26.4: Es.Col.A (Porto, PT) evicted again
At April 19, 15 police cars, with masked gunmen, evicted the participants of the project,destroying all material in the building, such as books, educational equipement, games. There were at least 3 persons detained and 5 persons injured during the eviction. After a year of growing bonds and synergy with the neighbour population of the project, Es.Col.A was violently and illegaly evicted, as the police did not identify themselves and did not present any official document to validate their action.
The selfmanaged neighbourhoud centre Es.Col.A in Porto, Portugal, is set up by a group of people, citizens that are dissatisfied with the excess of abandoned buildings and the inability of government to create effective responses to social exclusion and education. The main objective of the project is to create an independent, space, self-organized, free accesbile, non-discriminatory, non-commercial and open to diverse activities. The selfmanaged neighbourhoud centre Es.Col.A existed since April 2011 with daily activities taking place in an former abandonded shool building. The activities range from educational support to daily community dinners, through yoga, music, capoeira, dance, film, discussion, always together with and for the local population. For more information, the basic principals and operation of the project, see www.escoladafontinha.blogspot.com
Today, April 19, 15 police cars, with masked gunmen, evicted the participants of the project,destroying all material in the building, such as books, educational equipement, games. There were at least 3 persons detained and 5 persons injured during the eviction. After a year of growing bonds and synergy with the neighbour population of the project, Es.Col.A was violently and illegaly evicted, as the police did not identify themselves and did not present any official document to validate their action.
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[Please send this protest message to:
geral@cm-porto.pt and presidente@cm-porto.pt , Fax-Nr: 00351 222 097 100 ]
To the mayor and the city government of Porto,
To our dismay, we received news that the social center Es.col.a. was
evicted on your instructions. You should know that the school and the
activities of the center of many people outside Portugal are being followed
with sympathy.
In a neighbourhood, almost forgotten by the city adimistration, this
violent eviction of the center destroyed and prevented meaningful social
and cultural activities in which many people participated, including local
residents.
Considering that you might never come to support such iniciatives, you
could at least have done nothing, and let the people in peace who have been
organizing these activities. But you chose to resort to disproportional
force to evict and proceed with the destruction of its interior.
We demand that you make up for your mistake and grant back to the people
what belongs to the people.
Today, April 19, 15 police cars, with masked gunmen, evicted the participants of the project,destroying all material in the building, such as books, educational equipement, games. There were at least 3 persons detained and 5 persons injured during the eviction. After a year of growing bonds and synergy with the neighbour population of the project, Es.Col.A was violently and illegaly evicted, as the police did not identify themselves and did not present any official document to validate their action.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Please send this protest message to:
geral@cm-porto.pt and presidente@cm-porto.pt , Fax-Nr: 00351 222 097 100 ] To the mayor and the city government of Porto,
To our dismay, we received news that the social center Es.col.a. was
evicted on your instructions. You should know that the school and the
activities of the center of many people outside Portugal are being followed
with sympathy.
In a neighbourhood, almost forgotten by the city adimistration, this
violent eviction of the center destroyed and prevented meaningful social
and cultural activities in which many people participated, including local
residents.
Considering that you might never come to support such iniciatives, you
could at least have done nothing, and let the people in peace who have been
organizing these activities. But you chose to resort to disproportional
force to evict and proceed with the destruction of its interior.
We demand that you make up for your mistake and grant back to the people
what belongs to the people.
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Ergänzungen
1º de maio na Fontinha
Portugal: Eviction Awakens Squatting Movement
A few days earlier, on April 19, the forceful eviction of a self managed community center in Porto, meant that many would celebrate April 25 in solidarity with those evicted, as well as with others struggling under the ongoing economic crisis.
[...]
Euromayday (HH): Soli-Aktion für Escola
Radiobeitrag ueber Escola & Co
Sara Moreira beschreibt die Räumung, die Wiederbesetzung des autonomen Zentrums "Escola" in Porto und die 'Lage der Nation'... Was geht ab im 'krisengebeutelten' Portugal? Das Interview wurde auf Englisch geführt; im Anschluß folgt eine Zusammenfassung auf Deutsch.
transnational solidarity