squatting

Grandfather of squatting
Georges Alexandre Cochon was born on the 26th March 1879 at Chartres. Earning a living as a worker in the upholstering trade, he gravitated towards the anarchist movement in Paris.

Now, tactics of police intimidation are being used in an attempt to shut down the centre's social events and political organizing, particularly around the upcoming G8 summit.

Following is a statement from the Köpi, a legalized squat in Berlin currently home to about sixty people and a number of autonomous political and cultural projects.:

Cologne: 'Barmer Block' occupied. The feeling of great potential...
For over three months in the 'Barmer Block' housing estate an unusual squatting experiment took place.

An article with information about resistance to eviction and workers' struggles over housing in Chatsworth, South Africa in the late 90s and early 00s.

If you are squatting it is strongly advised you display this notice to inform people of your rights - and let them know that you are aware of your rights

LEGAL WARNING

Section 6 Criminal Law Act 1977
As amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
TAKE NOTICE

THAT we live in this property, it is our home and we intend to stay here.

It helps avoid homelessness, since renting or buying a house can be prohibitively expensive for many people.

The occupation at Via Tibaldi was a great step forward for the tenants’ and homeless movement in Italy. A whole neighbourhood was involved in it : factories, schools, housing projects took part in the organising of the struggle. There was a victory at Via Tibaldi because everyone there was fully aware

Quarto Oggiaro is a working class quarter of Milan in northern Italy. Many Italians had been forced to leave the poverty of the south to try to find work in the industrialised north, and there found pay low. Housing was scarce, and where it did exist much was wretchedly sub-standard.

In Italy in 1960s and 70s San Basilio, one of Rome’s outlying ghetto areas, a movement was developing of people fighting against their lousy, inhuman living conditions. There were 40,000 people trapped in this slum district. In the previous few months about 100 families had been on rent strike. This started as a spontaneous protest, and was becoming more organised.

Translated and edited by Ernest Dowson
Radical America, Vol.7 no.2, March-April 1973

Translator's Preface