A Call to Arms for Ungdomshuset!

By Jon A

There’s a place in Copenhagen where you can get a beer for 15 kroner (the equivalent of €2), see four punk bands for 20 kr, get a good vegan meal for the same, where there’s painting, movies, political activism, a TV channel, skateboarding, rehearsal spaces, recording studio, queer clubbing; all run on a voluntary basis by people who believe that the city needs a place like this.

Man, the System hates places like this, hates people like this, hates alternative, hates young. The System will do everything in its power to destroy places like this, because the System can’t stand people it can’t buy, people that won’t sell out, people who won’t be curbed by it, people who won’t accept the System and will have nothing to do with it. Every once in a while, the odd reasonable men in the System will recognize that, hey, this place isn’t doing anyone any harm, it’s not costing us anything, it’s even attracting people to the city and giving it a reputation of being open-minded and liberal, a place of creativity and opportunities, a place where ideas are born and thrive. But sooner or later, inevitably some evil, motherfucker will chance upon it and see that, hey, we can make a quick buck from this if we sell it off, and we’ll get rid of the non-conformist scum that’s plaguing our streets.

It’s called normalization. That’s because they hate any alternative to their own, narrow concept of the world, because they’re afraid of what’s different, what they don’t understand.

Here’s a short recoup of a story that’s already been told countless times in the Danish media these last few days, from various angles: 1982, the building on Jagtvej 69 is handed over to the group of squatters that has transformed it into a cultural centre for the city’s youth. Up through the 80’s and 90’s, Ungdomshuset becomes an epicentre for the mobilization on the radical and anarchist left, and it spawns the autonomous movement, infamous for its part in the Nørrebro Riots after the System gained the narrowest of yes’es to enter the EU in 1993. Overnight, “autonomous” becomes the personification of all things anti-authoritarian, a derogative, depicting violent, disorganized, disruptive, dishevelled, dysfunctional youth. Few care to understand the concept of the idea of being autonomous: The right to exist on your own terms, without having to curb to a perverted System, the right to be different.

Meanwhile, Ungdomshuset continues its sprawl of activities, while keeping an eye on the rising rightwing movements in Denmark and the racism that’s taking hold on the crowded centre of Danish politics from the second part of the 90’s onwards until today, and they eagerly protest it. The anti-racist stance is one of their sole 5 laws: No racism, no violence, no sexism, no heterosexism, no hard drugs. If you can deal with that, what other laws do you need, really?

1999, the Community of Copenhagen sells the house on Jagtvej to the highest bidder, a mysterious company that within a year sells the majority of it shares in the house to the Christian sect Faderhuset (the House of the Father). This is where the real battle begins: The sect wants the users of Ungdomshuset out, to convert the place into a religious centre with song, prayer, and cupcakes; Ungdomshuset claim they maintain the right of use to the house, no matter who owns the building. The legal battle ensues, Ungdomshuset loses the first two rounds in court and appeal to the national court, and the atmosphere becomes more tense in the house, the imminent threat against their haven hanging over the heads of its users, while the same thing is happening across town on Christiania. Then, on Monday, August 28th, comes the final verdict: Ungdomshuset has lost.

In a recent interview in Danish newspaper Politiken, the rapper Niarn complained that Ungdomshuset wasn’t truly a house for the youth (the literal translation of the name), because it wasn’t for all of youth: He and fellow rapper L.O.C. had been turned away at the door when, as a provocation, they had tried to get in. Ungdomshuset didn’t want to see the two rappers because of their at times blatantly sexist lyrics, but it’s true that Ungdomshuset hasn’t already been the most welcoming of places to outsiders, especially not these last few years. In LowCut #25, Thomsen of The Unit noted: “Ungdomshuset is in a very defensive position, you don’t feel that welcome down there always. But on the hand, that’s not the point with a place like that. You don’t necessarily need to be welcome everywhere.” There are plenty of places in CPH where Niarn and L.O.C. will be welcomed like kings, places that wouldn’t let in your average user of Ungdomshuset because of his or her age, piercings, mohawk, dreadlocks, clothes, or just their attitude. Plenty of places for a young punk to go and get his or her ass kicked for being different, not normal, a menace to society in some way or other; for now, it looks like there’ll be one place less for them to go and be together, talk, create, build.

For now, Ungdomshuset has barricaded its doors, its core group of users awaiting the police. When you read this, it might already have ended in senseless violence and destruction, unless the politicians of the System have realized what’s happening and provided the place with another chance. You should give all your support to Ungdomshuset at http://www.ungdomshuset.dk They need it now, more than ever, just like CPH needs Ungdomshuset now, more than ever.

One more alternative gone is one more forced step on the road towards the normalization of everyone. Your little haven might be next.

http://www.ungdomshuset.dk