São Paulo, Brazil homeless squat 7 buildings in mass action.
fingers malone | 03.11.2004 21:59 | Social Struggles
In São Paulo, the biggest city in South America, 3000 homeless people squat buildings simultaneously across the city. The homeless movement (sem teto) in Brazil is a big and growing movement because of the desperation and housing crisis. These actions are risky because the police are very violent. The police can evict without a court order in the first 48 hours only so the occupation needs to be very well organised.
Quick report, sorry about mistakes and style, really crap keyboard & not much time.
Sunday we went to squat a building, 3000 homeless people squatting 7 buildings. Meeting point in one big squat, big industrial building in bad condition, rain coming in. Homeless people make little partitioned spaces inside building. Lots of children, hundreds of children inc. many many babies, youngest I saw one month old. Children and some women fighting. More women than men. Many women pregnant. Most people very young.
We go on coaches to secret location, first coach no children, just cracking team, indymedia, organisers & one english tourist, don't ask me why, not my idea to go on first coach.
Open door with biggest crowbars in the world. People cheer, shhh! shut up! Get inside! Homeless people off coaches big push to get inside, pushing and shoving, big crush, everyone shouting calm down! mind the babies!
Big big building in good condition. good organisation, all babies and children to fourth floor for defense, ground floor only security team & indy & tourist. Women start to clean up. Police come. Everybody go to windows, children go to windows to be seen. Build big barricade at door.
Long tense wait. police go away come back go away come back in huge numbers. Turns out there is a man a woman and a tortoiseshell cat living in the building to guard it- this is a disaster. Police come to negotiate say that as someone is living in building, everyone must leave or be charged with kidnapping. Guy goes to door and says to police that he is fine and not being threatened or mistreated or held prisoner.
Police say that everyone has 15 minutes to leave or shock troops come in. three negotiators go forward. Police go upstairs while negotiations on progress and tell homeless people that the negotiators say that everyone is going to leave, people tell police that people will decide for themselves. Upstairs chaos. Many homeless want to leave at once, pack up, try to come downstairs, stairs blocked with people, big crush, organisers saying all leave together or stay together, no individual exits, while negot. in progress, other homeless don't want to leave, decision seems to be made only by negotiaters but I don't understand very well.
We are going to leave. Big crush and chaos on stairs. Lose my friend in worst moment of eviction. Woman, recently given birth, collapses on stairs must be carried out and go to hospital in police car. Homeless go out carrying babies, mattresses cookers. Worst thing in the world to see. In the street people shout slogans but very sad and bitter moment. Police say move on homeless refuse, shout slogans, actually very stupid action but homeless v. upset and just want to let off a bit of steam, tropa de shock come beat truncheons on shields come with dogs people start to panic & run around, organisers get people to calm down make cordon around children move off without violence.
March in the street, shout slogans We want a place to live occupy resist build fight to the death.
March for a long time, police drive around acting menacing. Reach a junction, children and companions go to other squat to go to bed, now is 3am. Non children go to other occupation give moral support.
Other squat big big building hundreds of people in street sitting around some people playing cards, we arrive before main group, then people see people coming from other squat to support, great moment, huge cheer, everyone standing up shouting and cheering, sing slogans the people united will never be defeated the people in the street the struggle continues down with repression the police are thieves.
4am go to bed. TV News in morning of 7 squats 4 are still going 3 evicted show one eviction of squat with tear gas and tropa de shock, not ours. Apparently the police went in through the basement and then let off tear gas inside the building. Two days later- we go to visit squat- still occcupied.
Sunday we went to squat a building, 3000 homeless people squatting 7 buildings. Meeting point in one big squat, big industrial building in bad condition, rain coming in. Homeless people make little partitioned spaces inside building. Lots of children, hundreds of children inc. many many babies, youngest I saw one month old. Children and some women fighting. More women than men. Many women pregnant. Most people very young.
We go on coaches to secret location, first coach no children, just cracking team, indymedia, organisers & one english tourist, don't ask me why, not my idea to go on first coach.
Open door with biggest crowbars in the world. People cheer, shhh! shut up! Get inside! Homeless people off coaches big push to get inside, pushing and shoving, big crush, everyone shouting calm down! mind the babies!
Big big building in good condition. good organisation, all babies and children to fourth floor for defense, ground floor only security team & indy & tourist. Women start to clean up. Police come. Everybody go to windows, children go to windows to be seen. Build big barricade at door.
Long tense wait. police go away come back go away come back in huge numbers. Turns out there is a man a woman and a tortoiseshell cat living in the building to guard it- this is a disaster. Police come to negotiate say that as someone is living in building, everyone must leave or be charged with kidnapping. Guy goes to door and says to police that he is fine and not being threatened or mistreated or held prisoner.
Police say that everyone has 15 minutes to leave or shock troops come in. three negotiators go forward. Police go upstairs while negotiations on progress and tell homeless people that the negotiators say that everyone is going to leave, people tell police that people will decide for themselves. Upstairs chaos. Many homeless want to leave at once, pack up, try to come downstairs, stairs blocked with people, big crush, organisers saying all leave together or stay together, no individual exits, while negot. in progress, other homeless don't want to leave, decision seems to be made only by negotiaters but I don't understand very well.
We are going to leave. Big crush and chaos on stairs. Lose my friend in worst moment of eviction. Woman, recently given birth, collapses on stairs must be carried out and go to hospital in police car. Homeless go out carrying babies, mattresses cookers. Worst thing in the world to see. In the street people shout slogans but very sad and bitter moment. Police say move on homeless refuse, shout slogans, actually very stupid action but homeless v. upset and just want to let off a bit of steam, tropa de shock come beat truncheons on shields come with dogs people start to panic & run around, organisers get people to calm down make cordon around children move off without violence.
March in the street, shout slogans We want a place to live occupy resist build fight to the death.
March for a long time, police drive around acting menacing. Reach a junction, children and companions go to other squat to go to bed, now is 3am. Non children go to other occupation give moral support.
Other squat big big building hundreds of people in street sitting around some people playing cards, we arrive before main group, then people see people coming from other squat to support, great moment, huge cheer, everyone standing up shouting and cheering, sing slogans the people united will never be defeated the people in the street the struggle continues down with repression the police are thieves.
4am go to bed. TV News in morning of 7 squats 4 are still going 3 evicted show one eviction of squat with tear gas and tropa de shock, not ours. Apparently the police went in through the basement and then let off tear gas inside the building. Two days later- we go to visit squat- still occcupied.
fingers malone
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