Protest the illegal eviction of the Steve Bikoplein 19 at the Stopera on Monday, February 18th. Meeting point: Fort van Sjakoo at 10:30am. Demand that the police do not illegally evict the residents of Steve Bikoplein 19.

Squatters to be evicted as a means to terrorize elderly renter to leave home

The squatters of Steve Bikoplein 19 just learned that they are to be evicted on Tuesday, February 19th. This news is shocking since the building's owner, Ronny Meijler, failed to follow legal procedure because he did not subpoena the registered inhabitants as required by Dutch law. Since the registered inhabitants were not informed of the court case, they were not present. Without the squatters' story against the owner, the court decided to evict. The squatters are fighting the owner's desire to evict them so that he can easily terrorize the remaining renter in the building, an elderly woman who has lived in the building for over 40 years and refuses to leave. Mr. Meijler knows about the tremendous solidarity between the Mrs. De Flart and the squatters. He also understands that the squatters are Mrs. de Flart's biggest support in her fight to stay in her home and have a safe, livable, environment.

Mr. Testa and Tenant Harassment

Mrs. De Flart has lived in the building for over 40 years. In 2000, Mr. Testa bought the building and emptied it of the other tenants to speculate and turn a social housing building into yuppie apartments. Mrs. De Flart refused to leave her home. In response, Mr. Testa began a campaign of terror against Mrs. De Flart by putting the building in dangerous neglect. The floors were removed, the beams were pulled, the plumbing was in ruins, the windows were broken, and the balconies were so unstable that they were about the fall off. Mrs. De Flart complained to the city to force Mr. Testa to maintain the safety and habitability of the building. The city failed.

Squatted Building

In summer 2004, the building was squatted. The squatters performed repairs on the building to make it safe and livable again and successfully pressured the city to force Mr. Testa to make the building safe. Because of the squatters, the building transformed from dangerous neglect to safe and habitable. The squatters are also active in the Transvaalbuurt, cooking in the people's kitchen, working in the giveaway shop, showing films at the square and in the social center, and working with neighbors on campaigns against police harassment.

Nawar Hussein, Ronny Meijler

In March 2007, Mr. Testa sold the building to Nawar Hussein for 493,000 euros. Mr. Hussein was named the most exploitative landlord of the year for his corrupt treatment of student renters and his harassment of social housing tenants on Da Costastraat. He is also a notorious real estate speculator, white washing mafia money. He has been investigated by the Dutch state, paralyzing his ability to conduct his shady business. Consequently, he requires others to serve as a front. In the case of the Bikoplein, he found Ronny Meijler to serve that purpose. Three weeks after buying the Steve Bikoplein 19, he sold it to Mr. Meijler for 650,000 euros, more than 150,000 euro profit without having made one improvement to this building. Sounds like money laundering?

The new owner: Ronny Meijler: Sleazy dude: 26-year old, ex-car dealer, real estate agent, speculator, money launderer ?, evictor, social housing destroyer, greedy pig

Since Mr. Meijler became owner, his efforts have concentrated on evicting the squatters because he understands that tremendous cooperation exists between Mrs. De Flart and the squatters. As opposed to Mr. Testa, who did his best to push out Mrs. De Flart and then gave up when the squatters took over the building, Mr. Meijler is younger and more energetic. When he first bought the building, he promised Mrs. De Flart that she could stay for as long as she wanted. Now, when it looks like he can succeed in evicting the squatters, he has informed her that he wants her to leave.

He's 26 years old, sold used cars, and has happily cooperated with disreputable housing traders such as Nawar Hussein in the sleazy world of Amsterdam real estate. He has set up his own real estate business, Makom, which is already working with Biloxi, another well-publicized speculating real estate business. Mr. Meijler bought Steve Bikoplein 19 in full. Where did he get this money? Does it come from the sleazy world of Amsterdam real estate where housing is used to wash dirty money or did he get it from his wealthy family in Bilthoven. Wherever he may have received the money, he uses it to buy up social housing, intimidate renters to push them to leave, evict community minded squatters, and buy and sell buildings with dubious intentions.

We, the residents of Steve Bikoplein 19 demand that

1) the squatters are not evicted illegally and have the right to have their voices heard in court according to Dutch Law

2) the remaining renter, Mrs. De Flart, be protected from landlord harassment by returning the building to social housing