Where the Miles social centre was

This morning at 8.30 the Mossos arrived and carried out the eviction of anohter of Barcelonas most important social centres, Ruina Amalia, one of the last few squatted spaces in the Raval nieghbourhood of the old city. The centre was another of the critical spaces and nodal points of BCN's social movements, about 20 people lived in the squatted space and its social centre hosted a wide range of services and support to the social movement: Okupa office, ASF (architects sans frontiers: arx without borders) support, free internet access, Carcoma the popular carpenter, costume workshop, free shop, kilombo library, theatre and dance space, flamenco patio with cheap bar and cafe.

This is another severe blow to critical nodal points of the cities social movement. It seems blow after blow has been dealt out with no real response from the movements..... Is it time for a change of thinking or acting?

Related Links:Indymedia Barcelona 1, 2, 3,4 Other Indymedias: indymedia.org, indymedia.ie audio clip 1 Ogg clip 1 mp3, clip 2 mp3 video bbc video clip La Makabra indymedia.ie article Seomra Spraoi article 1 2 3 tribune article

Ruinaamelia; "We will continue to imagine resistance against the control of speculation logic and its accomplices." 0.2 Mb riot cops in cherry picker pluck defender of space from Miles roof 0.01 Mb

Residents of adjoining streets to Fatima Regeneration Project Phase 2 under the representative body of The Four Terraces Residents Group find themselves pondering on what course of action to take following two more days of late construction operations on 12/3/07 and 13/3/07.

This was in direct conflict with relevent planning conditions which restrict construction works to within the hours of 8am-6pm Mon-Fri and 8am-4.30pm Sat and despite the site operating under notice from DCC Planning Enforcement for previous breaches of planning conditions.Residents Representatives fear a deal to agree future road closures necassary for construction programme is now unlikely as a consequence of developers actions and apparent DCC Planning Enforcements inactions.

Putting it All Together: Residents Block RoadsAs Fatima Developer's Traffic Plan Fails | Earthquakes in D8 andProblems with dialogue between residents and Fatima Developers | Housing activists meet to discuss redevelopment & privatisation of their homes | A local community rejects Public Private Partnerships | Elliot Constructions Portfolio on Fatima | FFF vs PPP: Fight For the Flats or Public Private Partnerships? | All Eyes On Upcoming PPP Conference | Noise Hacker's New Place, Same Faces community art | People Before Profit Public Meeting expresses concerns on land value from Fatima | Living with state dereliction in St Michael's: local community rejects privatisation of their homes

"We choose when we want to fight!"

After waging a battle against Christian right-wing sect Faderhuset for several years, recent decisions in both the Copenhagen City Court and the National Court has ordered the current occupiers of infamous Danish social centre Ungdomshuset out on December 14th, 2006. This decision and the process through which it was made is hotly contested. This is obvious through both extensive coverage in mainstream Copenhagen social democratic newspapers like Politiken and in how opposition from the centre´s users more recently spilled over into street fighting when police attacked ( 1 ) a Reclaim the Streets demonstration.

Other links: Latest updates in English on Ungdomshuset site | You Tube video of solidarity action in Dublin | Youth Space Under Attack | A Short History of the Copenhagen Squatters Movement | A normally quiet Copenhagen scene becomes a whirlwind of activity | Danish Social Centre Under Threat | Early morning raids on Barca squats | Katsiaficas' History of the European Autonome Movement

Irish Efforts: Opening of Disco Disco | Closure of Disco Disco | Twelve Step Plan For Dublin Social Centre | Seomra Spraoi | The Leeson St Magpie Squat

Reclaiming Fitzwilliam Square over Mayday'04

From the newswire: A LOCAL authority has come under fire after revelations it sold a prime development site in a thriving town centre for just €100. Leitrim County Council last week defended its decision to sell the town centre car park, which is estimated at being worth tens of thousands of euros. The land on Church Lane just off the Main Street in Manorhamilton was sold to the Manorhamilton Enterprise Forum Ltd, a voluntary group comprising of local businessmen. They have since sold it on to developers for an undisclosed "slight" profit who are in the process of building a major residential and commercial development on the site. The development was unsuccessfully appealed by a number of local residents to An Bord Pleanala in April and involved a petitions signed by Hundreds of local people. It has further emerged this week that the County Council have agreed to purchase back some of the development for €900,000....story continues.

Don't get sick in ireland, a friend recently advised me. Of course my friend was referring to our antiquated and underfunded hospital service where there is a better chance of catching MRSA than getting a bed. Lo and behold only a matter of weeks after this comment was made to me and I fell ill. Thankfully my illness didn't necessitate a visit to hospital, however my doctor did advise me that I would be off work for a month and maybe longer and that I should rest and avoid any stressful situations.

Not to worry, I thought, sure I'm insured against this type of thing. I pay my P.R.S.I(almost 5 grand between my own and my employers contribution in 2005) and can therefore claim disability benefit. No problem there. But what about my extortionate rent? I could claim rent allowance from my local C.W.O. So I set about it. First, I had to find out where my local C.W.O operated from. I phoned what used to be the health board and after six phonecalls(daytime rates from a mobile at 55cent per minute) I discovered where to go. So off I set, down to the local health centre which turned out to be a short bus ride away. I would have walked but I am sick and walking any distance is a problem, naturally. No problem said the C.W.O, just get this form (s.w.a 3) filled out. One section to be completed by me, one by the landlord and one by Dublin City Council.