A large-scale demonstration in front of a squat in Ixelles has prevented the eviction of some 80 people, including 30 children, who have been sheltering here since the start of this year.
The 80 individuals are sheltering in a former care home on Avenue de la Couronne. They were almost evicted last month but the action was postponed following an appeal by Rockin'Squat, a collective that seeks to provide housing for people in difficulty and undocumented migrants. It is the latest in a string of buildings being occupied by people, including hundreds of asylum seekers who are denied the shelter to which they are legally entitled.
The Ixelles building also houses asylum seekers who would otherwise be sleeping rough, as well as 30 children who are attending schools in Ixelles and Etterbeek. people who face housing problems and undocumented people who moved here after receiving notice to leave a building they previously occupied nearby on Rue du Trône.
The eviction was initially postponed until 7 July following an agreement reached at the last minute between the municipality of Ixelles and the federal agency for the reception of asylum seekers (Fedasil), which will open a reception centre here. However, following a court application lodged by the owner, the date was brought forward to Wednesday 3 April, once again bringing the fate of the residents in peril.
Solution found, for now
The Rockin'Squat collective alongside other civil society organisations therefore called on people to gather in front of the building on the morning of the planned eviction to demonstrate against the action.
By 08:00, hundreds of people had gathered outside the gates. Due to the large size of the gathering, the eviction was cancelled, the cabinet of the mayor of Ixelles, Christos Doulkeridis, confirmed to The Brussels Times. The action was called off due to any attempt by the police to evict the residents would have reportedly led to the risk of a riot and the requirement of a heavy police presence.
The sign reads "we fight against the eviction". Credit: Belga/ Lou Lampaert
Doulkeridis also told Bruzz that the eviction would further exacerbate the existing homelessness problem in Brussels and put even more pressure on an already struggling sector.
However, the verdict of the court order brought by the owner of the building states that the Brussels-Ixelles police zone will have to pay a daily penalty of €5,000 until the residents are evicted, meaning a solution has to be found. When asked by The Brussels Times to comment on the situation regarding the payment, the spokesperson declined to give more information.
Ixelles municipality is now considering the possibility of lodging a third-party objection in an attempt to suspend the court decision and the fine associated with it. He once again stressed that the agreement reached in mid-March with Fedasil to postpone the eviction until the beginning of the summer. Doulkeridis stated that the owner of the building is willing to enter into discussions about this option.
