Statement on the events surrounding Quai du Bas 30

For more than a month, the events surrounding the occupation of the vacant director’s villa on the former Bührer site have been coming thick and fast.

These have had and continue to have a considerable impact on the work, activities and reputation of our young collective, as well as on the immediate neighbourhood.

Although the building is not (yet) part of our project, as the canton and city wanted to keep the option of using it for other purposes open, we were the ones who had to deal with police operations, displaced people seeking protection, violent individuals, unfavourable media coverage, etc.

These circumstances not only required an enormous effort on our part, which we would have much rather invested in our projects, but also made it more difficult to form our fresh community.

Ultimately, however, these experiences strengthened our collective cohesion and solidarity beyond the borders of the Quai du Bas.

We set out to tear down the fences of this historic site, where enough seasonal workers have already suffered due to wrong policies, and fill it with good spirits and beautiful stories.

Now, however, a new fence secured with barbed wire has been erected on the site. To protect a run-down house that was in excellent condition not long ago and that many social initiatives would have been happy to see.

We are sad. And angry. And tired. But everything will be fine!

That’s why we’re calling for a solution to this situation as quickly as possible, which we believe can only be achieved by using the villa immediately.

With kind regards à la ville