Squatter’s Rights Demonstration in the Hague

Στην ολλανδια προσπαθει να περάσει νόμος, που να χαρακτηρίζει τις καταλήψεις παρανομες (ενω τοσα χρόνια η καταληψη κτιρίου που εχει να χρησιμοποιηθει πανω απο ένα χρόνο είναι νόμιμη). Στις 15/10 εγινε μια συγκέντρωση στην Χαγη οπου είναι κοινοβούλια κλπ την ώρα που εξεταζόταν αν θα περάσει αυτός ο νόμος. Εγιναν παραπάνω απο 90 συλλήψεις χωρις κανέναν απολύτως λόγο. Τα γεγονότα έχουν κάπως έτσι: (Αν κάποιος έχει χρόνο για μια μετάφραση καλό θα ήταν να το πράξει)

Squatter’s Rights Demonstration in the Hague




On October 15th, 2009 a fundamental human balance was disturbed between a person’s right to have a roof over their head and real estate profits in Holland. This article is written from the perspective of a neutral eye witness and aims to give details about the demonstration that was carelessly disregarded by the media.


A series of peaceful demonstrations were held in the Hague beside the Parliament buildings for the purpose of protesting a law that was being passed there that evening. The law was to make squatting illegal in Holland and punishable by one year in prison. Squatting is now legal in Holland. A person can squat a property if it has been empty for more than one year. If the owner has an immediate need to get the property emptied they can negotiate with the squatter or start a simple legal case. However, if the owner simply wants the property to sit there unoccupied again, the courts will value a person’s need to have a home over the need for potential profits that might come out of capitalizing on realestate.

“The anti-squatting bill is an initiative by MPs from two coalition parties, the Christian Democrats and Christian Union, and the conservative opposition party, the VVD. The second-largest member of the ruling coalition, the Labour Party, is against the new legislation. Consequently the bill relied for support on the rightwing opposition Freedom Party, headed by anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders. The Freedom Party only agreed to back the bill when the proposed minimum sentences for squatting had been raised.

At present squatters of buildings that have been empty for more than a year are not prosecuted. To be charged with breaking into a building, squatters have to be caught in the act. However, the days of legal squatting in the Netherlands now appear to be over. Under the new legislation, convicted squatters face a one-year jail term.

Opponents claim that squatting helps maintain social housing, combats speculation, stimulates cultural initiatives and protects historic buildings. Their last hope is that the bill will be blocked by the Upper House.”

- Exerpt from RNW Radio Netherlands Worldwide


Demonstrators set up tents in the main square in front of the parliament buildings in the Hague.

The decision to ban squatting is a major move towards neo conservative values in a progressive European country like the Netherlands. As a Canadian citizen observing the events that night it made me think of my previous vision of Holland as a very liberal society of rich human rights and tolerance.




The bill was to be voted on at 6pm that day. The demonstration began at 1pm with people setting up tents and playing music at the main square near the parliament buildings.



The attitude was positive and people kept arriving. I went to talk to squatters and supporters about what they thought about the protest and what they do with their lives. The stereotype of squatters that paints them as lazy punks who sit around all day and disobey the law was crushed by the fact that the great majority of these people hold normal jobs or are going to school. More on this topic will be covered in my book about squatters later on this year.