Monday, 8 April 2019

Berlin activists march to demand city seize housing from landlords

quote [ Thousands of Berlin residents took to the streets on Saturday to vent anger over surging rents and demand the expropriation of more than 200,000 apartments sold off to big private landlords, which they blame for changing the character of the city.

Activists have started collecting signatures for a ballot proposal that would require the city to take back properties from any landlord that owns more than 3,000 apartments. Polls suggest such a measure could pass, forcing the city to consider spending billions of euros buying privatised housing back. ]

I am in no way endorsing violence towards landlords, but these artists are. :P
The Coup - Kill My Landlord
Dead Kennedys - Let's Lynch The Landlord
[SFW] [politics] [+6 Good]
[by steele@7:31pmGMT]

Comments

JWWargo said @ 10:09pm GMT on 8th Apr [Score:4 Interesting]
I've probably talked about it on here before, but back in 2010 I joined a group of artists in Essen, Germany in squatting an abandoned downtown office building for 5 days in protest of the city's lack of artistic workspaces. We turned the first floor into an art gallery, slept in the offices on the second floor, and threw public events with music and spoken word performances, and mailed a signed letter to the city government snd various media outlets. Eventually, the landlord (who lived in Berlin) of the empty building (which had sat unused for years, and we didn't even have to break in we found a door that was unlocked) found out and ordered the police to remove us. Similar protests had occured previously in Berlin and Hamburg that ended in violence, but ours was totally peaceful and not one arrest was made. We got the attention of the city's Ministry of Culture, who took our side and was able to secure funds to buy the property to turn it into a community space of some sort. I fell out of touch with the artists I had joined, but last I heard they had hit an obstacle when it was discovered the building had abestos issues. The group called themselves Freiraum, which translates to Free Space or Free Room. No English speaking media covered the event, but there may still be a German article or two on it.
Bob Denver said @ 3:31am GMT on 9th Apr [Score:1 Underrated]
Some older folks may remember this—Eddie Murphy

I was a landlord once...never again. Tried to be kind and humane and my tenant absorbed that and made my life a living hell. I used to dream of a meteor striking the house and hitting her as she slept! Sold the house and the new owners refused her.
mechanical contrivance said @ 1:31pm GMT on 9th Apr
Pepperidge Farm remembers.
steele said @ 7:58pm GMT on 8th Apr
rylex said @ 8:00pm GMT on 8th Apr
i definitely endorse and condone violence against some slumlords.
steele said @ 9:06pm GMT on 8th Apr
I found a playlist called A.L.A.B. - All Landlords Are Bastards. It's pretty on point.
Fish said @ 12:06pm GMT on 10th Apr [Score:-2 Boring]
filtered comment under your threshold
rylex said @ 4:53pm GMT on 10th Apr [Score:-3 Trollfood]
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Fish said @ 2:02am GMT on 11th Apr [Score:-4 Boring]
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rylex said @ 3:01pm GMT on 11th Apr [Score:-5 Trollfood]
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Fish said @ 12:46am GMT on 12th Apr [Score:-5]
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rylex said @ 1:00am GMT on 12th Apr [Score:-5 Trollfood]
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Paracetamol said @ 8:04pm GMT on 8th Apr
Hah – that one caught up. Was about to post about this some month ago but did not find an English article about it.
steele said @ 9:13pm GMT on 8th Apr [Score:1 Hot Pr0n]
Yeah, there's been a lot of important stuff happening (strikes, protests, etc) that just doesn't get traction here. So, while I really should, but with everything irl going on, I've not been bothering to post it.

Like something else that's awesome going on right now; Gilets Jaunes just held an "Assembly of Assemblies" which drafted a General Manifesto that, acknowledging they are fighting a global system, includes "leaving capitalism."

Appel des Gilets jaunes de Saint-Nazaire: Assemblée des assemblées | Le Club de Mediapart

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