our house, was our castle and our keep / our house, in the middle of our street

So, I wrote a review about this book for a newspaper here in Sweden where a friend of mine works as an editor for the moment (nepotism, ftw!). It's not published yet & it's not really a big thing, but it got me thinking about how important certain places can become in your life. Not just the people that build them, by spirit or by hand, but also the buildings themselfes. The colour of the wallpaper, the grafitti in the bathroom, the carvings on the surface of a table. Layer upon layer of history in the making. Lifes & stories getting mixed & turned around just because you happened to be there just then.

These houses are not important just because they provide a space for alternative culture, for the kids, the rebels & the vagabonds, but also as institutions. As a very real proof that something can be built by joint effort & that together we can make a difference, demand a place & a voice in the public sphere. Because of this, the very personal relationship many people have to them, it's always a tragedy when one of them gets destroyed. When Ungeren died it was the end of an era, when Cyklopen was burned down it was like getting hit in the face. But as they say in the song - Vi har 69 i hjertet / We have 69 in our hearts. A new era has already begun in K-town & just about a month ago the first steps was taken of the construction of a new free culture house in Stockholm. These houses, together with hundreds others all over the world, provide a safe haven for some of us, a place where to find like minded people, to plan a revolution, to learn a craft, to live. They are worth fighting for & worth documenting for the world & the future.

no truce, no mercy, no surrender, no rest, no more - this is war

photo: stig almqvist/scanpix

Yesterday the alternative culture house Cyklopen, at Högdalen south of Stockholm, was burnt to the ground. The fire was categorized as arson by the police (the house was still not connected to any electrical power lines or heat system, so "the usual suspects" were easy to rule out). Most probably it was started by some of the neo-nazi scum that's in town for the annual fascist celebration of the death of Karl XII (swedish king who is considered as some sort of hero for the nationalist/nazi movement in Sweden - even though it was he who actually lost most of the land occupied by Sweden in the 17th & 18th century).

Cyklopen was built by & for the people, providing a free space for radical art, music, workshops & political meetings. The house has been under construction for about three years & was really starting to see it's full potential during the summer this year. Even though I've just been there once or twice, it feels like such a sad & heartbreaking & stupid thing that's happened.

Tonight there was two (legal!) nazi demos marching in Stockholm. An anti-fascist gathering was organized at Sergels Torg & afterwards a lot of people spontaneously continued down to Kungsträdgården & Nybroplan to try to disturb the nazi demo as much as possible. Of course the cops closed the street to protect the nazis, but about 50-100 people remained to wait for them. Not much happened, the usual shouting & some fire crackers being thrown, but it felt good to be there anyway.

Here is a statement in swedish from Kulturkampanjen, the organization behind cyklopen.

Idag 29/11-2008 har Cyklopen blivit nedbränt till grunden, ingenting återstår av byggnaden. Vår lokal har ingen anslutning till elnätet och inget värmesystem, vad kan ha orsakat branden? Brandkårens bedömning är att brandens förlopp var onaturligt snabbt. Brandkåren, polisen och vi är eniga om att allt tyder på att branden var anlagd.

När vi ankom till Cyklopen tidigare idag 12:00 var lokalen uppbruten och allt av värde var stulet. Det enda av värde som var lämnat kvar i lokalen var två gasoltuber (som vi vanligen använder till uppvärmning). Vi tillbringade dagen med att laga graffitiplanket, måla filmrummets läktare och städa. Vi lämnade Cyklopen strax innan 17:oo. Branden utbröt cirka 2 timmar senare, i lokalens nedre högra hörn, och övertändes snabbt. När polis och brandkår anlände till platsen var huset omöjligt att rädda.

Nätverket Mot Rasism skulle ha arrangerat en tillställning samma tid som branden utbröt. Tillställningen ställdes in några dagar innan men var utannonserad. Imorgon, 30 Nov, är det Karl 12:es dödsdag och nazistiska grupper arrangerar manifestationer. Nästa vecka, 6 dec, tågar nazisterna återigen i Salem. Stockholm är den stad i Sverige med störst nazistnärvaro under denna period. Kopplingen mellan detta och branden på vårt kulturhus är knappast en slump. Cyklopens aktiviteter och innehåll har präglats av icke-auktoritärt tänkande och mångkultur och har varit en vagel i ögat på samhällets totalitära strömningar. De forum i samhället som uttrycker en kritisk röst mot naziströrelsen är ständigt under hot.

Det står utom något tvivel att Cyklopen blivit föremål för ett nazistattentat. Nazismen får inte växa utan motstånd!

Stöd återuppbyggandet av Cyklopen ekonomiskt på postgirokonto:1607552-5

Gå ut och demonstrera Mot nazism och rasism Söndagen den 30 Nov. 16:00 på Sergels torg och Lördagen den 6:e dec, 12:00 i Salem C!

/CYKLOPEN

fun for the whole family!

As usual, sorry for the lack of updates (even my mom has complained). But I thought some of you might be interested in this: folk festival at the alternative culturehouse Cyklopen (Högdalen) on sunday, April 20. There will be bands, food, workshops, a diy market & crafting. I'll be there helping out & probably trying to sell some patches. More info here.