[Imc-uk-features] feature proposal: Eviction of Danish social centre fuels anger across Europe

Thu Mar 1 15:56:30 PST 2007

Hiya,

I'd like to propose the following features for the UK startpage:

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text version: (html below)

Title: Eviction of Danish Social Centre Fuels Anger Across Europe

Picture: http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/images/2007/03/363975.jpg

The occupied house in Copenhagen, Denmark named 'Ungdomshuset' has 
functioned as a very important political and social cultural centre 
since 1982. It has been involved in a long political and legal battle 
for its existance. But this morning at around 7am Danish police made an 
end to this by entering the roof of the building using a helicopter to 
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 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 tonight and (burning) barricades have 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 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. Over the next few days many 
demonstrations and actions are planned and Danish activists have called 
for people to make Saturday 3rd March an international day of action.

An action has been annouced to take place at the Danish Embassy in 
London 
<https://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/03/363892.html#additions> on 
Friday 2nd March.

*Links:* Indymedia Denmark <http://www.indymedia.dk> | Indymedia Germany 
<http://www0.de.indymedia.org> | modkraft.dk <http://modkraft.dk> | 
German Blog <http://ungeren.wordpress.com/> | UK Indymedia timeline 
<https://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/03/363892.html>

*Articles:* Ungdomshuset evicted - Protests everywhere! 
<https://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/03/363892.html> | Pics of the 
brutal eviction of Ungdomshuset, Denmark 
<https://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/03/363903.html> | Police 
evicts social centre 'Ungdomshuset' in Copenhagen 
<http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/03/363923.html>

article body:

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 shot down 
but a mirror has been set up 
<http://www.ungeren.dk/en.php3?id_rubrique=4> (in English). Also there 
is a short video-introduction <http://www.ungeren.dk/spip.php?article79> 
produced before the eviction.

=========>
html version:

Title: Eviction of Danish Social Centre Fuels Anger Across Europe

Picture: http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/images/2007/03/363975.jpg

<p>
The occupied house in Copenhagen, Denmark named 'Ungdomshuset' has 
functioned as a very important political and social cultural centre 
since 1982. It has been involved in a long political and legal battle 
for its existance. But this morning at around 7am Danish police made an 
end to this by entering the roof of the building using a helicopter to 
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 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’.</p>
<p>
At the moment everything is but calm. Over 1000 people are reported to 
be back onto the streets tonight and (burning) barricades have 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 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. Over the next few days many 
demonstrations and actions are planned and Danish activists have called 
for people to make Saturday 3rd March an international day of action.</p>
<p>
An action has been annouced to take place <a 
href="/en/2007/03/363892.html#additions">at the Danish Embassy in 
London</a> on Friday 2nd March.</p>
<p>
<b>Links:</b> <a href="http://www.indymedia.dk">Indymedia Denmark</a> | 
<a href="http://www0.de.indymedia.org">Indymedia Germany</a> | <a 
href="http://modkraft.dk">modkraft.dk</a> | <a 
href="http://ungeren.wordpress.com/">German Blog</a> | <a 
href="/en/2007/03/363892.html">UK Indymedia timeline</a></p>
<p>
<b>Articles:</b> <a href="/en/2007/03/363892.html">Ungdomshuset evicted 
- Protests everywhere!</a> | <a href="/en/2007/03/363903.html">Pics of 
the brutal eviction of Ungdomshuset, Denmark</a> | <a 
href="http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/03/363923.htmlPolice 
evicts social centre 'Ungdomshuset' in Copenhagen</a></p>

article body:

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 shot down 
but <a href="http://www.ungeren.dk/en.php3?id_rubrique=4">a mirror has 
been set up</a> (in English). Also there is <a 
href="http://www.ungeren.dk/spip.php?article79">a short 
video-introduction</a> produced before the eviction.