From Friday 15th to Sunday 24th April 2016 @ the self-managed social center in Toulouse (C.S.A)
For almost 5 years now, we, members of the CREA (Campagne de Réquisition, d’Entraide et d’Autogestion ; meaning : Requisition, Mutual Aid and Self-managing campaign) [occupy] private and public empties for housing, organising and living regarding to our own needs and with our own ressources. We refuse to watch a city change according to rich people desires and see financial interests wage war to poor people. Since the very beginning of our campaign, We oppose the speculative logic of misery organised by the authorities in charge and by capitalism because We aim for living in dignity ; and, as could be expected, We suffer a repression which only increases every year. We know, as You do, that this is not going to stop, because our fights are threatening their interests and privileges. To our requirement for social justice and dignity, They reply with repressive violence justified by a bunch of political speeches and bourgeois justice. And all along those 5 years, We haven’t been saved : over 80 evictions, dozens of prosecutions, all kind of pressure surges, violences, humiliations… Which is why We naturally feel linked to other stories and struggles…
From the acquittal of Damien Saboudjan, the policeman who murdered Amine Bentounsi,to the Goodyear’s ex-workers sentenced with jail for defending their jobs, from the
maintaining of inhuman living conditions for refugees in Calais to inhibited racism towards popular areas inhabitants, from administrative control of all kinds to pure confinement, from criminalising BDS movement to settling a state of emergency… Repression goes on and amplifies its long term work and it is now an emergency to organise ourselves.
Accordingly, We call You out coming and helping in creating a self-defense network by and for ourselves. In April, We set up 10 days for encountering and sharing about the different forms of represion We suffer locally but also nationally and internationally. Ten days for meeting each others, organising ourselves together, share our analysis, strategies and skills, build some tools, create networks, to feed and grow our struggle now, here and everywhere, to be stronger against the spreading repression. This is about building a common front, carried by people facing repression everyday, to develop the most appropriate tools. We integrate this initiative in continuity with previous events which other collectives called and which We participated (as the support day for the Indictees of Villiers-Le-Bel last summer…) and it is in that same state of mind that We now eager to build a common response up to the issue. Sketches of organisation of these 10 days came up : building each of these days around a specific struggle/form of repression experienced by each other.
And We’ve got quite a bunch of topics to dig around various forms of repression : papers, borders, police violence, housing, requisitions, paperwork issues, popular areas management, violence at work, lay-off plan, racism, islamophobia, romaphobia, imprisonment and confinement of any kind , fight against patriarchy, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, fascism… It will also be the opportunity to link our local fight and support in solidarity with anti-colonial and anti-imperialist struggles led by all people fighting (Kurdish, Palestinian…).
These ten days will also be the opportunity to celebrate all together, We are planning gigs the weekends and friendly moments all along the days : people kitchen, workshops and chill-out for children, skills sharing workshops, open mics… Part of the profits will go to the antirepression funds of the CREA (for paying all the fees inherent to the movement : fines, lawyers fees, administrative fees, international money transferts…) and the rest will be shared between participating collectives needing it.
The programming of these ten days is not defined, which means each collective and organisation can take an active part in planning new themes and initiate activities in the most appropriate ways : talks, workshops, actions, screenings… As soon as We hear back from You, a schedule will be set up, We will forward and update it to everyone willing to get involved until the end of february, when We’ll set up the final events calendar. We invite You to let us know your availibility for the 15th to the 24th April as soon as possible. If You’re planning to organise some kind of activity/workshop/talk/… please email us the theme,date, time and lenghth of it so that We can arrange it the most suitable way for everyone.
About the housing situation, We will sort out some room but unfortunately, in a limited amount. If You could please try to get in touch with people You might know in Toulouse, that would be really helpful. For the ones who really can’t figure anything out, please send us an email saying when You’re planing to come around, for how long and how many You’ll be.
Unfortunately, We can’t afford to share the cost of everyone’s defrayal, this is why We encourage You to organise yourselves by cities or areas, or whatever else working good for You, to reduce the traveling cost. We can also suggest to create a kitty fed by each one of us to help with the defrayal of everyone, especially the ones coming from abroad. A public text is to be written soon, in the meanwhile, feel free to spread this call out to any organisation, collective, association which could be interested in being part of it.
We hope We transmited our desire and motivation to make this happen.
All power to the People.
Email for organising the 10 days: antirepcrea2016@@@riseup.net
CREA’s email: creatoulouse@@@squat.net
Blog: https://creatoulouse.squat.net/