The following amazing and true story we received as an anonymous contribution. This evening as one of us was about to go out the front door we found, much to our surprise and delight, the piece –in A4 print-outs- lying on the floor. It was signed only “Jack”. We have no idea who this individual is. Even so, since we thought this contribution was special we decided to type it out and upload it to our site right away. Enjoy!
Below the story you will find an edited update that we took of an internet site:
http://www.blauweaanslag.nl/article.php?story_id=57§ion_id=14
As a result it was agreed we would help her squat a home that she was certain had been empty for more than a year and that belonged to the WBR “housing” council.
Initially
everything went very smooth, what do you know they had left the door open
and unlocked…
One
of us even bought some candy and drinks to celebrate. There was one small
hiccup, namely that some gardeners had been working in the house’s garden
and were planning to do so again today. There were surprised to see us
but otherwise were very nice and did not do anything untoward.
Soon we called the WBR and spoke to Carmen Bos. This woman is pure evil, from a trusted source we had heard some very unsavory stories about her. Namely that she hated squatters and that she had in the past -and would now- say anything to get rid of them if any dared to squat a house belonging to her employer. According to our source she thought nothing of lying a rug, lying through her teeth, hysterically shouting, cajoling and threatening squatters.
So of course we didn’t believe this hag of a woman when she simultaneously (and quite contradictory) claimed her WBR had:
A. Already Rented out the house. (which if even it were true is no legal grounds for eviction)
B. Were planning to do work on the house in the near future
After some more talking back and forth (during which we made abundantly clear that, we were almost certain that we should have law on our side and that eviction would be illegal) it became obvious that the WBR and the police were going to forcefully evict. Nothing we said or did could stay them from their reckless, unjust, evil and misguided course.
It was then decided by us that the woman, her baby, her friend and one of us should leave the house through the window to find safety for them and for our gear (tools). We didn’t think there was a point in everyone being arrested. Three of us however -one on the outside and two inside- decided they would resist at the house itself. While the outside person, let’s call her Janet tried to change the situation or at the least buy time the two on the inside frantically got to work. Together they barricaded the hell out of about three doors, including the front door. Then the first, max, decided since he very preferred this, that he would stay in the front room and simply be locked up as a protest. The second person however, Jack (that would be me) decided, the hell with them, I will stay and resist but I am not going with those motherfuckers unless there is no other way.
When I decided this (and later also) I somehow had to think about the Body Count Song “Cop Killer”.
FUCK
THE POLICE, for your freedom.
FUCK
THE POLICE, don't be a pussy.
FUCK
THE POLICE, have some muthafuckin' courage.
These lines gave me strength and resolve no matter how juvenile they might sound on paper.
Only moments after our decision and my ruminations the police reinforcements had arrived and proceeded to batter the first door with a ram!! Crazy, vicious and robotic thugs is all I could think.
So, what I did was I very quickly ran to and lifted the hatch that gives access to the crawl space underneath the house and jumped in. I put the hatch back in place and I wormed my way deeper into the dark and dusty unknown. Eventually I made sure I was lying in a section where –even if the filth opened the hatch and shone a flashlight around- I would not be seen. I doubted any coppers would actually go so far as to crawl around like I had.
When I went down I had taken only my mobile phone, my wallet and two LED flashlights. There was no time to grab anything else. My underground hideout was almost surreal, there was cold hard concrete below my back and only 40 cm above my face I saw stuff that looked almost like fake Styrofoam snow. I quickly realized this white stuff was simply floor insulation. Looking around with my flashlight I saw some debris and here and there, large (mummified?) white spiders, just hanging out. I decided they were “happy spiders” and my “little friends”, ha ha. Hey don’t laugh I had to make the best of this unlikely situation and there wasn’t much else to do down there.
As I stared up I heard the bastards bust down the first and then the second and third door (ha, fuck you all it took you ages, you dimwits) to get to my mate. It was an awful racket of splintering wood, shattering glass and shouting. Then I heard about 15 subhumans flooding into the house. Cops, WBR workers (bouwvarkens) and the evil WBR witch. The house was what in Dutch they call “erg gehorig” (very noisy, not properly sound insulated at all) so I could hear the evil hordes very well. After all they were stomping around only 45 cm above my face. I also somewhat vaguely heard them arresting my buddy –I felt for him and hoped they wouldn’t rough him up- also I could hear the crowd of neighbors that had gathered on the sidewalk and who were speaking excitedly.
Soon I realized I should switch of my phone. I would have hated to be discovered because the Motorola tune was somehow magically ringing out from under the feet of the topside retards!
Through the windows they had seen there were two persons inside. As a result I could tell they were wondering out loud where the hell I was and poking around for me. Then I gathered that they thought I had escaped out the back door and over the garden fence. I almost laughed out loud at their utter lack of creative thought.
Whatever it is they were doing it took them ages. I heard sawing, screwing, drilling, stomping and shouting for what seemed hours. I also heard the WBR crone holler “make sure you make it nice and tight boys so they can never get in again”. That was her parting shot. Soon, the sounds of cops also died down. Now I only heard the bouwvarkens barricading from the inside. Often they were right above at other times they sounded more distant. Because the house was so “gehorig” I could also hear the family that lived in the house next door. They and their kids were running up the stairs all the time. Then after what seemed years but must have been closer to two hours it seemed relatively quiet. Had they gone?!..
I played it safe and listened for a long time. Then slowly, ever so carefully I pushed the hatch open with my head and shoulders. Aahhh daylight and fresh air. I was extremely wary. I still heard lots of noises, but they didn’t sound very close like before. After more extended listening I realized I was hearing the neighbors next door and on the sidewalk. I gingerly crawled out and snuck around to see if the coast was truly clear. It was. Except for the neighbors but they could not really look in. As I walked around I surveyed the utter chaos and carnage.
They
had gained entry with maximum violence and damage. Three smashed doors,
three smashed windows, the removed fuses and missing front door belied
that they had done nothing at all to try and spare the house. Quite the
reverse. Does that sound like actions taken by a responsible organization
that supposedly plans quickly to rent out/fix the very same space?
Lie.
Cheat. Steal.
Those
are the only things they and the cops seemed capable of on this day.
While I walked around I also immediately noticed that they had barricaded the windows. So Mrs. Bos, you think they did a good job huh? Your construction workers are as ineffective and lazy as they are thick. The moment I thought it was safe I managed to escape within a few seconds. And rest assured Mrs Bos, no matter what tricks you try to conjure up, as long as you and your organization and ones like it don’t properly and affordably house everyone there will always be people that will try and manage to squat homes.
Some of you may wonder if I didn’t have an awful time down in my “hole”, perhaps you may even think that I have gone off squatting…
If so you are very much mistaken. My only regret is that my two companions did have to go to a police holding cell and I am not even exactly sure how long they will remain there. Anything else? Well I learned that peeing while you lie on your side is not too easy. Was I scared? Of course I was a little scared, I am not a fool. I did think once:
“What
if they are gone and I can’t get out of the house or worse yet they screw
the hatch shut!?
But
then I thought: ”Fuck it, I’ll just try and if I fail I always have my
mobile phone so I can call some friends to bust me out.”
No, when it was all said and done all I can say It felt damn good to see it through. To stand for something, to outwit the bastards that try to kick you down.
P.S. To be fair I should include here that it seems at least of the people who work at the WBR is very nice and not at all outspokenly Anti-Squatter as such. Before that slag Carmen Bos showed up we were dealing with one of her employees and he seems like a very nice guy. Too bad he works for such monkeys.
P.P.S. I will make sure you guys get an update of this story as this thing develops! This is far from over yet!
Jack
Update
Reply to mother and baby story......... by Anonymous on Tue 30. September 2003 21:54
So,
we read your story, we were very in agreeance with your view on the housing
situation and your opinion on the babylon involved in the scenario, however,
we have a problem in agreeing with you that you were at all brave. we looked
and searched the lines of your very heroic story and we could not come
up with any reason of why we thought that you are brave, we though that
you were in actual fact more cowardly than heroic. we wondered why you
decided to hide in the floor space and not face the music and dance...
were
your friends up there not being arrested and maybe even treated with force,
did you not want your chance to have your say to this wicked rotterdam
housing woman, it would have been a smashing opportunity, don't you think
so.
had
you have not been so spineless you could have caused a good scene and give
your friends some back up in putting up a fight.
also
what happened to the poor woman with the baby? where is she living now?
what did you really do to help? you saw that the house that she could have
had an opportunity to live in, get smashed to pieces while you hid like
a scardy cat under the floorboards.
good
work HERO.
Reply to mother and baby story......... by Anonymous on Tue 14. October 2003 18:55
Hmmmm, the last reply was rather silly, poorly written and so ill reasoned, that i almost considered not replying. But i will anyway just to make some things clear.
I hid under the ground because getting arrested with two or three people would not make any difference to the outcome.
I figured -and this proved correct- that i could do more good for my friends on the outside than in a jail cell. The reason being that outside i might have the opportunity to inform friends of my friends about what happened. And also, if necessary i could arrange a lawyer and such.
I never claimed to be a hero in my story and i still I do not. Neither i am a coward or scared of arrest. Many people who know me and that have squatted with me will attest to that.
As for the woman with the baby we continued to offer our assistance to her but in the end she found "normal" housing so that problem was solved.
In the case of the housing council witch, well i actually have given her my opinion on her and her tactics in the past. But in my view she is completely unreasonable and a conversation with her would be for nought, especially at that time and place.
And, obviously my friends did tell her what they thought about her. They did not need me for that. But i realized they might very well need me for others things after their arrest. The guy i was with could have also have hidden, either alone or with me but he really did not want to since he thought he would become claustrophobic.
He and everyone that was involved thought it was funny and good that i was not arrested. So who are you to judge -who was not even there- whether my choice was a good one or not. Next time think before you post. It is fine to be critical or ask questions but don't be so judgmental please.
Please "Anonymous" the next time you express such harsh opinions make sure you get your facts straight first. The last things squatters need now (with impending criminalization in the Netherlands) is unfair judgments and division amongst ourselves.
Jack