<nettime> ASCII attacked by shady bar-owner The press statement - English version]

[Patrice Riemens <patrice@xs4all.nl>]

----- Forwarded message from decoy <decoy@lo-res.org> -----

Date: Tue, 08 Feb 2005 21:30:13 +0100
To: ascii-announce@squat.net
Subject: [Ascii-announce] ASCII attacked by shady bar-owner The press
 	statement - English version


As usual, an English version for those who don't read Dutch and for
distribution among international friends and associates:


Shady bar-owner attacks squatters in Javastraat
*Amsterdam,

On monday 7th of december, the "renter" of the squatted groundfloor of
Javastraat 38 physically attacked the squatters on the street and
destroyed the glass storefront.

The police have taken him to station Baliestraat to calm him down. He
returned later to threaten with nocturnal attacks and further violent
actions, yet again.

This man already tries to get a permit for running a bar or restaurant at
the location for seven years, but the district council wont issue it.
According to rumours in the neighbourhood, this permit was denied to him
because of his "questionable background"

*

The groundfloor of Javastraat 38 was occupied on the 2nd of january by the
squatting-group Amsterdam-Oost after years of emptyness. Seven years ago,
there was a fire in the former shop which also caused damage to the
residential-floors above. Shortly afterwards, the groundfloor was taken
over by the self-proclaimed renter. After a short period of rebuilding,
the shopspace there remained out of use because, the disctrict council
would not issue the necessary permits. There is also no officialy
registrated business of any sort at this address.

The renter and one of his associates have already passed by the place
several times since the squatting action 5 weeks ago, to intimidate and
threaten the people living there. They tried to break into the place and
to destroy the locks on the door. Monday afternoon, it came to a direct
confrontation: On arrival the renter and his associate tried to gain
entrance to the shop, but were stopped in their tracks by the occupants.
His right-hand man then grabbed a club they had brought with them in their
car and started to attack one of the occupants, while his boss threw a
bicycle through the storefront window. Because the squatters would not
yield, neither him nor his henchman dared to enter the shop via the broken
window.

He did - however - start to throw large shards of the broken windowpane at
the defenders, but was prevented from causing any further aggravation by
locals who had gathered around the scene.

After about 10 minutes, the police arrived and sent the man off to the
police-station. Scores of squatters also arrived on the scene, following a
call for support, and helped barricading the shop during the aftermath of
the attack.

After being questioned at the police-station Baliestraat, the perpetrator
returned to issue threats of violence which was to follow during the
night.  Therefore a barricade was built and the space was kept occupied by
a larger detachment of squatters.  The Amsterdam squatters will not yield
to threats and violence, not if they come from the Luskes and Enstraas of
this city, and certainly not if they come from some small-time shady
businessman in the Javastraat.



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