European Round Up

Eviction In Madrid

The Laboratorio, anarchist social centre in the heart of Madrid, was evicted just before Christmas, following a surprise attack by riot cops. On 22nd December, the 'okupas' were given 2 hours to leave with their personal possessions. All databases were taken for intelligence and then the bulldozers moved in. The squatter movement is the driving force behind resistance culture in Spain and the state has virtually declared war against it, outlawing squatting and pressing ahead with brutal evictions. However, as the kids chant on the demos, then 'one eviction, another squat' (sounds sexier in Spanish), its not long before another building is taken, and the city councils are having a hard time keeping up.

The Laboratorio have got a new place, latest info www.nodo50.org/desalojo.htm

Glen Of The Downs

A campaign has been opposing the planned Euroroute from Dublin/Belfast to Paris and Madrid for well over a year now. The motorway is supposed to cut through a large wooded valley. On January 14th about 80 workers moved in illegally to fell about 50 trees near Wicklow and at the North end of the Glen. Protesters eventually managed to stopped the felling which was ordered by the County Council and are now back in court for further hearings. A phone/email tree is in place for future clearance work. Contact Pobal An Dulra

Cork Harbour

Construction company EBS plans to erect 84 170ft high pylons on the island of Cobh in Cork harbour, to transport electricity from their power station to the other end of the harbour. Hundreds of islanders would face the risk of cancer and devastation of their home with one pylon per three acres. There are now two camps set up in to stop the building of the pylons and to force an alternative solution onto the agenda.

European Activists Video Network

Organic Chaos are setting up an activists' video network. The plan is to exchange video footage, video equipment and information about who, when and where to film throughout Europe. They are creating several archives, where people can send as well as receive copies of footage.As well as exchanging footage they co-ordinate information about where to hire or lend equipment, who is filming when and where and who can give training in filming and editing. So far individuals and groups from the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland are involved. The network will be non-profit and anti copyright.

Organic Chaos Network P.O. Box 780 6130 AT Sittard The Netherlands Tel. +46 4524803 e mail: ramp@antenna.nl

The Radix Video Archive for direct action collects and lends out videos throughout Europe, especially the East and South. radix, c/o KuNo, Wurzelbauerstr. 29, D-90409 Nuernberg. radix@pathfindermail.com

Netherlands

The latest stage in the ongoing campaign against the expansion of Schipol Airport involved the squatting of a house near Amsterdam. It was held for about five days, but the police took the building while most squatters were at a demo in Amsterdam.

Contact Groene Front! Postbus 85069, 3058AB, Utrecht

Cologne

3-21 June, Resistance camp '99, in the heart of the city during the G8 and EU summit, co-organised by Ya Basta - European Zapatista support network. Help and tat from experienced radical campers much wanted! fax 0049 (0)69 774670, Bdeo@asta.rwth-aachen.de

An RTS In Lübeck

...took place on December 22nd. About 50 people marched through the town centre and reclaimed a local road. Unfortunately, they were moved on by police after only half an hour.

A33, Northwest Germany

The long running camp on the proposed route from Bielefeld to Osnabruck had seen eviction scares all through 1998, and was finally taken by the state while most residents supported the blockade of a trunk road 200 km to the North. Attempts at reoccupation of the original or another site have failed so far. For now, activists are living in caravans on a car park, waiting for another opportunity. Contact: tel 0049 5425 270

A20, North Germany

The protest against this Trans-European Motorway has been going on for years with camps and actions in various places. It has also suffered several severe blows recently. The last camp had to be abandoned because of neo-fascist attacks, and the environmental establishment like Greenpeace and BUND (FoE Germany) have abandoned opposition to the road. Local initiatives continue despite these adversities. Next big action: |A four day camp in May, with squatting on building sites, street theatre, and a march through Luebeck. A permanent camp might continue after that.

JUP! ; Am Burgerpark 2, 23843 Bad Oldesloe, Germany; Tel: 04531/4512, Email: jup-od@lynet.de

Finland

Finnish activists are braving the Scandinavian winter to protest against logging of the old-growth Malahvia forest. Around 30 activists have arrived in the area where Finnish timber multinationals Stora-Enso and UPM-Kymmene have started an initial 35 hectare clear-cut and further selective logging, and are being put up by supportive locals, since even the most conservative elements of the area are opposed to the logging. Having heard of the presence of activists, the logging companies decided not to operate on the day of the planned protest, 5th January. The Ministry of the Environment have now backed down until the summer.

For anyone interested in solidarity actions, both Stora-Enso and UPM-Kymmene have offices in Britain, the addresses of which are on their websites www.enso.com and www.upm-kymmene.com

Belarus

Ecoline - environmental library and infoservice Po box 170, Minsk, 113 220113, Belarus, 00375 1723464, ecobel@glas.apc.org

Poland

Campaign against the A4 motorway from Berlin to Krakow is still active. It has so far seen a couple of protest sites. Contact Olaf Swolkien 0048 (0)12 4222264 , wapienica@pnrwi.most.org.pl

Romania

1-18 August 1999, near Timisoara, Ecotopia, European camp for activists - best place to make contacts to Eastern Europe; contact eyfa, PO box 94115, 1090 GC Amsterdam, 0031 20 6657743, eyfa@antenna.nl

Israel Actions

Pedants will no doubt remind us that Israel is actually in Asia, but it is the home of an active ecological direct action movement. The proposed Trans Israel Highway has been actively resisted recently. At the end of July a press conference was disrupted with half a ton of ice and calls to 'freeze this highway'. In September the roof of the Tel Aviv branch of the Bank Hapoalim, which finances the project, was occupied, with activists abseiling off to display a banner.

Other recent actions include working with the local fishermen to preserve the 4000 year old Jaffa harbour from the clutches of real estate dealers. Fishermen took their boats and nets to Rabin Square in Tel Aviv for a day of protest.

In August there was a crane occupation against the Herzlia Marina, which has caused tremendous damage to the surrounding coastline. Two activists on smaller cranes were violently forced down after one day, but four other activists remained up a larger crane for 4 days.

Greece Is The Word...

Over half of the high schools in Greece have been occupied in mass resistance against new government legislation. Those engaged in this struggle are facing severe persecution, increasing after riots whereby cop cars were set on fire.

There is also continued struggle against the multinational TVX Gold which has been trying to extract gold from the area of Strymonikos (Chalkidiki),. Local residents have resisted for over a decade to defend the area, and have often faced the authorities in risk of their lives.

Autonomous centre of Kavala, PO Box 1456 P.C. 651 10, Kavala, Greece

Slovenia

Skrati (elves) autonomous infoshop in Ljubljana: skrati@kud-fp.si (Metelkova 6, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia)

A17 Dresden - Prague

Another Trans European Route. While work on the Czech part of the road has stopped because of lack of funds, the German part is due to be started this year, after years of legal battles. A camp has been going in a valley outside Dresden for more than a year. Contact: Am Erlengrund 9a, D-01462 Zoellmen (near Dresden), tel: 0049 351 804 5444

Croatia

Youth Culture Movement of Split, infoshop, Vukovarska 139, Split, ozren.culic@fesb.hr Attack, autonomous cultural factory in Zagreb, Republike Austrije 17/I Tel ++385 (0)1 3777866, arkzin_zg@zamir-zg.ztn.apc.org The longest standing squat in Croatia's history has been occupied for 3 months now.

France

November: A disused slaughterhouse was squatted in Dijon by activists from the autonomous centre "maloka"

13 Oct - 5 Nov. 500 km march for protection of the forests of the Earth, ending in a two-day tree occupation in Fotainbleau, coinciding with the opening of an international conference on nature conservation

7-8 Nov. Disruption of the prestigious hunt in Fontainebleau

"Collectif pour des rues librees" - autonomous centre in Lyon, focus on car-free cities, publishers of "Carbusters" magazine (in English) 4 rue Bodin, 0033 42002357, rgheut@humboldt1.com