The political centre of The Netherlands, with its ministries, consulates and embassies, The Hague was the next city to organize a housing protest. The choose the title Woon Verzet, Housing Resistance.
Mert Kumru was host of the event and is part of the NJR, Vereniging Nationale Jeugdraad. The first speaker he introduced, Kevin Tuin, from Radilaak, explained very well why people don’t feel at home anymore in their own neighbourhood. If your next door apartments are bought by investors who add the maximum amount of ‘rooms’ and rent it to as many people as possible, you don’t know who your neighbours are anymore. Besides knowing who they are, these people rotate quickly. That is why his neighbourhood in The Hague, the Laak Kwartier, is going down the drain if they don’t fight it.
Riyaz van Wegberg, from The Hang Out 070, represented the LGTBQ community and immigrants. He gave a great speech about how all these people, everybody who is not a heterosexual Caucasian, have to fight for everything.
Steph Eerhart and Florain Wolff kept everybody warm with a couple of songs. Steph wrote one especially about the events in Rotterdam, where a peaceful protested turned into ugly police violence. This was not the only music reference to the events. The music played before the start of the protest contained a couple of classics from artists like KRS-One. The song by Steph was not the only link with the Woonopstand in Rotterdam. During the protest the police confiscated a little house that was part of the protest. It is still not released by the police, who want to demolish it, and somebody is trying for weeks to get it back. In The Hague a new house joined to support the release of Comrade Osso (house).
The Hague has consulates and embassies from many different counties. The also have the Straat Consulaat, Consulate of the Street, to help the homeless. Vaishnawi explained how she became homeless when she turned 18 and it took her eight years to get her own place to live.
Alina Bijl and Yasmin Ait Abderrahman, chair and vice-chair of the union FNV Young & United, both called for action. Malika explained how in her neighbourhood apartments will be demolished and replaced by, of course, more expensive ones. A typical gentrification tactic. Is anything wrong with the houses? No, not at all. Last year the roofs were replaced. Taking them down now is a waste of money.
If you need to get organised and take action talk to Abel Heijkamp form the Bond Precaire Woonvormen. His messages was clear. By yourself you will never win from corporations. You have to unite, work together with other organisations and make one giant fist. That is the only way to a better deal, like a contract for your house without an expiry date.
The problem of Dani and his fellow students united in The Hague Union of Students is the same as in the other cities. The universities love the growth of the number of students, but they don’t take care of the housing problem they create. Dani saw fellow students quit and go back home as their parents aren’t rich enough to afford the price of a room for their son or daughter.
Esma Kendir was the last speaker of the afternoon. she represented the student union Landelijke Studentenvakbond, LSVb, and invited everybody to come to Utrecht for the Woonprotest on the 21st of November.
It was time for the march though the city. To warm everybody up punk band Hard Voor Weinig gave everything they had as loud as they could! Enjoy their song Woonrecht.
The tour through the town went well. The police had all side streets blocked and the black block had cops walking next to them. The cops were not next to the political parties which participated, probably cause they are part of the problem. Smoke bombs were not a problem for the police at all. Only broomsticks for holding up your sign were not allowed. Probably it also helped that a group of NJCM Legal observers were taking notes…
Besides the speakers and musician two people were stealing the show this afternoon in the Koekamp. These protests get better and better to facilitate disabled people. It is simple things like ensuring you can participate in a wheelchair, having seats for those who can’t stand for a long period of time, livestreams for those who can’t be there in person and….. a sign interpreter! The other hero of the day was the actor who played the role of Sjon Jacobse a property developer. During the tour he explained for every building what had happened to it, “Squaters were living there for twenty years, but that doesn’t make money!”. He didn’t like the ministry of finance either as it cost him too much money. He showed where the University of Leiden bought more properties to teach more students. Good for him as more students means more money!
Overall it was a good protest with many different housing subjects addressed with speakers who can very well explain what they are going through and what you can do.
Kids/Wees thuis afnemen, duperen huurders €40.000,–, Woonplus Schiedam Schaam U. Betaalbare woningen en 1000 andere sprookjes geschreven door Rutte III. Huisbazen zijn parasieten. Krijg de tering met je investering. Free Kameraad Osso!!!!! De markt kraakt, ga kraken!
Geef Osso. Art. 22 Lid 2 Grondwet, bevordering van voedoende woongelegenheid is voorwerp van zorg der overheid. Reguleer vrije huursector nu! Stop beleggers Zelfbewoningsplicht. PBB: Prins Bernard Belasting. Huizen voor mensen niet voor winst. Funda: We hebben een woning binnen uw zoekopdracht… een parkeerplaats in Amsterdam.
Compassie verdeel huizen. (GE)WOON BELEID. Wij komen in woonverzet. 2 steden 1 strijd, Solidariteit met de Tweebosbuurt, Tegen uitverkoop van de stad. Ik verhuis te vaak met anti-kraak. Geen woning geen koning. Wonen = een recht. Huizen zijn geen handelswaar. Homes, not profit. Nee tegen MarkTwerking. Intimidatie, Geweldd = Terreur & Onmacht! Huisbazen zijn parasieten. Ik zou best nog wel een keertje net als vroegâh in Den Haag willen WONÛH. Heeft de VVD ook sigaretten? Ik rook graag nadat ik geneukt ben. No Homeless Students. Mi Casa es tu Kassa
You must be logged in to post a comment.