Ever seen a building in a city looking like this?

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This is a building under occupation. This means that it has been empty for a long period of time and now people have moved in and started using it. Most occupied buildings are owned by The Rich, and they have so many buildings that they either dont need all of them or even live in a different country and have retired or even died and had no relatives to pass it on to.

There are hundreds of reasons why there are empty houses, office blocks, and every other types of buildings that you can think of on this planet.

The people that decided to move in , are Anarchist Hippys or Punks or a mix and seem very daunting to the general public.
They realise that people are in debt to pay for a place to live, when there are houses empty everywhere that should be used. And once you realise its good for the world to do this as so many are homeless and in debt for a sleeping place due to the system- and the system FUCKS THE PEOPLE. To have a squat thats in the view of everyone in a city is Golden. Because every day they see the squat and its in their faces to see that we dont need to work to live.

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Usually a Punk Squat is just with Punks. They hold Concerts from local punk bands, and have a bar to sell very very cheap beer, usually NOT for a profit. Not usually very friendly or welcoming to outsiders, unless your in punk clothing-although very nice people under the punky style they arnt very welcoming to people who dress like the "norm".
Also most punks I know are from rich familys, but have some kind of hate towards money, and genuine punks , if they do come from a rich family, they dont hide it but still choose to live poor.

Below is how a squat commonly looks inside.

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This is a very basic common Squat lounge. Looks like they havent been there too long. The funiture would have been recycled from the streets.

Many different types of people do live in squatted buildings but there are different kinds of squats. For example one can just be private, with residents living there for years together. Others can be open to all (obviously not police!) with gardens on the land, social events like live music days, yoga lessons, flea markets, and a classic is a Bicycle workshop, or many other workshops open to whoever wants to go.

This is the Kopi in Berlin. Its HUGE.

(below) They have an awesome bike workshop happening a few days of the week, run by a dutch guy whom i forget his name (his not a punk) I adapted a bicycle to go on tour to Oslo there. The kopi is a very famous squat, its over 30 years occupied I believe. Dont take pictures if you go there! Many tourists do show up and they dont get told to leave..

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So if your curious to go to your local punk squat heres some points to respect:

Be relaxed when you go. (nobody likes a panic at a squat even someone running can mean police.)

Dont let appearances of people create a judgement.

You will most likely see NO PICTURE signs, and if there isnt then first ask what you can take photos of.

Dont take it personal if you get told to "fuck off"

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Then theres a "Hippy Squat", you would see people in colourful clothes, lots of musicians and lots of planted things on the property, heres common examples.. images

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Very welcoming places, even usually child friendly also not atall hostile feeling like with the punkies :)

One place I went to in Bordeaux, France had goats and was making cheese and soaps etc.

How to go about starting a squat? Or how does one begin?

Someone or a group of people who need a place to live due to various circumstances, find an empty building, open a window or door, move in and change the locks as quickly as possible. It is illegal to break in obviously, so knowbody will ever know how the door got opened, it was just open already. Personally i like to remove the whole door and frame, and install a new door, thus damaging nothing atall. Before even going to open it , you can check online to see who owns it and use faKebook to see if they even live in the same country, or if the council own it then its not worth the effort to open it up in the first place.
If you dont destroy the place, and use it as a home, then its hard for you to end up in jail for it. Only if you stay during eviction you will be arrested.

Ill do also up and coming posts of the last few places I squatted in Oslo, because the 2 squats here arnt squats anymore, more conformist places to the council and definitely not a squat.

Really feel free to tell me if there is a squat in your town or any questions about Squatting! That was just an insight for people who havent even heard of the term!