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From: "Jo Makepeace" (webmaster@schnews.org.uk)
Subject: SchNEWS 582, 8th April 2007
Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2007 17:39:44 +0100
The Tanneries under threat - Dijon, France
Cutting The Mustard
Another week, another social centre under threat. After last month's violent eviction of the Ungdomshuset in Copenhagen (see SchNEWS 579) to benefit a right wing, racist bunch of Christian nut jobs, now is the turn of Les Tanneries in Dijon, France.
Built on the site of an old slaughterhouse and tannery, 'Espace autogéré des Tanneries' or 'The Tanneries autonomous space' has been around for 10 years, and was given a non-eviction agreement from the city council 2002 after years of fighting for a free, autonomous space in the city. Despite this agreement the "socialist" council have started negotiations - without public consultation - to sell off the land to Générale de Santé, Europes largest private healthcare provider who last year made a cool £1.18 billion in profit, and are 10% owned by the transnational Vivendi.
Les Tanneries - a centre with cinema, library, housing collective, squatters help desk and more - is one of a number of squats and free spaces under threat in Dijon with an alternative theatre and housing collective also under fire from the council's neo-liberal "progress".
* For updates see http://squat.net/tanneries/
* Two squats in Rennes, France were forcibly evicted on Wednesday by taser and stun grenade wielding riot cops. The properties have been sold off by the council for the obligatory dodgy development, the deal for which, quelle surprise, was conducted behind the scenes. After the inhabitants were kicked out workmen moved in to remove all doors and windows to prevent the buildings being squatted again.
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