Police end occupation of Hugohaus after serious conflicts

This is a translation of the German original: Polizei beendet Besetzung im Hugohaus nach schweren Konflikten

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The occupation of the so-called Hugohaus in Berlin-Friedrichshain is over for now. On Thursday evening, around 200 police officers entered the building at Gürtelstraße 39. They brought out the last six people and recorded their names and details. According to the police, it was not a normal eviction. The basis was an order by a judge that allowed a search. After that, the owners secured the house. A private security service is now guarding the building.

Before the operation, there had been serious conflicts because of construction work. Company employees and security staff wanted to enter the house. People from inside the building are said to have attacked them. According to police, bottles and containers with feces or urine were thrown. One man had cuts on his face and needed medical help. The squatters describe the events differently. They accuse the security staff of using pepper spray and causing damage to the house. Police are examining several possible criminal offenses, for example bodily harm and property damage. The state protection unit at the Landeskriminalamt is also investigating, a department for politically important criminal offenses.

During the search, emergency workers found alarm guns, a slingshot, and possible objects for throwing, according to police. Alarm guns look similar to real weapons, but do not fire normal bullets. Police had already stopped the construction work temporarily on Wednesday. In this way, they wanted to prevent further violence. At the same time, supporters of the squatters gathered on the other side of the street. At times, several dozen people went onto the roadway. A registered protest camp is now there. Around 30 mostly young punks sleep, eat, and protest there. On Friday morning, the situation remained calm.

The former hotel and hostel has belonged to dBS Investment GmbH for a few weeks. The house had become more and more run-down over the years. The company plans to demolish it and then build a residential complex. A group of punks lived in the building for about two years. The owners call this use without permission. According to their own statements, they asked the residents to leave several times. Now work to remove harmful substances and to dismantle parts of the building is to continue. It remains unclear what will happen to belongings left behind by the squatters. Possible claims because of delays or damage are also still unclear.

Vocabulary

• Besetzung - occupation; squatting - When people occupy a house and stay there.
• Räumung - eviction; clearing out - People have to leave a place, often with police.
• Durchsuchung - search - Police look in a place for things or evidence.
• Eigentümer - owners - People who own something.
• Straftaten - criminal offenses - Actions that break criminal law.