Ungdomshuset has been evicted - first reports

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Friday DEMO Danish Embassy LONDON

Meet 2pm HYDE PARK CORNER, inside on park FRIDAY 2nd MARCH
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Royal Danish Embassy in London, Great Britain
55 Sloane Street
London SW1X 9SR
Great Britain

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Thursday 1st March 2007: Ungdomshuset - the Youth House social centre - was evicted this morning by danish police. There have been at least 70 arrests and many injuries. Supporters of Ungdomshuset have been barricading streets, burning bins and blocking roads.

Demonstrations and direct action are taking place across Copenhagen in solidarity now, with more planned for the subsequent days.

"About 20 meters from McDonalds on runddelen activists had build barricades across the streets. At around 9.25 the police is driving through the street with 3-4 armored vans to clear the barricades. One of the vans directly hit a demonstrator who falls and stays lying with his legs under the car. After this he is arrested - it is unknown what happened to him. The police didn't succeed in clearing the street. Shortly afterwards the barricades were rebuild and containers and garbage were set on fire".

On this site:
Update on the Struggle of Ungdomshuset in Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen: One .. two .. many Youth Houses!

Also see: http://www.ungdomshuset.dk/en.php3?id_rubrique=4

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Statement from Ungdomshuset Information

After a long political and legal battle 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 riot-police sealed off the street and attacked using teargas from below. As the whole area is closed off no documentation of the action and police-behaviour can take place. Some witnesses say that teargas and police violence was plentiful, although the eviction happened swiftly and according to police in a ‘relatively calm manner’.

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 (in English) at: http://www.ungeren.dk/en.php3?id_rubrique=4
Furthermore updates can be found on http://indymedia.dk/article/885 and http://indymedia.dk/article/878
Also here is a short video-introduction produced before the eviction http://www.ungeren.dk/spip.php?article79

Ungdomshuset Information

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See timeline of events of this morning's eviction from Indymedia Denmark. Article with photos here: http://www.indymedia.dk/article/885

Timeline: Thursday 1 March 2007

13:58
At 14.00 there is a reclaim the streets demonstration from israels plads

13:49
In Stengade on Nørrebro the concertplace Stengade 30 has set up a tent from where they hand out tea, coffee and juice. They have put up a sign saying: "Police! You have a choice"

13:33
According to newspapers, Ruth Evensen, the leader of the "buyer" of Ungdomshuset, faderhuset, is going to look at Ungdomshuset later today to decide if the building should be demolish. The police is preparing for a longer stay since they are setting mobile toilets up for the cops on jagtvej.

13:25
On Dronning Louises bridge (access point from inner copenhagen to nörrebro) reports say the police has extended their control of access to also include cars. Furthermore people walking and biking is stopped, body-searched and denied access to the area without further explanation. When Modkrafts photographer tried to get back to Modkraft he was denied access despite his ability to provide a valid media-id card. When the photographer insisted on his right to walk through he was asked to leave. The policeman refused to reveal his name. This is clearly against the law which gives the media the right to pass a police controlpoint unless it is a riot situation. Furthermore the police is always obligied to reveal name and number on demand to the media if they are denied access. The responsible policeman on the spot can be required but as the photographer was asked to leave immediately he chose to do so.

13:18
Demand for emergency meeting in the city council of Copenhagen

12:50
Sources inform us that activists on their way to Copenhagen from Jutland is stopped by the police. This has happened for both activists on trains and in personal cars.

12:31
It is said by witnesses that the police is now stopping and body-searching people walking or on bike on their way over Dronning louises bridge towards Nørrebro. On Nørrebros Runddel it is said that it is now relatively calm but that the area is still being heavily controlled by the police

12:08
The police has blocked Dronning Louises Bro for all trafic towards Nørrebro. Trafic is still possible towards the city to some extend. Also the public trafic has been disturbed by the riots. In many places activists have been met by furious and aggresive drivers when they have blocked the traffic. Latest at a blockade near Åboulevarden (close to jagtvej) where several drivers threw things at the demonstrators

At forum subway station the police has just cleared a blockade of containers by chasing away 30 activists

11:32
The police has entered "Folkets Hus" (alternative house governed by the users themselves) by Folkets Park on Nørrebro. Despite the police wasn't in poccesion of any allowance to enter the house 8 combat uniformed cops entered the house. They however disappeared again when all doors in the house were locked

11:00
Following is an eyewitness report from a journalist on DR (main danish tv channel):

"About 20 meters from McDonalds on runddelen activists had build barricades across the streets. At around 9.25 the police is driving through the street with 3-4 armored vans to clear the barricades. One of the vans directly hit a demonstrator who falls and stays lying with his legs under the car. After this he is arrested - it is unknown what happened to him. The police didn't succeed in clearing the street. Shortly afterwards the barricades were rebuild and containers and garbage were set on fire". Witnesses in the area say there is around 1500 activists out in protest again the eviction

10.38
15 activists have been arrested in Folkets Park on Nørrebro.

10.20
There are burning containers blocking Torvegade at Christiania

10.16
Police is getting ready to clear barricades on Nørrebrogade

10.05
There are events/happenings different places. Activists have spread out. Before the eviction it was said that there would be events everywhere. Among others "Feminists for more "fristeder"" have made blockades 12 different places in town

9.49 Around 100 to 150 activists are trying to build barricades across Nørrebrogade. The Police is removing the barricades by driving into them with their cars. The activists there are angry and frustrated

9.33
Nørrebros Runddel has been cleared for activists. There is reasonable peaceful but there are a lot of activists in the neighbourhood. The athmosphere is tense. So far there has been made around 20 arrests according to Modkrafts reporters

8.41
The police is arresting persons on Runddelen. Activists and the police are pushing against each other

8.34
The Police is clearing Nørrebros Runddel (a few meters from Ungdomshuset) and is starting to arrest people who refuse to move.

8.31
Spokespersons for Ungdomshusets maintain, that the plan when evicted is that the supporters of the house are going to show up in the local areas. Tomorrow there is a protest demonstration at 17.00 from Blågårds Plads and the day after there is a day of different happenings

8.19
Around 100 of Ungdomshusets supporters are trying to break through the barricades the police have made on Jagtvej by Runddelen
There are around 25 of different kind of bigger police vans. And the gathering of people has now officially been asked to leave.

8.15
Assistens Kirkegården (the graveyard/park across from Ungdomshuset) is cleared by the police

8.10
According to sources from Ungdomshusets the police has entered the house around 7.00. It has happened very quickly. It's guessed that it has taken the police around 5 minutes to enter the house through a container on the side of the house from where they have entered through a vindow or the wall and also by deploying cops on the roof.

From Ungdomshuset it is said that: "As long as there isn't a Ungdomshus, there is a fight for a Ungdomshus"

Two ambulances have left Ungdomshuset.

(New information: From Ungdomshuset it is said that the police wasn't that fast this morning as it has earlier been explained to the media. According to sources, that were by the house this morning, it took several attempts before the police succeeded in entering the building.

A crane had to lift a container up to the house several times before the police could enter the house. It started a 7.00 this morning but at 8.00 there was still coming loud sounds out from the house which can mean that the police didn't have full controle over the building yet.)

Related Link: http://www.modkraft.dk

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