The assembly of Blokes Fantasma wishes to communicate that as of about 2 weeks ago, the owners of the property have started a civil legal procedure in order to have the premises vacated. The court hearing date hasn’t yet been set, but to the best of our knowledge, the above intentions are reliable. At the time of squatting in 1993, the owner of the property was well-known as a real estate speculator who had been reported and cited legally at large by the neighborhood when the property was being built.
Blokes Fantasma is our home, the space that has sheltered us since 1993. This sanctuary of many projects of solidarity is connected to the city of Barcelona, which, through these long years, has found support and carried on its pursuits and has continued the struggle towards supporting social initiatives that look for an alternative to the oppressive, capitalist system and fight against the speculative urban model of gentrification and mass tourism, which only leads to displacement and poverty. The house sustains a countercultural scene that opposes itself to the commercialization of culture. To sum up, Blokes Fantasma is the stronghold, the home, and now the trench of the 27 people who cohabit there, take care of it, and live on a daily basis.
All of us openly declare our unfailing love and support of the project and declare our fearless intention to care for it and keep it alive, and to prevent any administrative, civil or penal proceedings from deterring us. To us, defending Blokes isn’t only tantamount to protecting our home but also to maintaining a space of struggle and solidarity that belongs to us, as well as to all those who struggle for freedom. Our best weapon has been, is, and will be solidarity.
Our homes are trenches, and Blokes Fantasma won’t fall into the clutches of capital. We’ll keep you informed and hope to have you by our side.
