Blitz (movement)

The Blitz House.
The Blitz House after renovation.

Blitz is an anarchist, communist and socialist youth community in Oslo, Norway, founded in 1982.[1] The group has often been criticized for their use of violent methods of political protest.[2]

The house

The Blitz House (Norwegian: Blitzhuset) is an autonomous house in the centre of Oslo, Norway. It started out as a squatted building in Skippergata 6 in downtown Oslo in 1981 and has since been a centre of socialist, communist and anarchist activism.[3]

In 1982 the movement were kicked out of Skippergata and moved into Pilestredet 30c, where an agreement was made between the city and the squatters. They were allowed to rent the house for a symbolic rent, and in return they would maintain the building. In 2002 the city council, then led by the Conservative Party, put the Blitz house on sale. The activists responded with a massive action and, among other things, battered the entrance part of the Oslo City Hall, and the sale was stopped.[4]

Among the activities of the house are a bookshop with political literature, the Anti Fascist Action (AFA) network, a group supporting Mumia Abu-Jamal, a feminist group, a children's power group, a non-profit printing office, a photo group and a feminist radio station, radiOrakel. Blitz also has a café specialising in vegan food. The practice rooms, sound studio and concert facilities are a centre for ska, hardcore punk and hip hop music. Concerts are held within the house from time to time.

During the 1980s the people around Blitz were involved in many violent demonstrations, e.g. during the visits of the British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in 1986 and US Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger in 1987.[5] The demonstrations turned into street battles between Blitz sympathisers and the police. From the 1990s Blitz has often obstructed legal meetings of right-wing political parties such as the Progress Party, the minor Fatherland Party and the Democrats.[5]

Blitz openly supported and took part in the violent 2008–09 Oslo riots.[6]

Mayhem bassist Varg Vikernes planned to blow up the Blitz House and had stockpiled 150 kg of explosives and 3,000 rounds of ammunition at the time of his arrest for the murder of bandmate Euronymous.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ralf Lofstad; Harald S. Klungetveit; Øistein Norum Monsen (2007-04-27). "Politiet stormet Blitz-huset". Dagbladet. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  2. ↑ Eiliv Frich Flydal (2007-04-27). "– Ser ikke forskjell på Blitz og nynazister". Dagbladet. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  3. ↑ "Historien om Blitz". Blitz. Archived from the original on 2007-06-28. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  4. ↑ "Lang strid: Blitz år for år". Aftenposten. 2007-03-07. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  5. 1 2 Per Aage Pleym Christensen (2004-11-14). "Ensidig om Blitz". Liberaleren. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  6. ↑ "Blitz hilser opprørerne velkommen" (in Norwegian). NRK/NTB. 9 January 2009.
  7. ↑ Midtskogen, Rune (4 July 2009). ""Greven" angrer ingenting" ["The Count" regrets nothing] (in Norwegian). Retrieved 25 August 2009.

Coordinates: 59°55′06″N 10°44′16″E / 59.91833°N 10.73778°E / 59.91833; 10.73778

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