the logbook of El Barco (pirata)


monday 19th : opening doors

Today we broke holes in the wall and were visited by the police. We were told to leave or there would be trouble, we told them that we had been there for 3 days and that now it was our home, legally. They went away. Doors were opened, we occupied the outside space and had a lovely day getting to know our new neighbours and discussing what could be. We were visited by the tv, we explained our reasons for action. Murals were painted on walls, chessboards were drawn on the ground and pieces made to allow for play to happen. At sunset time we visited a nearby abandoned field and cleared space for planting food, the ground was broken and 3 rows of spuds (potatoes in irish speak) were planted. An evening of sitting in our front yard was passed very very enjoyably. All in all we all loved our new home, it felt like a truly special time.

Tuesday 20th : playspace for the barrio developed

We expected to wake up with the sound of riot cops entering our home to evict us, which we were prepared for. But instead, we got up in our own time and had another lovely day.

Friday 23rd : opening night of El Barco

A lovley night: the crew, neighbours, friends, film makers, musicians, local wine, bottles of beer: new friends, new ideas, a great time, a new presence of community in what was previously a dead unused zone. The way cities should be.

earlier front page post:
NEW SOCIAL CENTRE AND SQUAT GARDEN OPENED IN HORTA
eviction order for 6 days time, time for rethink and re-action of okupa movement........

new okupa opened in horta on friday last, visit from police on monday, eviction order given yesterday
squatters entered on friday night last and on monday morning they began to OPEN THE DOORS.
the mossos arrived and id was given.

later that day a new community garden was started in the land nearby : food for the ships crew and their friends......

we got a visit from the mossos yesterday, we have been served with an eviction order from the penal, not the civil, this means we must leave in 1 week from yesterday, we will stay till the end time, we are appealing through the courts at present.

so it means we have a week to work, we are all busy doing the different things

link http://wikihost.org/wikis/casas_bcn/wiki/el_barco
is the website of what we are, it is being edited

There is very good support from the community to fight for saving the building, or part of it, and from that making a centre for the area. presently there is no social centre in the area and all the community have said they support us, the members of our collective who are from barcelona are actually shocked by how positive the people are, especailly the older ones in their 70´s and 80´s.

anyway, as the penal order has been slapped on us, we are proposing to hit back in a very creative non violent way, to step up a new form of resistance, as it appears that the authorities have changed their methods of playing the game, in the old days we would have months there, now we have days. so we need also to change the game, which we are currently doing.


image

tonight we "open"
5-6 games in placa del jugar / square of play : sitting in sun, playing giant chess and draughts/damas, cards, dominos.....

8 - 10ish : pica pica flamenco
music and food in the square

tomorow : gardening and workshops on sustainable cities and architecture
11.00 am ish , meet in CSO el barco, then walk up to garden to dig, plant, discuss, be
return for tea to cso

more later, as things progress, apologies for things not being ordered, we are moving fast on this, and all support in whatever way is hugely appreciated


Saturday 24th : first garden day

Shirts off, sitting in the warm morning sun sharing stories, sharing food, sharing ideas. Joined by some of the piratas from Milles and their friends and babies. A stroll around the local farms and make new friends as we call into a house with rubbish outside to see if we can have it. Turns out they have already heard of El Barco.


Diumenge 25

Inaguració de la campanya campanya per intentar reconduir la preocupació ciutadana capa als problemes de fons de la nostra societat.

CADA DIUMENGE A LES 12:00h a la Plaça Sant Jaume de Barcelona.
Partint de problemes concrets que afecten a diferents col.lectius, s'intentarà crear un debat de fons que en porti als veritables problemes que ens afecten a tots!

Xerrada informal tot compartint un àpat a base de pollastre al curry amb arròs en un acollidor local del raval. Moment per carregar les piles i relaxar-nos un miqueta..


Dilluns 26

Dia de reflexió.. el vaixell es troba encallat en un escull jurídic, però en els nostres somnis segueix navegant a través d'un mar d'idees.


Dimecres 28

Ens llevem d'hora i ens sentem al pati a observar com passeja la gent mentre ens acabem de despertar.. Allí a les 11:00 apareixen tres cotxes de mossos! només pretenen conèixer quina és la nostra postura en relació al dessallojament. L'única cosa que els hi diem, és que no busquem enfrontaments violents i ells responen que la seva postura és exactament la mateixa..
Durant tot el dia. però sobretot a partir de les 24:00 van passant patrulles de mossos i cotxes de "secreta". No deixen de controlar-nos! L'hora del dessallotjament (presumiblement a partir de les 06:00 del matí) s'apropa.. A les 08:00 apareix una patrulla de la policia que truca amablement a la porta. L'unica persona que encara és dins abandona el num. 26 de Pere Pau sense oferir cap mena de resistència violenta! La resta de nosaltres ja és fa estona al número de costat, és a dir Pere Pau 28! Hem perdut la proa!! Però els que ells no saben és que conservarem la popa, el número 28 (doncs l'ordre de dessallotjament és només per al 26).


Dijous 27

Després d'unes hores de son, allí a les 12:00, decidim sortir del número 28 a obrint un forat al mur amb que han tapiat la porta.. Comença el malson, que durarà fins les 17:00 de la tarda..
Primer l'identificació.. fins aquí tot correcte. Després comença la pressió psicològica, que no es redueix al nostre grup, sinó que s'acaba extenent als veïns que ens estaven donant soport! Fins i tots als curiosos que s'havien aturat a observar.. Identificació de la gent que passava pel carrer!! Intenten aïllar-nos.. Registren als veïns i els inviten a marxar amb mètodes molt dubtosos!! Arriba BTV i la cosa es calma.. al caop de deu minuts la última patrulla desapareix de l'escena.. EL BARCO segueix navegant, un pèl malmès però amb l'energia suficient per a tirar endavant!!


Divendres 28

Ens llevem i esmorzem.. un got d'aigua per nosaltres i unes quantes garrafes per a les patates plantades a l'HORT d'horta la setmana anterior. Moment per relaxar-nos i tornar a parlar dels projectes!

the yellow wall, nomadic architecture, plaza de play,


Summer : plan to visit Venice for the architectural bienele, and possibly a
Bienele pirate hijacking



plan to arrive in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya for the building project there with Macharia




fun, fun, fun and more voyages