Call for solidarity! Helsinki squat threatened with eviction

Call for solidarity!
Helsinki squat threatened with eviction

After seven years of actions and a summer of non-stop squatting the radical movement in Helsinki managed for the first time to secure a social centre of it’s own in August 2007. The old restaurant building that became our home has been perfect for hosting revolution with peoples kitchens, gigs, discussions, knitting, movies and other activities taking place everyday.

The owner of the building, a private insurance company called Etera (www.etera.fi), has agreed on renting the house to the City of Helsinki who in turn would hand it over to the squatters. While some people within the administration of the city give us support the more bureaucratic middle aged men at the health and construction agencies have come up with regulations that are totally self serving, have no contact to reality and are a purely political assault against us. These regulations have been enough to scare of the people that support us and the Youth Department has backed of from the project.

If we don’t convince the owners of the house that touching us is a very bad idea then eviction will only be a matter of time.

Another possible solution would be for the city to find us another house. But as we’ve seen the double crossings of politicians over and over again we refuse to leave this house until we have another house to move into.

We have all ready during this summer witnessed the police showing up in the hundreds to evict us without hesitations to use brute force. No matter how the city chooses to solve this problem they need to realise eviction is not the solution.

We appeal to all of our friends across Europe to act in our support against the shit head politics that are being pushed through by the officials of the City of Helsinki. Find an embassy of Finland close to you, arrange a Thursday demo, send us solidarity, do what ever you please but now is the moment we need your support.

The struggles for free spaces continue in all
spaces!

With love and respect
Helsinki squatters
Social centre Elimäenkatu
15
valtaus.org