Squatting

Squatting: from ban to duty

The squatting of the OLGV
My own squatting experience started on a sunny day in June, 1998, when I, together with a small group of people, broke open two vacant wings of the OLVG hospital in Amsterdam-East. A tense day, since I had zero point zero experience with squatting and thus no idea what awaited me. The day passed without problems and as soon as we replaced the locks and brought in some furniture, the police was called to report the squat, as was usual. In these times squatting was a legal thing and if it the building had been vacated for more than a year, you would not be evicted immediately. As the hospital had been planning to renovate the buildings, some demolition had already been done, leading to most of the waterworks and electrics being out of order. A shame for us, as it meant a lot of repair work, but that wouldn’t stop us at all.
The first days in the OLVG felt as a journey of discovery. We wandered through the long hallways, from room to room, from floor to floor. We took inventories and inspected. Leftover stuff that seemed to be of worth were put together in a room so that they could be returned to the hospital in case that was desired. In the months that followed lots of chores, construction work and organization was carried out. Slowly yet steadily, the empty building regained colour and function.   
The small group of squatters rapidly grew into a serious collective. Every week people knocked on the door asking whether they could live with us, leading to an eclectic international ensemble of artists, musicians, dancers, writers, refugees, evacuated squatters, students and other adventurers. 
Next to the work that was done in order to improve our living and working circumstances, part of the ground floor was being prepared for De Peper, a vegan culture kitchen which had joined the party. Other spaces on that level, as well as the cellar, were painted, cleaned, drained and made safe for public use. Shortly after the squat already, we longed to organize an open day, expositions and parties. With the help of many volunteers we got a lot done. In no-time, our building grew into an attraction for everyone who loved art, culture and experimental parties.
Unfortunately, the adventure came to its end in 1999, when the OLGV received the necessary permits and started the planned reconstruction. After an non-violent eviction we drifted off and the collective fell apart.
I could write a book about all the things that have happened in these 15 or 16 months we lived and worked in the OLVG. The most important thing now is that the time in the OLVG will always stay with me. I learned a lot, had lots of fun, rediscovered myself and experienced how it is to set up a collective project. 

Sparkling city
Amsterdam then was diverse, raw and adventurous. While we were living in the OLVG, organizing all kinds of things, the same was happening in other squatted buildings in town. Every weekend something was going on somewhere, often happening simultaneously. The ADM in the western harbor area was a special place where people lived and worked. They organized many parties and other activities with the annual Robodock festival as the absolute (sub)cultural highlight. On the Oostelijke Handelskade one could find the Vrieshuis, Pakhuis Afrika, Repetitiehuis and Pakhuis Wilhelmina. A bit further up along the IJ river stood the illustrious Silo building. Furthermore, there was ELF, the Kalenderpanden, De Slang, Vrankrijk, Tsjernobiel, Donkey Kong and many other cool places where many things were organized. Amsterdam was sparkling, because there was space for experiment and accessible, non-commercial initiatives.

A few months after the clearing of the OLVG, a part of our collective squatted the old film academy on the Overtoom. A smaller building than the OLVG, but the OT301 was ideal for our desired combination of living, working and public functions. The fight for the OT301 cost a lot of time and energy, but we managed to buy the building off the municipality and turned it into a collective property. Had that not been done, OT301 would surely not have existed today. For this reason, I think it to be of great importance to pay attention to squatting in this web documentary on collective ownership. Squatting has been a major route to collective ownership: a route which, to my opinion, reveals that squatting is really not about living for free or, as some adversaries claim, destroying or hollowing out buildings or intimidating neighbours. It just goes to show that squatters want to take responsibility, build up something for themselves and the neighbourhood and are willing to pay a decent price for it.

Unfortunately, the route from squatting to collective ownership is still closed off and that is an eternal sin.

The OT301 is not the sole example of a squat that has been turned into collective property. In Amsterdam, the same goes for de Binnenpret/OCCII, Plantagedok, Zaal100, Nieuw en Meer, Vrankrijk, Kostgewonnen and the Frederik Hendrikschool. Every single one an inspiring, non-commercial place that still exists because the property was purchased. After the ban on squatting in 2010 it has not happened no more: a crying shame. Encouraged by fearful, conservative, neoliberals, the government has shot itself in the foot. All that has been made possible by the squatting movement has been forgotten. For example, the now celebrated pop temples Paradiso and Melkweg were once squatted and places like the OT301, OCCII and Zaal100 have been enriching the cultural landscape of the city. Also, large parts of De Jordaan, Nieuwmarktbuurt and Staatsliedenbuurt would have been demolished, were it not for the resistance of squatters. The squatting movement, a self-regulating scene that for decades functioned as a breeding ground for so many beautiful things in the city, has been wiped out. The sparkling city from back in the day does not exist no more, not in that way.  
Naturally, change is inherent in life, but after 2010 something very important has been lost. Now, after all the severe evictions, the municipality is trying to repair the damage, by means of a policy for breeding grounds and free spaces. These efforts are well-meant, but free spaces are not to be organized or facilitated by the municipality. Unfortunately, the route from squatting to collective ownership is still closed off and that is an eternal sin.

New generation squatters
After the ban, the squatting scene has shrunk drastically. Almost all the existing squats were cleared and when somebody had the guts to break into a vacated building, the police and mayor acted ruthlessly upon them. The scene seemed to be on the verge of death, until a while ago, when a new generation squatters stood up, taking the crowbar in hand and blowing new life into the squatting culture. As of yet, it has not grown big, but thanks to AFGA (Anarcha-Feministische Groep), Mokum Kraakt, ASS (Autonomous Student Struggle), RAAK, we can speak of a true squatting scene again. It is an inclusive, non-violent, politically engaged scene which inspires others to do what is important, even though it is actually not allowed.

It is an inclusive, non-violent, politically engaged scene which inspires others to do what is important, even though it is actually not allowed.

As part of this web documentary, we spoke with Bjorn and Eden of Mokum Kraakt, in the Monument on the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 302, which they squatted. This is an old building, neglected by its wealthy owner. It had been squatted for a few weeks, after which it was cleared: now the building is vacated again. The history of Mokum Kraakt is rather short, yet wonderful. The collective has been alive since the clearing of Hotel Mokum in novmeber 2021.
The story starts with the squat of an empty hotel on Marnixstraat. Hotel Mokum, as it was baptized, received plenty of attention in the media and, resulting from their social media tactics, support from within the city. There were also negative reports, but I suspect that the eviction of Hotel Mokum, under pretexts of security, was accelerated mainly due to the change of public opinion. The municipality is clearly not keen on a growing support for squatters and active opposition to the housing crisis, so they prefer to send a platoon of bludgeons as quickly as possible to bring order to the situation. After the eviction, the squatters united with Kinderen van Mokum and other squatters and established the Mokum Kraakt collective. Afterwards, buildings on Kinkerstraat, Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal and Taksteeg have been squatted. Mokum Kraakt makes me think back of our group in the OLVG and the start of OT301. They are young, enthusiastic, motivated, artistic and friendly. I am happy they are there and I am happy that other collective buildings in Vossiusstraat, Wilhelminastraat, Ringdijk, Spuistraat, Oudezijds Voorburgwal and elsewhere are squatted. Finally, there is new life to the scene.

Different types of squatters
From the outside a lot of criticism has been fired at squatters. Often heard comments are: squatters are lazy, work-shy scum, parasites who should work to earn money and pay for a house, just as anybody else: they are violent, destroy everything they touch and intimidate neighbours. We come back to this kind of criticism later. From within the scene itself, disapproval is a regularity as well. It was the case when we squatted OLGV and OT301, and it is the case nowadays.
In times before the ban of 2010, the scene was big: squatting was easier and more buildings in the city were vacated. The internal battles and critiques probably emerged from different people squatting with different motives. Roughly, you could categorize the squatters back then in three groups: the artists, like us in the OLGV and OT301, who were not only squatting to live, but also to work on art, music, film, dance et cetera. They wanted to share their works with the public through events. Secondly, there were politically oriented squatters, squatting mainly to live and to stand up against speculation and vacancy. Finally, tourists hailing from Portugal, Poland, Italy, France and other countries came down to Amsterdam finding in the squatting movement a way to live for free.
You can probably imagine that internal discussions arose as these diverse motives had not everybody working in the same manner. Mostly the tourist squatters –though not every one of them was the same, of course- had a habit of keeping no regard for the neighbours whatsoever and making a big mess of the property. This attitude caused a lot of criticism, giving squatting a bad reputation. Meanwhile, politically oriented squatters commented on the artists and vice versa. At the OLVG and OT301, for example, we were regularly called out for parlor squatters because we were so busy with our programs of music, film, dance and art and we were not dressed in black, wearing hoodies and piercings like the political squatters. We, in turn, often found them boring and uniform because they all looked the same and because they organized so little.
Today, too, I hear or read about internal rivalries between the different squatters. Of course, squatting is not a religion, but a way to get something done. Not every squatter is the same and everybody has the right to ventilate his or her own opinions. That does not mean you should throw shit at each other. In fact, that is really disrupting the movement. Nobody is a better, more real or important squatter than the other. Living up to each other is not the point here. Nobody wants a homogeneous squatting scene. Diversity, freedom of opinion, freedom of thought and action are precisely the strongholds of free places and squats. We should cherish and encourage that.

My subdivision of art squatters, political squatters and tourist squatters is no longer quite up to date. Since the squatting law, the tourist squatters have disappeared, seeking refuge elsewhere. The art and political squatters certainly still exist and to these we can now add the wild squatters, undocumented squatters and land squatters. It is not my point to categorize, but to emphasize that there are different motivations. The wild squatter is a squatter who squats independent from the scene, usually in properties that are going to be demolished. These are often victims of the housing crisis who prefer sleeping somewhat protected over spending the night on the street or under a bridge. We know the undocumented squatters mostly from the collective We Are Here. This is a group of refugees who are denied housing and work by the government. They move from building to building, because otherwise they have to sleep on the streets. Through their squatting actions they make the inhuman situation in which they live visible. Land squatters are people who squat a piece of land rather than a building. In Amsterdam there is Green Tribe and Krakenburg, while in Groesbeek and Wageningen there are also collectives that squat land to live in caravans, yurts or self-built houses.

Conviction
Let's not make the internal criticisms bigger than they are. They exist, they are nonsensical and that's it. It is more important to look at the opinions of the people who are against squatting and convince them to think different. As I wrote earlier, there is a large group of people who are against squatters because they believe that you should keep your hands off other people's property and that everybody should work to pay his or her rent. On social media, but of course in the public media as well, I often see the stigmatization of squatters as work-shy, violent scum or filthy parasites.
I will not claim that every squatter is an angel: even in this context some people mess things up for others. However, this reality does not limit itself to the squatting scene. Think, for example, about football fans or Moroccans of which a small group burdens the rest of their folks with a bad name.  
In order to counter the image of the lazy, violent squatter, it may help to mention that I am a white male in his late forties who grew up in a normal - not rich, not poor - family of two hard-working parents. I was raised fairly strict, with discipline, decency and respect for others and other people's property. After high school I went to college and then always worked, both for myself and for others. Within the context of this story, I consider this background to be relevant, as it probably bears similarities with many of the squatting opponents. The big difference probably lies in experience.
My parents were certainly not pro squatting and when I was 22, moving to Amsterdam, I hardly knew anything about it. I want to point this out, because I am convinced that many people would look at squatters in a completely different way after experiencing squatting environments themselves. If you have never come into contact with squatters, you will be tempted to follow the negative public opinion about them. As people often rightly say: what we don’t know, we fear.
As I have mentioned in the previous paragraph, not everyone squats with the same motives. Some squat out of pure necessity because they cannot find housing, others squat because they are looking for workspace or would like to establish a collective serving an artistic, social or community purpose. There are many different reasons. My reason was mostly curiosity and a desire for adventure. I knew little to nothing about squatting when I opened the doors of the OLVG with some friends. I participated because I was open to a new experience. The years that followed were fantastic and brought me an awful lot. New friendships, space to make music, places to organize public events, accidental meetings with inspiring figures, experience in building and working, setting up my own organizational structure and negotiating with the municipality. Of course, I have also feasted my eyes on all the oddballs I've encountered in the squats and have been irritated at times by a squatter's behavior, but overall it has brought me nothing but pleasure. I find it great to see and experience that people have time and energy left over from their regular work to put into a collective project. Purely by following their heart and passion, not the money.
I myself put a lot of time into OT301 and Amsterdam Alternative in addition to my 5-day work-week as a designer. The claim that squatters are unemployed scum is an absolute falsehood. Certainly, there are unemployed squatters, but being unemployed and not working are two completely different things. Indeed, setting up and running a squat, free space or other non-commercial collective project takes a lot of time and energy, sometimes more than a "normal" 9 to 5 job in an office. An unemployed squatter might do a lot more than an unemployed tenant, though I will keep from that discussion now.
I feel very strongly that squatting is not theft and that the statement of keeping your hands off other people's property hardly makes sense in this context. Vacancy and dilapidation resulting from speculation while people sleep on the streets or have to work multiple jobs to pay the rent, is a terrible thing to me. Squatting is temporary use, not theft of property. It is done to live or organize social projects that are always non-profit and often valuable to the neighborhood. No one gets rich from squatting, no one steals value. If anything, the theft, here, is done by the usually overly wealthy owner, leaving his property vacant and slumming, thereby robbing many people off a place to live. I propose those who are against squatting to ask themselves who the parasite is. The squatter who, out of non-commercial motives, temporarily occupies a property that is being refurbished with own funds and will most likely serve social functions in the neighborhood, or the rich owner who would rather leave a building empty - in order to become even richer himself in the future - than temporarily grant it to someone else who really needs the space? As far as I'm concerned, the answer is very clear.

Value
The exact value of squatting to the city cannot be measured. At least not in the way we measure most things in our current society. We are so used to express the value of something in money that we sometimes forget there are other values as well. Why should we convert value and success into a financial value? How do we not consider things valuable when they cannot be expressed in financial value? It's the same with squatting. There are a lot of opinions about squatting. Among them are the aforementioned negative opinions, but fortunately there are also many people with positive stories. They have personally experienced how beautiful and important the movement can be for the development of both the individual and the city. On the former, I will elaborate later. First, I will demonstrate the value of squatting at the urban level, or squatting for society.
Squats often provide space for social initiatives that cannot find a place anywhere else, because there is little money available. This function is becoming increasingly important now that many community centers are being closed, reducing the number of available spaces for small-scale non-commercial organizations. Squats also provide housing for people who are otherwise forced to live on the streets. Not only students, artists and activists live in squats, but also refugees and homeless people. In squats, you can find accessible and affordable stages and spaces for young bands, dancers, DJs, filmmakers, artists and other creative people. These venues are indispensable for a city that presents itself as a city of the ‘creative class’. If there is no place where the younger generations can start, there will be no recruitment for the future and they will eventually leave the city in search of affordable space elsewhere.
In squats there are often Voku’s (short for volkskeukens translating to people's kitchens) where cheap meals are made from food that would otherwise be thrown away. It is an active way of caring for those who do not have the money to dine at one of the countless expensive restaurants in the city and it also does something against the endless waste of food. In squats there are often give-away stores, language courses, workshops, consultation hours, lectures and other activities that do not find a place elsewhere in the city. Squats and free spaces provide space for the dissent, the experimentalist and the activist. For the rebuttal, the counterculture and the activist speaking out, fighting against inequality and the status quo. Where once people fought for abortion, gay marriage and the legalization of soft drugs, they are now fighting for the climate, equality and against racism and the housing crisis. For a city and a country that proclaims to be diverse, open minded, artistic, creative, democratic, sustainable, social and inclusive it is vital to have enough accessible places where people can meet, make banners and come up with new ideas and creativity. In squats lie pieces of the breeding ground necessary for future life.

Squatting duty
Squats and free spaces are of undeniable value to the city. In addition to that, I would also state that squatting can be of great value to the individual. I speak from my own experience when I say that living and working in a squat can help you a lot in your development as a human being. It would be good for everyone to live in a squat for at least a year between the ages of 20 and 25. Preferably a new building, with a new group consisting of different people who have to start from scratch. Such a situation forces you to properly organize yourself as a collective. You will have to meet up, talk, listen, and discuss how you want to do things together. As opinions can differ and personalities can clash, this process does not come about easily. Meetings take time and are not always fun, but they are very important because they are the basis of shared responsibility. You will have to develop your own organizational structure, making sure that every voice is heard and everyone actively participates in the collective.

It would be good for everyone to live in a squat for at least a year between the ages of 20 and 25.

As far as I'm concerned, collective tasks include setting up and organizing a public space. A place where people from the neighbourhood can come together for activities, music, food, films, workshops and/or other gatherings. Organizing together without a financial motive is of great value, because it demands a lot of creativity, a collective working process and you can be of importance for the neighbourhood and city. Living and organizing in a squat is usually done without a lot of financial resources. When the budget is not adequate to purchase everything and have work done by companies or professionals, you will become resourceful and sustainable, since you will most likely work yourself, using used materials. If you can't do something then you or one of your friends will have to learn it. That way, you will all come to learn practical skills that often come in handy later. I believe that living on a small budget, without luxuries is a necessary antidote to the consumption oriented way of living that marks today’s society. Living in a squat will teach you to have a good time consuming less. It is very easy once you are open to it and get used to it. Many things and tools in a squat are shared and you will see that if you are busy organizing, building, meeting, being together and doing other things you enjoy, you need much less stuff to be happy.
I think everyone can benefit from the experience of spending a year (or more) in a squat. Of course, it won't work smoothly for everyone, but neither does our school system or the job market. It is a process, an experience, a lesson in collectivity that, like traveling and getting to know other cultures, can help you expand your field of vision and develop yourself. I know it is highly unlikely to ever happen, but I would argue for a squatting duty rather than a squatting ban.

Squat-friendly city
Since such a squatting duty will be a long time coming, I think it would be good to start fighting for a squat-friendly city. Not bathing in nostalgic spirits, I believe that we should return to the pre-2010 situation and that even that situation can be improved. Squatting is not a crime, nor a shame or theft. During the 2022 ADEV street parade, there was a demonstration for a squat-friendly city. To strengthen this action, the organization prepared a pamphlet with 10 squatting commandments for a livable city. These included: the prohibition of speculation; no eviction for vacancy; permanent free spaces; the transformation of anti-squatting to social renting; the establishment of a rent ceiling; holding down further commercialization of the city; stopping privatization of public affairs; reforming police deployment; stopping discrimination and ethical profiling. All good ideas that could help to make our society pleasant, fair and affordable for all.
Recent polls show that a substantial portion of Amsterdam citizens are done with gentrification and the increasingly expensive city. Done with more tourists, foreign investors, landlords, hotels, Nutella stores, shopping gutters and other nonsensical crap. Instead, they want more greenery, more community centers, more sports fields, more free spaces and more public spaces. The same polls also show that a many people are in favor of squatting because the housing crisis is not being adequately dealt with and the sale of social housing continues. The squat-friendly city is thus not far away at all. The ball now lies at the feet of politics. If nothing will happen on that side, I sincerely hope that the current squatting scene continues to grow and that five new premises are squatted for every evicted property. From Amsterdam Alternative we will always give our best to support the squatting movement.

Go squatting
If this article has made you want to go squatting, but you don't know where or how to start, look out for a squatting clinic in your area. They take place in Amsterdam, but certainly in other cities as well. Squatting is not an Amsterdam affair. We must fight not only for a squat-friendly Amsterdam, but a squat-friendly Netherlands. In other cities, such as Rotterdam, Utrecht, Groningen, Nijmegen the movement is also going on.
If there is no squatting clinic, you could consider dropping by a nearby squat and talk to the people there. They certainly don't bite; in fact, they are generally very friendly and helpful. In addition, it may be wise to read a manual. There are several manuals and books on squatting. In 2009, the squatting movement published the Squatting White Book. This book gives an overview of some 80 squatting actions in 20 different cities and is a response to the Squatting Black Book written by VVD city councilor Bas van 't Wout in support of the bill to ban squatting by the squatting movement. Recently, Mokum Kraakt released a book called Pak Mokum Terug, which includes several stories and experiences.
In addition, there are several other books, articles and documentaries where you could find information. If you are going to squat, it is important to determine a tactic. Consider how you will proceed, who you will notify, what you will do in your squatted premises, whether you will present yourself through social media and whether you will speak to the media. Every decision has consequences.
Good luck!