Protest at City Council

Members of ZSP and the Tenants' Defense Committe were back at the City Council. This time the protest, which included interruption of the session with a speech and list of demands, was not prevented by security or the politicians. The visit was related to rescinding one of the prior decisions of the City Council - not to give replacement housing to public housing residents in so-called "social housing" (for the very poorest) or to public housing tenants without permanent contracts or with debts - even if there is a serious threat to life.  We demanded that the matter be discussed at the next session and the councilpeople agreed. It is not clear however how they intend to hold this discussion or if they are just trying to buy time. Tenants who came to the council want to force it to change the policy on this matter.

Tenants Protests Continue - Adminstration Closed Down

Tenants suspended their occupation of the local housing administration over the weekend and met with the Mayor on Monday. The whole meeting turned out to be just a pretext to get people out of the house and turn off their gas while they were on the way to the meeting. The Mayor promised no help for the majority of residents who would not be able to get replacement housing. 


Prior to the meeting, there was some division amongst the tenants, with some hoping to make their own private deals, most wanting to try dialogue instead of making the protest more radical and a minority who wanted to keep protesting. The meeting made it clear to everyone that the city had no intention of working something out with the tenants and just wanted to pacify them. The response was that tenants went back to protesting.


The housing adminstration responded by shutting down for the rest of the week. Angry tenants protesting outside were joined by people who had come to the office to settle their matters, only to find it closed during office hours.

Demonstration Against Censorship on the Internet

Members of ZSP and CIA Portal took part in a demonstration against censorship of the internet. The demonstration was a response to new registrictive legislation. A similar demonstration was held in Wroclaw, but there the organizors didn't even show up so ZSP just took over.

A TV interview about the issue  with a member of ZSP is here. (In Polish)

Leafleting at Politechnic

Education section of ZSP is giving out the leaflets every week at Warsaw Politechnic. ZSP carries out information campaign about Bologna Process, against paid studies,for better conditions for academic workers and for free, libertarian education.

Education section also has web site:
www.edukacja.zsp.net.pl

Tenants Occupy Housing Adminstration

A group of tenants are occupying the local housing adminstration and carrying out a hunger strike. More than 150 families are soon to have their gas cut off under the pretext of "saving" them from "danger". The Tenants Defense Committee intervened the first time when the city threatened to turn off the gas. During the intervention, which was filmed, the gas inspectors said that all problems with gas were minor and could be fixed very simply, within hours and one of the housing inspectors promised to do so. Despite this, the borough president intervened and put pressure on local authorities, basically saying that the gas must be turned off.


(Previous articles in English about the problem of these tenants here  and here .)

It is clear from the behaviour of the politicians that the property is simply slated for development. Today tenants were basically told as much when they were told to apply for new housing. (If their house was to be repaired, they would have been told about temporary replacement housing.) All these families are about to get treated to slumlord tactics to try and harrass them out of their houses.

Protest in front of Russian Embassy on Anniversary of Killings in Moscow

19 January in front of the Russian Embassy was held a picket to remmber Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova who were murdered one year ago in Russia. The picket also was a sign of solidarity for the antifascist movement in Russia.

The protestors reminded people about the many murders committed in recent years by neonazis on people who they consider "foreign" or "enemies" - like immigrants, lawyers and journalists who defend human rights and antifascists. Some speeches were made and candles with photos left in front of the Embassy.

We condemn banning of demonstration in Moscow Jan 19

We condemn the decision of the Moscow authorities to ban a legally planned demonstration on the anniversary of the murders of Stanislaw Markelov and Anastasia Baburowa.

The pretext given was that the demo was announced "too early", but we are aware that this is just another attempt to limit public assembly in Moscow. We do not recognize the legitimacies of the authorities who would tell us when and where we can gather and we support the decision of the comrades in Moscow to hold the demonstration despite the ban.

To hell with the government, murders, supporters of murders, usurpers of power!

We call on people to make protests in support of this demonstration and to commemorate this tragic anniversary.

Action at the German Embassy in Warsaw

ZSP called for a day of actions to be held at in various cities in Poland. The Warsaw group protested in front of the embassy and also in front of the residence of embassy workers. A second protest letter was delivered to the embassy, the first having been delivered in December. Radical speeches were made and a statement, also signed by the group WRS, was read.


The day of actions were noticed by the German diplomats across the country. We promised to return if the situation did not improve.


An account of the day of actions can be found here: http://cia.bzzz.net/day_of_actions_in_solidarity_with_fau

ZSP to make demo at Russian Embassy

ZSP is organizing a demo at the Russian Embassy on January 19. This is the one year anniversary of the murders of Stas Markelov and Anastasia Baburowa in Moscow. A demonstration is also being held in Moscow on this day.

We condemn the right-wing and political violence against our comrades in Russia and offer our solidarity to the anarchist movement in that country.

Changes of tenant's law in Poland

The Polish ministry of economy is sponsoring changes in the so-called law for protection of tenants.

Currently, a private or state owner of a house has to provide replacement housing when evicting tenants. Very often the replacement is very shabby and the state bureaucrats don't respect this regulation anyway by refusing housing on dubious grounds. For example, in one case in a district of Warsaw, the local administration told tenants of a house that is about to collapse that they will not provide them replacement housing, because "they can live with their parents". This is a middle-aged family with 2 kids.

Apparently the regulations that are not respected anyway were too annoying for the owners and public administration lobby.

ZSP Condemns Safety at the Site of the National Stadium

Members of ZSP are documenting safety violations at the construction site of the National Stadium in Warsaw.

One problem relates to lack of proper safety lines and nets for all workers. The site is being built by many different subcontractors, and not every one is complying with standards. The next problem is lack of training for unskilled workers who theoretically shouldn't be doing any dangerous jobs, but in reality are exposed to different hazards. The last problem, which is sorry to note is that workers are allowed to work even if they have been drinking. This seems to be more problematic on the night shift; construction goes on at the site until 3AM.