from The wild and free squatters of Mas Castelló
We are writing from the squatted mansion /Mas Castelló/, near to Orriols, Catalonia.
On the back of the energy and enthusiasm of the camp against the MAT that was held in Fellines, we have squatted a space to give the struggle against the MAT continuity, creating a meeting place here we can share experiences of struggles and collective living that breaks away from the models imposed on us by consumer society.
[What is MAT? The very high tension power line (M.A.T.) is an electric motorway which transports at least 400,000 volts. It is being constructed in order to connect European States to each other and also Europe with Africa. Read more.]
The list of struggles in defence of territory is long: businessmen and multinationals whose lack of responsibility knows no bounds try to build poisonous infrastructures, sacking the worlds remaining natural resources and irreparably destroying everything in their path, in the name of profit and their insane idea of progress.
Over these weeks, from the beginning of the camp to the occupation, there have been discussions about the struggles against the High Speed Trains in Val de Susa (Italy) and Euskal Herria (Basque Country), against open-cast mining in Laciana, León, the macro-aiport at Notre-Dame de Landes, close to Nantes in Francia (ZAD), the THT (High Tension Power Lines in France) and the techno-nuclear system in Normandy, the gold mine in Rosia Montana (Romania), a battle which the population has just won following decades of struggle, the mobilisations against the oil companies that are sacking and destroying the Amazon, the High Tension Power Line in Valle d’Albaida (Valencia), the intent to devastate the mountains near to Thessaloniki in Greece, and the mobilisation in Granada, Andalucia, against the construction of a motorway ring-road.
Mas Castelló, which has been empty for many years and was completely abandoned, is a collective space where everyone can contribute what they want, from ideas and energies to desires and doubts. This squatting is not an end in itself, but a means to give new impulse to the struggle against the MAT, to connect with and participate in the struggles for the defence of other territories against these destructive macro-projects and the world and the society that sustains them and needs them.
We want to fill the house with life and energy, for there to be workshops and spaces to share practices and learn from each other, sharing skills and experiences, rebuilding the spaces as we need them, and coming together to liberate our lives from the apathy imposed by obligations and codes that we have never wanted to follow.
We are excited to continue this project and we invite you to pass by the mansion and participate.
The house is for those who live it, respect it and share it, to strengthen our relations in a horizontal way, without hierarchies, leaders or representatives, forging stronger links and reactivating these struggles for territory with greater strength and courage.
“La casa è di chi l’abita
è un vile chi lo ignora
il tempo è dei filosofi
la terra è di chi la lavora.”
The wild and free squatters of Mas Castelló
