Interspace: International meeting for squats and autonomous spaces

international | anti-capitalism | event notice Monday April 21, 2008 19:59 by interspace berlin intersquatberlin at riseup dot net

Kesselberg, Berlin 24th - 26th May 2008

Following on from the last international squat and autonomous spaces meeting in Dijon, France last November, comes the second meeting: this time on the outskirts of Berlin.

We see this as a meeting not just to exchange tactics and ideas, or to reflect on the April action days (and plan new ones?) but to share in our new projects, fights and victories: to redraw the battle lines. To achieve durable exchange and solidarity on an international level.

The time

The meeting will last three days: from Saturday May 24th till Monday 26th. We invite everybody to arrive on Friday during the day or in the evening.

For those who can stay a bit longer, the Berlin free spaces action days are taking place from the 30th May to the 2nd June (wba.blogsport.de).

Agenda

We of course have some ideas and have included the suggestions already made in Dijon, but the agenda is open and in the end determined by the people who come. If you have ideas, wishes or if you want to do a workshop, send us an email to [email protected]

Proposed topics so far:

* How do we deal with repression?
* What new strategies are there to create and invent squats and autonomous spaces?
* How does paying rent or buying houses influence the reality of autonomous spaces?
* What are free spaces and why are they important?
* How do autonomous spaces generate, maintain and involve themselves in broader social struggles?

And of course there will be need to speak about the April Action Days, to evaluate the actions and the networking process and to possibly further develop the infrastructure created in Dijon.

The place

The meeting is taking place at Kesselberg, an autonomous/project space in the countryside just outside Berlin. There is space at Kesselberg for about 100 people to sleep (but please bring tents if you have one), as well as several rooms for plenaries and workshops. The place is surrounded by woods and there is a lot of space for taking breaks or meeting outside if the weather is good.

Leave your dogs at home if possible. If you do bring them please keep them close to you at any time, as there are wild animals in the woods surrounding Kesselberg and already a bunch of dogs living there.

The site is also chemical free. The people at Kesselberg have said they can provide soap, but if you bring your own, make sure it is completely chemical free.

How to get there from Berlin:

Public transport: The nearest train station is Erkner. Just take the S3 train, direction Erkner. This is a local Berlin train line and tickets cost about 3 euros.

From Erkner station we can either pick you up if you let us know when you're arriving, or you can take the bus. The bus is Line 428, direction Ziegenhals, until the stop 'Neu Zittau, Kesselberg'. The entrance to the Kesselberg land is next to the bus stop. Alternatively, it takes about 20 mins to cycle there from Erkner.

With a car: Kesselberg is about 7km south of Erkner, between Neu Zittau and Wernsdorf. Driving from the Berliner Ring, either take the Erkner exit via Neu Zittau, or the exit Niederlehme via Wernsdorf , direction New Zittau. For a map see www.kesselberg.info/weg.html

There is limited parking space at Kesselberg, so it would be helpful to let us know if you are coming by car or wanting to park a live-in vehicle on site for the duration of the meeting.

So that we can prepare enough space, organise enough food etc., we need to get an idea of how many people to expect, so please let us know you are coming. Likewise if you need a place to stay in Berlin just before or after the meeting, please email us at: [email protected]

Keep an eye on the blog for up to date info: http://interspace.blogsport.de/ See you in May!