Solidarität mit dem Hausprojekt Syrena in Warschau!

Content note: violence, domestic abuse, queerphobia, sexism, racism, homelessness, severe physical injuries

Once again a macho squat attacked the queer-feminist community. This attack was a part of patriarchal abuse that we experience everyday living in Poland. Cis-het man not able to control their anger deprived queer-feminist people of their home, and many collectives of a space for grassroots political activism.

The escalating situation of domestic abuse in Syrena has been going on for some time now. This abuse consisted of verbal threats, knife threats, transphobia, misogyny, kicking one of the locators and choking another. We couldn't stand it anymore. Collective tried to solve the situation numerous times - mediations, meetings lasting many hours. Dima boicotted, sabotaged, disrupted or refused to partake in them. We had enough. We didn't want to be victims anymore. We didn't want to passively witness Dima's violence towards members of the collective. We reacted to it by removing him from the building. This situation was going on for several months. During this time Dima threatened us with a physical violence numerous times.

In the middle of October the community decided that the abuser has to leave the squat. On 21st of November Dima was informed about it and given a week to move out. The deadline passed a week ago - on November 28th. On 5th of December the community collective went to talk to him. To avoid escalation of tension, it was a group of four people - the negotiation group. It was formed of people who lived in Syrena for many years, but most of them didn't take part in the ongoing conflict. To secure the proccess, there were also people from Syrena community collective present at the location.

From the beginning Dima was confrontational. The negotiation group asked him to keep calm. Dima was pushing and attacting the people who were trying to calm him down. Then he punched one person in the face with his elbow. She fell down, hitting her head. It was Amel Mana, who lived in Syrena for 10 years, daughter of migrants and an ex-political prisoner. Dima kept throwing threaths at us, such as "this night will end badly for you".

In the case of physical violence on Dima's part, people from community collective removed him from the building by force. He was not in any way harmed. Within two minutes he was given shoes and a winter coat. His things were packed. It was the very first time that Dima was physically removed from the building. He was previously warned that such actions will be taken if necessary.

An hour later Przychodnia squat attacked Syrena squat. Attackers threw glass bottles, bricks and firecrackers at the people in the backyard and at the building.
Then they cut through the fence, entered Syrena territory and continued their attack.
They smashed the windows, threw pepper spray, bricks, firecrackers and glass bottles inside. They tried to force through the door using a diax, axes and crowbars. When they entered the building, the inhabitants of Syrena and people from the community collective withdrew, fearing for their lives and health. It's worth mentioning that these were predominantly queer people and women. Attackers on the contrary were mostly cis-men who couldn't control their anger.

Resulting in Przychodnia squat's attack, no queer people nor women live in Syrena now, over a dozen of activists lost their home and many communities - their space of actvism. All people have an emergency accomodation. Injured people (some of have body injuries, including fractured scull) are under medical care.

The attackers claim, that thay acted in defense of their colleague who was harmed (Dima), who they say is a political refugee and a leader of belarussian community in Warsaw. The reason for moving him out were his numerous abusive behaviours, not his migrant status.

It was not the people who were thrown out of Syrena today, but rather Syrena was thrown out of its home. Syrena isn't a building at Wilcza 30, but a political project - feminist, queer, anarchist. Neither sexist, quuerphobic behaviours nor forcibly taking over a space (either physical or mataphorical) by cis-men not able to control their anger won't be accepted.