source: https://www.facebook.com/syrenawilcza/posts/282636223901519

Wersja polska w komentarzu

Translation by WFA

‼️ A quick explanation of the most important points in points.

1️⃣ The decision to remove D. from the Siren collective was taken by the collective in a bylaws manner, as a result of discussions in open plenary weekly meetings of the social collective and communicated directly to D. and for information to all Warsaw groups 2 weeks beforehand, including the WSL. The decision was transparent with the date by which D. has to move out. In practice we gave him another week longer. In the decision communicated, there was an indication that the collective was able to offer D. any assistance in moving and finding accommodation. We knew that he would not end up on the street. None of the collectives (including the WSL) objected to this decision.

2️⃣The day before this decision was enforced, we asked various people from outside collectives to act as outside observers and ask for the process to be secured in a peaceful manner for both us and D.

3️⃣The very process of taking D. out was thought out so as to minimise the risk of confrontation. We counted, of course, that D. might behave aggressively. Therefore, instead of going all the way into his room, we sent three people to talk to him calmly. Right away D. behaved in a very aggressive way. When he elbowed the negotiator in the face, more people came in and calmed him down in the least violent way possible. None of us had a firepit or any equipment. Nobody put a bag over D.'s head, what an absurdity! No violence was used against D., apart from holding his hands as he continued to throw himself at people. He threatened to cut everyone’s throats. Despite all this, after calming him down, he was offered to pack up and take his belongings. When he refused, he was given shoes and a jacket. His partner (who was never in the Siren collective and formally never lived in the Siren, she lived there as his partner) was given as much time as she needed to change out of her home clothes and get her things. All D.'s belongings were packed for him and handed over outside the gate so that not a single sock was lost.

4️⃣ The Syrena collective took part in this situation, including people from many groups and collectives (mainly from Warsaw, but also from Wrocław). People from the Przychodnia and Rozbrat collectives did not witness this situation, they know it ONLY from D’s account. That is why we are not dealing with an account of “two sides”. These are the accounts of many groups and collectives for months engaged in resolving this conflict and the account of one perpetrator of violence and his partner. The fact that the Rozbrat and Przychodnia collectives are adopting the narrative of the perpetrator of violence while ignoring all other voices of female and male activists is proof that they are not interested in how things really were. They don’t even care about D. This is pure anti-feminist backlash.

5️⃣ The situation of conflict and violence had been going on for a very long time. It was known by all the scolding collectives across Poland and in Warsaw for many months. After D. strangled and kicked two collective members in the head in August, and pulled a knife on them when others tried to intervene, we asked many groups for help to resolve the situation. The acts of violence by D. were not questioned - he himself admitted it openly.

6️⃣Before we decided to remove D. from the collective, we made many months of attempts at mediation, a process of repair. To no avail.

7️⃣Despite many months of ongoing violence, we did not publicise the case. We asked many groups and collectives for support. Many of them got involved in the process of resolving the situation, some of them pounced on the issue punishing us to deal with it on our own. Instead of a call-out (public communication about the violence), we took the route of a call-in (communication within the “milieu”), hoping to resolve the issue with the participation of the “milieu” itself. The moment we made this situation public was the 3rd hour of the storming of our building by the Przychodnia collective and their team.

8️⃣ As a result of the storming, all women and non-women who were active in Siren were thrown out of Siren. These were people who constituted the political vertical of the group - activists who had been active in the political activities of the place for years. Among them were people who founded Siren and those who had lived and worked there for many years. They include people from queer, climate and migrant groups as well as long-time tenant and labour activists. This division between the queer and social divisions of Syrena is artificially imposed and deceitful. Siren has always linked all these dimensions of social struggle. The day before we were kicked out at home we were in contact with the WSL because we were arranging funds for them to renovate their premises, which we wanted to prepare for them, lol. We were actively involved in the tenant movement for many years.

9️⃣In the building after Siren there are now 6 men left from the former collective. We have convictions for beating up on eviction blockades for people who are now left in Siren. Funny.

🔟Freedom from violence in the place of residence is not a fad. It has been a demand of the tenant movement for years. The removal of the violent person is also one of the key demands of the Social Congress of Women, developed by the Warsaw and Wielkopolska WSL: “18. Introduce regulations on domestic violence, consisting in the fact that it is the perpetrator of violence who is obliged to leave the flat. The existing forms of protection of victims of violence are not sufficient in terms of protection of tenants’ rights. Many times it is the victims of violence who are forced to leave the flat and wait for months or years for court judgments to be passed and for the possibility to apply for housing assistance.” We participated in this Congress. The cynical use of tenants’ rights protection arguments in defence of perpetrators of violence is a slander to the longstanding tenants’ struggles.