A standoff has developed over a “Pandemic” squat in the city of Wrocław, after anarchists took over an empty property in protest against a lack of housing. They have prevented the entry of city authorities, who warn that the building is unsafe.
On Friday, workers sent by a municipal property management agency – accompanied by security guards and with police also present – arrived at the five-storey tenement house at 29 Szczytnicka Street, saying they needed to conduct an urgent technical inspection of the property.
They were, however, prevented from entering the building by the squatters. A group of protesters also gathered to show support for the occupants, including a local MP, Małgorzata Tracz, co-leader of Poland’s Green Party.
W piątek przed kamienicą przy ul. Szczytnickiej 29, w której mieści się squat "Pandemia", zjawili się urzędnicy miejscy w towarzystwie firmy ochroniarskiej i policji https://t.co/xUHG5QbTMv
— Wyborcza.pl Wrocław (@wyborczawroclaw) October 16, 2020
The building belongs to the city, but has fallen intro disrepair since its previous tenants were evicted years ago, reports Gazeta Wrocławska.
Earlier this year, an informal group calling itself the Anarchist Federation moved in, saying they wanted to stop the property – which they named as the “Pandemia” (Pandemic) squat – from being sold to a developer.
“The occupation of the building is a signal to the city that people need access to affordable housing,” they said. “The increase in prices on the housing market is enormous and gradually none of us will be able to afford an apartment from honest work.”
The squatters claim that they have the right to remain in the building under Polish law unless an eviction notice is issued. The city authorities have said that, if the occupiers do not leave voluntarily, they will bring the case to prosecutors.
During Friday’s standoff, some of the squatters claimed that the security guards seeking entry to the building had been aggressive, using pepper spray and directing homophobic abuse against occupants. They also accused the city of carrying out an illegal eviction.
Dressed up like paramilitaries and trying to throw down the door. pic.twitter.com/cBSv7Oduly
— PolishAnarchists (@PolishAnarchy) October 16, 2020
“This is not true,” Katarzyna Galewska, a spokesman for Wrocławskie Mieszkania, which manages properties belonging to the city, told Gazeta Wyborcza. “We were attacked by people staying in the building.”
Galewska also said that this was not an attempt to carry out an eviction, because a court order has not been issued. “We just want to conduct a technical inspection of the building, determine how many people are in there, check if electricity is being illegally used. It’s all about safety.”
“The building is in an alarming technical condition,” she added, and because the “occupants’ health and lives are in danger, we must take radical legal steps to avoid tragedy”. Wrocławskie Mieszkania has therefore applied for an eviction, on the basis that the building has been “illegally seized”, she told TVP.
The squatters claim that they themselves have “put a lot of work into renovating this place, which was a ruin at first”. They blame the city for allowing it to fall into neglect. They also claim statistics show that one third of apartments created by developers end up standing empty.
“There are more vacant properties than there are homeless people and those waiting to be allocated [a property],” wrote the Anarchist Federation. “All socialists, including anarchists, consider this a scandal.”
They say that they aim to create a cultural and social centre in the property, which will host artistic and social activities, including yoga, art exhibitions, and tattoo studios. It will also become an asylum centre for repressed students from Belarus, who are planning to come to Poland this month.
Wrocławskie Mieszkania also attempted to gain access to the building last month, as it put together plans to sell the property, reportedly with a starting price of 5 million zloty (€1.1 million). However, the occupants prevented them from entering at that time too, blocking up an entrance to the building.
Following Friday’s standoff, the two sides are currently negotiating over the future of the building, reports Gazeta Wyborcza.
Main image credit: Krzysztof Cwik / Agencja Gazeta
Juliette Bretan is a freelance journalist covering Polish and Eastern European current affairs and culture. Her work has featured on the BBC World Service, and in CityMetric, The Independent, Ozy, New Eastern Europe and Culture.pl.
