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Am*Dam a pleading letter to all squatters
Koncerned Kraker - 03.02.2011 17:30
A few words put together to get a few things clearer and out in the open. Hoping to make people question themselves and provoke them into actually becoming politically active and not just loosely perpetuating the squatting community.
I lived in amsterdam for some years now and for the majority of my time here I have been immersed in actions, parties and the organisation of the both. I have been both at one with and completely against the squatters community.
I say squatters community because that is what it is. It is no movement, as quite simply there is no movement, something has to move for movement to be honesty declared. Determining oneself a movement smacks to me of a need to underline ones self importance.
The squatters stand more firmly behind their community than political laurels and morals. This is understandable as it is easier to stand for ones tribe, ones kin, ones community, than it is to stand behind common politics, when these common politics are not spoken out for fear on treading on the toes of ones brethren and thus losing the support of that faction.
Its tricky, most squatters spend their time tip toeing round each other and generally bein non-committal rather than putting ones foot firmly on the floor and saying “this is where I stand”. Many truly do not know what they think, and to go even further do not even bother over thinking someone elses suggested theory.
It seems that in order to join the community you must; live in a squat, or join squatting actions, or other political dislays, preferrably be vegan or vegetarian, say that you are against nazis and racism, have a vague understanding that some women are feminists so to be careful about your language around them, to not be outspokenly homophobic.
This is a very simple and easy criterior in which to follow, and this squatters community produces for one a nice safety blanket which you can wrap yourself up in and hide away from the rest of the big bad world.
This safety blanket is solidarity, and however much the “movement” or scene itself and individuals within it can be criticized this solidarity and support should not be. Generally all squatters doors are open to all squatters and when help is needed one only needs to ask. Whether it is for a political action or help with the plumbing.
It is very easy to access this solidarity and support, this is a good thing, however this leads to people abusing and manipulating the community, whether knowingly or not, to just have an easy life without offering support in return either politically or socially. What I have also witnessed is that eventually when the time comes for an activist to 'retire' they will continue to tap the community- mostly in the form of legalised housing that is by and large accepted to be the property of the movement and should be reserved for active people who need a permanent space and not for 'retirement' which is how it is used.
Everything is just too vague. The words movement, scene, community and milieu are generally all interchangeable in the world of squatting. The politics are all vague because no-one shouts or stamps their feet. There is no passion, and where there is no passion there s no belief and where there is no belief there is no hope.
So in order to breath new life into this community and produce a movement, its time to throw down. Say where you stand, be it lefty student or punk, anarchist or social democrat.
When everything is out there and people from this community actually start to think politics, maybe then initiative will be taken and hope will be restored. Because if something doesn't change soon. The krakers paradijs that once was will be reduce to a few vaguely political legalised spaces and a few memories that become even more grandiose with each year that passes.
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