[Onthebarricades] Copenhagen is burning!

[Andy]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Rob 
To: theanarchistcommune at yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 8:55 PM
Subject: [The Anarchist Commune] Copenhagen is burning!



Eviction of Danish social centre fuels anger across Europe 

>From Indymedia

The occupied house in Copenhagen, Denmark named 'Ungdomshuset' has 
functioned as a very important political and social cultural centre 
since 1982. It had been involved in a long political and legal battle 
for its existance. But yesterday morning at around 7am Danish police 
and danish Anti-Terror forces made an end to this by entering the 
roof of the building using a helicopter and start an unannouced full 
scale eviction. Riot-police sealed off nearby streets quickly and 
attacked the building using teargas. As the whole area was closed 
off, so documenting the action and police-behaviour was difficult. 
Some witnesses say that teargas and police violence was plentiful, 
although the eviction happened swiftly and according to police in 
a 'relatively calm manner'. 


At the moment everything is but calm. Over 1000 people are reported 
to be back onto the streets last night and (burning) barricades 
blocked off some major roads in the city. Over 160 people have been 
reported to have been arrested, including 17 of non-danish 
nationality. Some people have been admitted to hospital. Riots have 
continued throughout the day and night and solidarity actions 
spontaniosly broke out in cities across europe: Berlin (300+), Köln, 
Hamburg (700+), München, Karlsruhe, Göttingen, Frankfurt, Bremen 
(300+), Magdeburg, Hannover, Vienna, Heidelberg, Gothenburg, Oslo, 
Helsinki, Stockholm (100+), Flensburg, Göttingen, Marburg, Potsdam 
and Leipzig. In Dresden a building was occupied. Also in London and 
in Dublin rallys take place. Over the next few days many more 
demonstrations and actions are planned and Danish activists have 
called for people to make Saturday 3rd March an international day of 
action. Danish police have started to draft in re-inforcements from 
all over the country and many more activists are set to arrive in the 
capital in the coming days. Meantime an old school in Copenhagen is 
occupied, as well as a backyard house. The headquarter of the Danish 
Social Democrats, Copenhagen, is also occupied. 

An action has been annouced to take place at the Danish Embassy in 
London on Friday 2nd March 

The basis-democratic, alternative political and cultural 
centre 'Ungdomshuset' was forcefully evicted by riot police and 
airborne anti-terror squads this morning. Ensuing demonstrations have 
seen large-scale confrontations between protestors and heavy-handed 
police, here is the full story from Copenhagen. 

After serious social conflicts and uprisings by the autonomist and 
squatting movements in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the 
subsequent 'Ungdomshuset' was offered as part of a political 
compromise to the activists. The mainly young activists dubbed 
it 'Ungdomshuset' ('The Youth House'), and started running various 
cultural and political activities out of there. It has for many years 
served as one of the only multicultural, basis-democratic 
collectives/community centres in Copenhagen, with the exception of 
the Freetown Christiania. Property rights remained in the hands of 
the local council, which in 1999 decided to disregard the previous 
political compromise and sell the house to the highest bidder. 

In 2003 the fundamentalist Christian sect 'Faderhuset', which had 
bought the property in 2001 prompted the authorities to evict 
the 'Ungdomshuset' and its users. Despite many demonstrations in 
support of 'Ungdomshuset' Faderhuset won the ensuing courtcase and 
the politicians avoided serious involvement in the conflict, despite 
the political nature of the case. Many domestic demonstrations saw 
alleged police brutality and in December an 'Ungdomshuset' 
demonstration turned into a major confrontation between activists 
from all over Europe and the police. Subsequently the 'Ungdomshuset' 
was fortified in order to avoid an eviction and return the issue to 
the political arena. 

This morning at 7:00 AM the anti-terror squad landed on the roof of 
the 'Ungdomshuset' via helicopters, while later in the day activists 
from all over Copenhagen rushed to protest the eviction 
of 'Ungdomshuset', they were met by aggressive policemen in riot gear 
blocking the street arresting suspected troublemakers with many 
resulting injuries. The demonstrators fought back and tried to 
reclaim the 'Ungdomshuset', but were repelled and activists took to 
the nearby streets and started building barricades, while engaging 
police in skirmishes. 

The neighbourhoods has been entirely shut down by local residents and 
activists: actions and demonstrations have taken place all over 
Copenhagen with more planned for the following days and weeks. While 
sympathisers from all over Europe have been rushing in, although 
police are attempting to detain suspected activists at the borders. 
Furthermore solidarity demonstrations are under way in Germany, 
Norway and Sweden. 

The house has functioned as a political and cultural centre, home to 
political demonstrations, political debates, concerts and many more 
cultural events since 1982. It has served as a basis-democratic 
remainder that 'another world is possible' until this morning... The 
actions of solidarity taking place all over Europe, as well as Russia 
and Australia are greatly appreciated. Please join in and support the 
struggle for autonomous commons and the resistance against the 
neoliberal repression. The homepage of 'Ungdomshuset' has been shut 
down. 



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