It was but a blip on the international radar, sensationalized for a day then quickly buried beneath the myriad headlines that plague our world. But for those who were personally affected, as well as those who fight for justice everywhere, the issue was much larger.

The saga began way back in 1982, when the city of Copenhagen gave the youth of the city permission to establish a squat in a particular building. Under Danish law, however, the squat would have to be maintained for 25 years before the squatters would legally own the property.

During that time the building, affectionately known as the Youth House, was used to provide a wealth of community services from a soup kitchen to artists’ performance space. The squatters gave back to their community in every conceivable way.

Nonetheless, times changed. In 2000, after 18 years of work and dedication had been put into the squat, the city of Copenhagen decided to sell the property to a church.

Naturally, the squatters fought the sale legally. The court battle raged for six years, bringing the total number of years squatted to 24 (keep in mind that after 25 years the squatters would legally own the property).

In August 2006, the court ruled that the sale would stand, and the squatters were ordered to leave by December 14, 2006. As the eviction date came and went, tensions mounted on both sides. On December 16, 2006, riots broke out in the streets. Three hundred people were arrested, many of them foreigners, and almost all were released or deported within days. Nonetheless, many squatters remained barricaded inside the Youth House.

On March 1, 2007, just days before the 25-year mark would be achieved and the squatters would legally own the Youth House, violence was used to evict them once and for all. The military used cranes to lower crates of police armed with CS gas into the blockaded house.

The squatters were ready and waiting with a supply of iron bars, dynamite, and gas masks. Mass rioting involving upwards of 3,000 protesters (many foreign), ensued over the next two days. Despite the protesting, rioting, and solidarity protests held all over Europe, authorities demolished the Youth House on March 5, 2007.

The squatters and youth protesters are now seeking a new home. The situation shines a light on the ongoing strained relations between youth and authority, forward thinkers and traditionalists, bohemians and conservatives in every nation. For many internationally, it was merely a blip on the radar. For those who lived through it, or who fight for similar causes in nations across the world, it is reality.

Posted by Lisa.