambla Fabra i Puig, 32 (M L1 Fabra i Puig)

There’s a lot more local squatters news here…

The squatted bank Banc Expropriat, free social center in Gracia Barrio is threatened again after winning last year by huge public support.

a dozen demos called by the Expropriated Bank for if they are evicted
a dozen demos called by the Expropriated Bank for if they are evicted
A large building in the city center has been occupied by students for autonomous assembly run living space, etc.
The Transformadors anarchist CSO was evicted while empty.
A center in Sabadell city was attacked by 50 nazis who were driven off quickly by 200 anti-nazis called on Twitter.

The classic Rimaia  CSO, site of the Free University, has been re-occupied for the 5th time and is being refurbished.

the Rimaia is now re-occupied... again
the Rimaia is now re-occupied… again

The Can Vies anarchist social center, site of the 2014 eviction, riots, semi demolition and triumphant counter occupation is still being rebuilt amid a host of new activities……

Can Vies 'Flowers from the Rubble'
Can Vies ‘Flowers from the Rubble’

 

original i més info en catalá

Primavera okupa a Barcelona

La Cinètika obre les portes dels antics cinemes Lauren a Sant Andreu de Palomar i l’Assemblea de Joves de Cassoles ja té casal. Aquest matí, l’Ajuntament ha desallotjat un CSOA Transformadors buit

Pas de la cercavila per la plaça Orfila, on es va fer memòria de les càrregues de la Guàrdia Urbana després del desallotjament del CSO La Galia, a principis dels 2000

1-2. No és el resultat d’un partit de futbol, sinó el balanç que fa dels darrers tres dies el moviment okupa de la ciutat. Dissabte al matí, una cercavila finalitzava amb l’obertura al públic del cinema abandonat del passeig de Fabra i Puig, rebatejat com la Cinètika, on se celebraran fins dimarts les Jornades per un Palomar Autònom i Anticapitalista. El mateix dissabte a la tarda, l’Assemblea de Joves de Cassoles alliberava un local al carrer Bertran, que esdevindrà el nou casal juvenil de Sant Gervasi. Avui al matí, al Fort Pienc, l’Ajuntament ha fet efectiu el desallotjament del CSOA Transformadors, i s’ha trobat l’edifici buit. L’assemblea del centre social ha convocat una concentració de resposta avui dilluns a les vuit de vespre davant la seu del Districte de l’Eixample.

Les darreres setmanes s’han obert les portes de grans edificis abandonats, com la Nova Rimaia, a Sant Antoni, o la Residència d’Estudiants Okupada, al cor del Raval

La revifada de l’okupació és un fet als barris de Barcelona. Les darreres setmanes s’han obert les portes de grans edificis abandonats, com la Nova Rimaia, a Sant Antoni, o laResidència d’Estudiants Okupada, al cor del Raval. L’alliberament d’immobles buits per transformar-los en habitatges també és una tendència creixent a barris com Vallcarca i Sant Andreu. Els moviments socials de la Vila de Gràcia s’organitzen davant l’amenaça de desallotjament imminent del Banc Expropiat, que crida a apropar-se a l’exsucursal de Travessera de Gràcia tan bon punt arribi la comitiva i a manifestar-se a les 20 h del mateix dia a la plaça Revolució. L’endemà, estan convocades, de moment, concentracions solidàries a mitja dotzena de barris de Barcelona.

Aquesta darrera onada d’usurpacions arriba marcada per un element característic: molts dels nous espais alliberats són propietat de l’Ajuntament de Barcelona. És el cas de Transformadors, la Cinètika, un immoble okupat a Sarrià o l’antiga comissaria de la Policia Nacional espanyola que acull des del novembre el Casal Popular Tres Lliris, al carrer Torrent de l’Olla. Avui a les 9 del matí, el govern de Barcelona en Comú complia amb el seu propòsit de desallotjar el primer d’aquests espais, el CSOA Transformadors.

Palomar autònom

Fa cinc anys que una tàpia envolta els abandonats multicines Lauren del passeig de Fabra i Puig. Durant aquest temps, l’Ajuntament de Barcelona, propietari de l’immoble, parlava de diversos projectes per donar-li ús, però tot havia quedat en res… fins dissabte. La inauguració de la Cinètika va posar la cirereta final a una cercavila que va recórrer els carrers de Sant Andreu de Palomar fent parada als indrets més significatius de la memòria anticapitalista i autònoma de l’antic poble del pla de Barcelona. El cinema alliberat, amb milers de metres quadrats i deu sales de projecció, esdevindrà, a partir d’ara, un espai obert al barri. Les impulsores de l’okupació volen construir un projecte assembleari, feminista i al marge de les institucions. No es vendrà alcohol al recinte, ja que el col·lectiu considera que “l’alcoholisme i les drogues són un problema als barris populars”.

A la Cinètika, no es vendrà alcohol, ja que el col·lectiu considera que “l’alcoholisme i les drogues són un problema als barris populars”

Fent honor al seu nom (en grec clàssic, “la que es mou”) la Cinètika ha acollit tot el cap de setmana una voràgine d’activitats, que han combinat les tasques de neteja i habilitació de les enormes instal·lacions amb els actes de les Jornades per un Palomar Autònom i Capitalista, una sèrie de xerrades, àpats i, projeccions de documentals, programades fins dimarts. El vestíbul s’ha omplert de xerrades i debats que han comptat amb la participació de les treballadores en lluita de Telefònica, TMB, l’Auditori i el Liceu, així com de l’Obra Social de la PAH, el Sindicat Popular de Venedors Ambulants, Vaga de Totes, la Plataforma Stop Pujades, l’escriptor Joni D. i el conductor de bus i regidor de la CUP Josep Garganté.

Una de les sales dels multicines Lauren del passeig de Fabra i Puig, abandonat des de fa cinc anys fins a l’okupació del passat cap de setmana / Marc Rude

“No volem continuar contemplant passivament el circ mediàtic de les declaracions simbòliques i televisades de la ‘nova esquerra’ institucional, mentre al carrer no canvia res i les nostres condicions de vida continuen empitjorant”, expressa el manifest titulat Fi de l’espectacle: una carta als barris des del nou cinema okupat de Sant Andreu, que la Cinètika ha publicat al servidor Indymedia. “Volem dotar-nos de les eines i les armes necessàries per a construir barris i comunitats fortes […] capaces de construir formes de viure i satisfer les seves necessitats al marge i en contra de les relacions de dominació i opressió que caracteritzen la societat actual”.

Pel que fa als aspectes legals, fonts del col·lectiu ens han explicat que “tot i que hem vist molta presència de patrulles i secretes als voltants del cinema, fins ara no s’ha produït cap incident. Tampoc no ens ha arribat cap missatge de l’Ajuntament”. A la Cinètika fan una molt bona valoració de la marxa del projecte. “En les escletxes de la marca Barcelona creixen espais vius i combatius: obrim un cinema abandonat per omplir-lo de vida”, expressava el col·lectiu des del seu compte de Twitter.

Cassoles ja té casal

Dissabte a la tarda, un grup de joves de Sant Gervasi de Cassoles –o simplement Cassoles, en toponímia laica– alliberaven un local per tal d’obrir-hi un casal, al número 24 del carrer Bertran. L’Assemblea de Joves del barri, impulsora de la iniciativa, feia tres anys que patia la mancança d’un espai on desenvolupar la seva activitat, després del desallotjament del Casal Popular Manuel de Pedrolo, situat al mateix carrer.

L’Assemblea havia engegat la campanya “No tenim lloc” per reivindicar la necessitat de locals, però denuncien que el govern municipal no ha respost a les seves exigències

Vinculada a esplais i caus de la zona, l’Assemblea havia engegat la campanya “No tenim lloc” per reivindicar la necessitat de locals pels col·lectius i entitats cassolencs. El govern municipal, però, no ha respost a les seves exigències. “Davant d’aquesta situació precària i indigna, hem decidit donar vida a un espai mort des de fa més de vuit anys. Entenem que la falta de voluntat resolutiva de l’Administració davant les demandes que hem presentat és un senyal inequívoc d’immobilisme enfront del jovent del barri, i la negació d’un dret bàsic com el que reclamem. La solució és clara: o ho solucionem nosaltres mateixes, o ens esperen més hiverns al carrer”, exposa l’Assemblea de Joves de Cassoles en un comunicat.

“Transformadors”

El juliol de l’any passat, una vintena de persones van okupar l’edifici de Transformadors, al carrer Ausiàs March. Els fets van generar una polèmica important al barri, ja que feia anys que diversos col·lectius i entitats reclamaven a l’Ajuntament, propietari de l’immoble, que els cedís l’espai. Avui a les nou del matí, agents de la Guàrdia Urbana han accedit a l’edifici, que en aquell moment era buit.

 L’entrada al CSOA Transformadors, custodiada per la Guàrdia Urbana després del desallotjament / Jesús Rodriguez

A les dotze han arribat dos camions de BAGURSA, la societat mercantil encarregada de l’àmbit urbanístic de l’Ajuntament de Barcelona, i els operaris han començat a tapiar portes i finestres. Poca gent s’ha quedat a testimoniar el desallotjament. El col·lectiu ha valorat els fets a través del seu blog: “Tracten així de sepultar l’accés a una cultura lliure i llibertària per la qual nosaltres seguirem lluitant”. L’assemblea de l’espai convoca també una concentració avui dilluns a les vuit del vespre a les portes de la seu del Districte de l’Eixample, al número 311 del carrer Aragó, “en rebuig a aquest desallotjament i en suport a tots els espais autogestionats que practiquen l’autonomia real”.

Helicopter Money starts falling amid economic Looney Tunes

 Government-Owned Bank Begs Customers To Borrow Cash

yes folks,Hello Helicopter Money… the first showers of free cash are beginning to fall in Europe…

helicopter money

We have already reported back to you several times on how desperate the European Central Bank seems to be in its attempts to get the money circulation in the Eurozone going again. Unfortunately all of its previous ‘ideas’ didn’t really work out too well, and the ECB just continues to cut its most important interest rates to discourage the banks to deposit cash at the ECB in overnight deposits.banksters1

Nice theories don’t always work in the real world, and the idea of negative interest rates definitely didn’t help at all. But then, the ECB’s recent statements contained some interesting surprises. During the Q&A session with journalists, Mario Draghi confirmed ‘ helicopter money ’ is a real thing, and just one week later, one of the main board members of the ECB was quoted in an Italian newspaper saying helicopter money is interesting (and cannot be ruled out).

That would be quite unique, and we were very intrigued when we got our hands on a letter from a Belgian bank to an existing (business) client. In that letter, the bank offered the client an immediate credit facility of 3,750 EUR (which could immediately be expanded to 10,000 EUR upon request).Helicopter Money Belfius

The most intriguing part is that this bank is 100% government-owned, and that the client has never applied for a loan, nor does he need one. In fact, the company is perfectly healthy, has no net debt but a net cash position on the balance sheet, but still was offered to borrow money without any installment fees whatsoever. The business owner also confirmed to us he has been client at a larger non-government bank for a much longer period of time but has never ever even received just a request to find out what his capital needs are.

Helicopter Money Belfius

Source: letter provided to us, in Dutch.

Was this a publicity stunt? No. Included in the letter was a SIGNEDBenBernanke CONTRACT by the bank’s credit department, stating the credit facility HAS ALREADY BEEN OPENED (the highlighted part in yellow states ‘this proposal will automatically turn into a contract from April 15 on’) and no further action was required. In fact, there was an accompanying letter promoting another credit facility of up to 22.5M EUR (keep in mind the business we’re talking about has a total annual revenue of less than half a million US Dollar) which could be made available upon a second check and after paying a 2,500 EUR installment fee. That’s right, a bank was proposing a substantial line of credit with an installment fee of 0.01% of the total amount that would be borrowed.

Belgian-French financial services group Dexia Chairman Jean-Luc Dehaene attends the Dexia Parliamentary Committee at the Belgian Parliament in Brussels November 7, 2011. REUTERS/Thierry Roge
Belgian-French financial services group Dexia Chairman Jean-Luc Dehaene

We don’t like to use the term ‘ helicopter money ’ loosely but in this case it certainly looks like this (again; government-owned) bank has gone in overdrive to force credit lines down people’s and company’s throats. Giving away credit lines with no end date looks pretty much like a ‘please borrow some money from us’ type of thing. 840x473And we have saved the best for last. Belfius Bank is nothing less but the nationalized part of Dexia, the bank that collapsed during the Global Financial Crisis and was nationalized in 2011 after more shit has hit the fan, and the cost to insure against a default of this bank more than hundredfolded.

1.2 million on streets in French Strikes. First ‘Nuit Debout’ occupations evicted

direct.loi-travail.plus-de-600-kilometres-de-bouchons-en-france

Nuit Debout (‘WideAwake Night’): police evict the ’15 -M ‘in Paris. At 18:00 1st April reconvening

By Kaos. International .  google translationThe new law will allow companies to fire workers by reducing benefits without going into losses and sick leave depend only on collective agreements and cease to be guaranteed by law. Compensation for unfair dismissal will also be reduced: it will take a minimum of 12 months’ salary for 6 months and only if the worker had at least two years in the company.

The state of emergency, labor reform, opposition to the construction of a new airport in Nantes and the convergence of many more struggles have crystallized in a camp in the Place de la Republique in Paris. The Convergence of struggles group called not go home after the general strike on March 31 against the labor law and stay up all night (Nuit Debout). Although the original call was limited to Paris, they had called in at least 20 other cities. The protest only caught on in Paris, Lyon and Nantes. In Bordeaux and Caen demonstrators they were evicted by police. A theater has been busy in Toulouse.

direct.loi-travail.affrontements-toujours-en-cours-nantes-et-rennes
direct.loi-travail.affrontements-toujours-en-cours-nantes-et-rennes

Between 5 and 6 am, concentrations in Paris and Nantes have been evicted by police peacefully. More than 100 riot police have surrounded the audience and forced to go underground, pushing the shields to those who offered passive resistance. It has lived a moment of tension when a fall occurs in the descent to the subway but the incident has not gone higher. The police have forced the last protesters who chose not to disperse to enter trains  . After the eviction, protesters called to meet again today 1st April at 18.00 in the Plaza of the Republic for another night stands. Continue reading “1.2 million on streets in French Strikes. First ‘Nuit Debout’ occupations evicted”

Coal rail transport line sabotaged in Avon Gorge (UK)

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reblogged  from Via 325.

Attacking UK’s coal transport system – Severing the lines that feed the machine

Severing the lines that feed the machine is not impossible. When people take up civil uprising in the UK, if people are able to shove their obligations to one side to open up an avenue, they mainly have the ability and possibility to be able to grasp their will for something new. The war is not over when those moments stop, it sparks up in little raptures here and there, showing that we are not crushed, things can be brought to a grinding halt again, even for a split second.

It just takes a few bright spirits and we see it clear, when the smug confidence of authorities is knocked, a few pins get hit out and things can be seen in a different light. Out of synch and off balance, everything no longer appears structurally sound, life feels more up for grabs.

The new horizon peaked through our cloudy day, Sunday 6th March, and we hope this uncomplicated act of sabotage we have undertaken exposes the vulnerability of their complex matrix. Continue reading “Coal rail transport line sabotaged in Avon Gorge (UK)”

‘Live Wolf Protected Wolf’ yell 10,000 in Madrid ‘Lobo vivo, lobo protegido

sale en español + el video más abajo
save the wolf

There are over a million licensed hunters in Spain.. and most of them would love to shoot a wolf. But last week over 10,000 people marched in Madrid demanding more protection for wolves, the biggest ever demo in favour of one species and the environment..

Existing law gives minimal protection and compensation for losses of livestock.

In the last decades millions have abandoned rural life in Spain,  forest and wildlife have recovered and the wolf has increased its territory somewhat, despite continual repression.

The wolf is a ‘top predator’ and a key factor in the ecological chain built up over millions of years. Studies in the US show that reintroducing wolves completely transformed the habitats. eg. they controlled the plague of deer which had destroyed tree shoots, leading to forest regeneration, leading to stabilising watersheds leading to beaver dams, leading to fish revival leading to….etc..  (see video)


How Wolves Change Rivers:  For more from George Monbiot, visit http://www.monbiot.com/ and for more on “rewilding” visit http://bit.ly/1hKGemK and/or check out George Monbiot’s book Feral: rewilding the land, the sea and human life: http://amzn.to/1fjgirx Watch the full TED talk, here: http://bit.ly/N3m62h Continue reading “‘Live Wolf Protected Wolf’ yell 10,000 in Madrid ‘Lobo vivo, lobo protegido”

Against Democracy? Tyranny of the most Voted

…..”Okay Democracy is a farce, but better than dictatorship?” you say.. but what if 51% vote for the extermination of the 49%, ? and so on..? The immense power of the modern nation state ensures that reactionary parties almost always get a majority as we are all rather dependant and brainwashed.  democracy
Starting new parties only means they can win with a smaller percentage. Then even if revolution could ever win it’s just in one State, while the real power stays with International Capitalists. And in the rare case that people’s  power triumphs we see our delegated candidates sell out and change sides as if by a law of nature… And if we ever did vote for revolution? That’s when the army takes power….
Is there a better alternative ????…..
Direct Democracy?..Consensus Democracy?..  Anarchism?.. Autonomy?  Topless Federations?..
wealthinequality012915

The anarchist critique of democracy: by CrimethInc.

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The anarchist collective CrimethInc. initiated this month a critical analysis and discussion of “democracy”, promising a series of reflections, the first of which we help to diffuse below.  Preceding it is the introduction to the series … Continue reading “Against Democracy? Tyranny of the most Voted”

INSPIRATION FROM WOMEN BEHIND BRITISH BLACK PANTHERS

Beverly Brian and Olive Morris,
Beverly Brian and Olive Morris,

THE FORGOTTEN STORY OF THE WOMEN BEHIND THE BRITISH BLACK PANTHERS

by Heather Agyepong |reblogged with thanks

THE DEBRIEF: ‘LET ME TELL YOU FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE ZERO INTEREST IN BEYONCÉ’ – HEATHER AGYEPONG SPEAKS TO BEVERLEY BRYAN, A FORMER BLACK PANTHER, ABOUT THE FEMALE BLACK PANTHERS OF BRIXTON.
reblogged with thanks..

First confession, I don’t deny how hugely talented she is but I am not exactly the world’s biggest Beyoncé fan (cue face with open mouth emoji). When her now infamous Super Bowl performance landed in our Twitter feeds last month, it seemed everyone and their dog launched into a critical analysis of her true intentions (including me). Her performance and the video for Formation drew on lots of topics Continue reading “INSPIRATION FROM WOMEN BEHIND BRITISH BLACK PANTHERS”