(eng below)

Številni prebivalci in prebivalke Ljubljane že dolgo opažamo, da le še redko zaidemo v središče mesta, saj tam nimamo več kaj početi, tam se počutimo odveč in nedobrodošle: javne površine izginjajo pod privatnimi mizami vedno bolj razbohotenih lokalov, privatiziranimi pasažami, trumami turistov in permanentno ograjenimi ad hoc zabavišči na trgih. Stare kafane sledijo hipsterskim trendom in cenam, običajne artikle, kot so žarnice in WC papir, zamenjujejo cenena oblačila in kičasti okraski. Vedno bolj obkoličeno Ljubljano nadzira na tisoče kamer, policija in redarji z vedno novimi pooblastili, njihovo pogosto arogantno oblastnost pa dopolnjuje prisilni režim vedno novih dovolilnic, prepustnic in ostalih kartic – za smeti, avtobuse, knjižnice, parkiranje.


Procesi, širše poznani kot gentrifikacija, elitizacija ali turistifikacija, so za marsikoga na prvi pogled privlačni, saj obetajo manj prometa, čistejši zrak, več površin za pešce, urejene, lepe soseske, obilico zabavno-kulturnega programa, inovativne urbane institucije in blagodejni učinek na gospodarsko rast mesta. Toda obeti kvalitetnejšega življenja se za veliko večino ljudi kmalu obrnejo v svoje nasprotje. Splošna vrednota skrbi za okolje se je tako spremenila v dobičkonosen posel postavljanja podzemne infrastrukture in predelovalne industrije ter obenem vzpostavila režim nadzora posameznikovega ravnanja z odpadki – smeti so skrili, privatizirali in čipirali, poskuse samoiniciativne reciklaže kriminalizirali in skupne kosovce - vire opremljanja marsikaterega stanovanja, ukinili. Veliko čiščenje mesta za potrebe potrjevanja turistično donosne znamke najlepšega mesta na svetu morda omogoča nadstandardno življenje peščici, ki si ga lahko privošči, a že prejšnji standard za večino vse bolj ostaja zgolj spomin.


Ljubljana se v zadnjem času v skladu z vizijo njenih gospodarjev, ki so trdno v sedlu že več kot desetletje, pospešeno razvija v turistični resort srednje velikosti. V skladu z zahtevami le-tega pridno dodaja obilico novih spalnih kapacitet, mnoge med njimi neposredno na račun spremembe stanovanj, v katerih smo nekoč živeli običajni prebivalci in prebivalke mesta: v penzione, hostle, hip hotele in top apartmaje. Temu je treba seveda dodati še oddajanje sob zasebnikov prek razvpite gentrifikacijske platforme Airbnb. Razlogi za razmah slednje so kompleksni, pogosto si denimo ljudje drugače, kot da se začasno izseljujejo iz svojih stanovanj, življenjskih stroškov ne morejo več pokriti, marsikdo pa je v tem prepoznal dober, pogojno tudi neobdavčen posel. Posledica vsega tega je, da vsi tisti, ki smo del prekarne generacije brez lastnih stanovanj, do sob znotraj cestnega obroča praktično ne moremo več. V resortu pa medtem za vedno iste potrebe vedno drugih turistov skrbijo generične stojnice, kulinarični dogodki, pop-športni happeningi in druga folklorna zabava, ki poskuša vzbujati vtis avtentičnega doživetja. Vse to spremlja stalna rast cen, ne samo stanovanj, temveč tudi kave, piva, vstopnic za koncerte in filmske predstave, artiklov široke potrošnje v trgovinah itn.


Gentrifikacijski pospešek, ki ga trenutno doživlja Ljubljana, je močno povezan z nekaterimi zloveščimi globalnimi procesi, ki se morda prek spletnih platform in televizijskih zaslonov zdijo daleč stran, v resnici pa vplivajo na vsakdanja življenja marsikoga. Ljubljanski turistični mešetarji in njihovi prijatelji nepremičninarji so namreč izkoristili "vojno proti terorizmu", trenutno piarovsko poimenovanje permanentnega vojnega dobičkarstva Zahoda na globalnem Vzhodu in Jugu in Ljubljano umestili na seznam varnih turističnih destinacij za srednje razrede tega sveta. Diskurz varnosti in igranje ustrežljivega evropskega policaja na balkanski ruti tako ne delujeta blagodejno zgolj na samozavest slovenskih nacionalistov, temveč tudi na denarnice peščice pripadnikov nepremičninarsko-turistične elite. Donosa željni transnacionalni investitorji so vrgli mreže turistifikacije na donedavna za potrošniško oko dokaj nezanimive destinacije na Balkanu in v vzhodni Evropi, ki pa imajo vse potrebne potenciale za dober ulov. Poleg kulis za lepe fotografije, kooperativnih političnih veljakov, prodajabilne zgodovine in osnovne infrastrukture so interesantne tudi zaradi tega, ker so finančno dostopne širokim zahodnim množicam.


Gentrifikacija in turistifikacija v Ljubljani tako nista lokalno naključje, ampak del sistematičnega procesa urbanističnega spreminjanja mest širom po svetu, nad katerim kot pridni podizvajalci bdijo mestne občine, ki z urbanističnimi posegi, socialnim čiščenjem neželenih populacij, represijo, nadzorom, mestnimi odloki in selektivnim prepuščanjem posameznih delov populacije k drobtinicam, ki jih ponuja zasuk v turistično gospodarstvo, mesta pospešeno spreminjajo v resorte za turiste, velik del njihovih prebivalcev in prebivalk pa v turistične serviserje. V pomanjkanju originalnih znamenitosti je Ljubljana znamenitost premeteno naredila iz domnevnih podobnosti z Dunajem, Prago ali Benetkami. Original, podoba ali kopija, v vsakem primeru je lokalno prebivalstvo podvrženo uničujočim pritiskom kapitala, ki ga sedaj ne more več maskirati pravljica o urejanju, obnovi in modernizaciji.


Če je prenoviteljska obsesija najbolj viden izraz trenda elitizacije mesta, na vsakdanje življenje meščanov in meščank morda še bolj otipljivo vplivajo razni odloki, zakoni ter njihovi represivni izvajalci. Če odmislimo elitistični zakon, ki prepoveduje prodajo pijač po deveti uri zvečer, in represivni režim nadzora obnašanja prek zakona o kršitvi javnega reda in miru, po katerem lahko vsak postane moteč ob katerikoli uri, ne glede na to, kaj dela, so značilne in preko vseh sprejemljivih meja represivne pozornosti deležni kolesarji in kolesarke. Vseprisotno promocijo kolesarjenja namreč spremlja tudi neverjetna porast nadzora nad kolesarji in kolesarkami, ki pogosto prinaša kazni ter zoprne kontakte z uradnimi osebami, vse skupaj pa je doseglo že tolikšne razsežnosti, da lahko govorimo o pravcatem ozračju strahu in nadzora, ki se je že zalezlo pod kožo. Podobno mesto po eni strani omejuje delovanje uličnih nastopačev in bije boj z glasnimi lokali ali skupinicami, ki posedajo na klopcah, po drugi strani pa na preostale površine za pešce, ki še niso zasedene z mizami, privatiziranimi pasažami ali kakšnim drugim komercialnim programom, trpa koncerte, promocije, filme ... po meri spodobnih družin in parov, ki si dostop lahko privoščijo. Vsepovsod tako izginja prostor, ki ni kontaminiran z interesi kapitala.
Sterilizacija mestnega jedra prebivalce marginalizira in odriva na obrobje, saj razen lepih fotografij in visenja na pijačah v centru ni nič več za početi. V centru se zadržuje vse manj lokalcev, saj razen servisiranja turistov, v izrazito prekernih delovnih razmerjih, nimajo tam več kaj iskati. Umikajo se v obrobne kvarte, ki pa so jih – po popolni preobrazbi središča – že ugledali razvojni menedžerji in investitorji. Proces »dvigovanja standarda« in razvoja se sedaj širi tudi v spalna naselja. Plan oblastniških in investitorskih elit je jasen – center do obvoznice. Vendar za kakšno ceno? Veliko nas si že sedaj ne more oziroma si čedalje težje privošči skromno življenje v mestu. Še težje pa je tistim, ki jih oblast ožigosa za Neljubljančane, saj jim s tem odreče še tistih nekaj ugodnosti, ki jih ostali občani še imajo (vrtec, nakup dovolilnice za avto, dostop do občinskih stanovanj, socialna in stanovanjska pomoč ...).


Po desetletju scenografske spremembe središča mesta se gentrifikacija seli v drugi krog, prek obnove cest do vzpostavljanja novega življa na ulicah in trgih. Zdaj bo gentrifikacija prvič brutalno treščila ob spalna naselja, vrtce, šole, parke in igrišča. Od nas je odvisno, ali jih bomo prepustili kapitalu ali zaščitili, da lahko še naprej obstajamo kot skupnost.


Tudi avtonomni prostori so podvrženi pritiskom investitorjev in lokalnih menedžerjev, čemur se sicer po najboljših močeh upirajo in so zato trenutno izrednega pomena za ohranjanje znosnosti življenja, zaradi česar se marsikdo iz Ljubljane ne izseli in vanjo investira svoje raznovrstne potenciale. Vendar samo avtonomni prostori niso dovolj, nešteto različnih skupnosti potrebuje svoje površine, svoje prostore srečevanja in svobodnega združevanja onkraj diktirke občinskih veljakov. Ne gre samo za marginalne skupine uporabnikov drog, migrantov, brezdomcev in kulturno-političnih alternativnih skupin, ampak za cel spekter mladih, prekernih, nepremožnih družin in ostalih, katerih vizija je mesto, v katerem se bomo počutili doma, v katerem bomo lahko kjerkoli in kadarkoli govorili katerikoli jezik že, ne da bi nas moralo biti strah tolpe prenapetih mladičev s sanjami o nacionalni ali rasni čistosti, ki jo bo obsesija s čistim in urejenim mestom še prehitro proizvedla.
Naša vizija nasproti tej, ki jo ponujajo gospodarji Ljubljane, je enostavna: javni vrtci, šole, funkcionalne soseske, dostopna stanovanja za vse, ki jih potrebujejo, dostopen javni promet, vsem dostopna delujoča zdravstvena mreža, javne površine, rekreativne površine, avtonomni prostori, parki. In da je vse to tudi na voljo vsem skupnostim, ki v tem mestu živijo, ne glede na to, koliko časa. Torej mesto, v katerem se govori mnogo jezikov in v katerem se nezaželene počutijo zgolj rasisti, dobičkarji vseh vrst in politični šarlatani.


Izhajajoč iz razumevanja, da smo naše avtonomne prostore ustvarili prebivalci in prebivalke Ljubljane na podlagi realnih družbenih potreb in želja, ki jih gentrifikacija zanika in zatira, smo primorani k temu, da se ji končno resneje zoperstavimo. Avtonomni prostori danes še zdaleč ne zanemarljivemu delu družbe omogočajo prosto razvijanje odnosov, ki preizprašujejo dominantne vzorce moči, agresije, izključevanja, prilaščanja, seksizma in hierarhije. Za tiste med nami, ki že dolgo nismo več mladi niti nimamo svojega startup podjetja ali kariere, avtonomni prostori pomenijo tisto redko skupnost v naših mestih, ki nam pomaga ohranjati mentalno in fizično prisebnost ter moč tudi v času napredujočega družbenega opustošenja. Kot takšne pa avtonomne prostore spoznava tudi čedalje več ljudi, ki z njimi morda niso intimno povezani, a ugotavljajo, da imajo več skupnega z njimi kot z mestom, v katerega se spreminja Ljubljana.
Ko branimo avtonomne prostore z vsemi sredstvi, hkrati izražamo željo po povezovanju z ostalimi iniciativami in ljudmi v mestu, ki se ne prepoznavajo v turističnem resortu Ljubljana. Na osnovi prepoznanja skupnih interesov, spoštovanja in avtonomije lahko odpremo fronto zoper procese uničenja, ki jo to mesto tako potrebuje. Najdimo se!

Človek, čuvaj svoje mesto pred pohlepom njegovih gospodarjev!
Anarhistična pobuda Ljubljana
September 2018

 

----ENG-----

Bars Everywhere, but no Residents in Sight - against elitization of the city!

For a long time already many of us, residents of Ljubljana, only rarely venture to the centre of our town. There is nothing for us to do there, we feel surplus to the requirements and unwelcome. Public space is disappearing fast under the private terasses of ever expanding bars and restaurants, street passages are being turned into private space, tourist hordes are taking over the streets and public squares are turned into permanently fenced ad hoc party venues. Old taverns chase hipsters' trends and prices while common household items such as lightbulbs and toilet paper are replaced by cheap clothes and kitschy ornaments. As everywhere the municipality erects new fences more and more CCTV cameras are constantly being added to the thousands already in operation, while police and city security officials are vested with more and more authority. Their often arrogant exercise of the latter is neatly complemented by the forcefully imposed regime of permits for all kinds of services - for rubbish, bus, library parking etc.

Gentrification, elitization or touristification are widely used words that denote processes which at the first sight to many seem attractive as they promise less traffic, cleaner air, more pedestrian areas, prettier neighborhoods, plenty of cultural programs and parties, innovative urban institutions and a beneficial effect on the economic growth of the city. Yet, for the vast majority of people the prospect of a better life soon turns into its opposite. To offer an example: general ecological awareness turns into a profitable business of installing underground infrastructure for waste collecting that provides resources for manufacturing industry and effectively establishes a regime in which people's dealing with their everyday garbage is subjected to individualized surveillance. The garbage has been hidden, privatized and equiped with digital trackers, DIY recycling attempts criminalized and regular bulky waste collections that used to be regular features of our streets (many furnished their apartments from it) practically anulled. This great cleansing of the city only serves to affirm a turistically beneficial brand of the most beautiful city in the world. It might enable above-standard life of the few that can afford it, but already the previous standard for majority is but a memory.

Recently and rapidly Ljubljana has been developing into a mid-size tourist resort. This is a perfect realization of the vision of its masters, who have been firmly in the political saddle for more than a decade now. To satisfy the demands the city is adding more and more beds to its stock of tourist sleeping capacities and as a result many houses and flats in which not so long ago ordinary residents lived were directly transformed into pensions, hostels, hotels and top apartments with notorious Air BnB gentrification platform taking its share of the burgeoning market. It is worth mentioning that the case of Air BnB's destructive success is complex as often people simply cannot afford anymore the costs of living except by temporarily moving out from their own apartments and renting them out for couple of days or a weekend. Others have on the other hand just recognized a good and possibly untaxed business. The result of this restructuring in housing landscape is that those of us that belong to the precarious generation and have no housing of our own practically cannot anymore get access to the living space inside the city's ring. Meanwhile in the resort the same needs of always-new tourists are taken care of by agglomerate of generic stands, culinary events, pop-sport happenings and other party folklore that aim to provide the city centre with an image of authentic experience. Consequently prices, not just of housing, but also of coffee, beer, concert tickets and film performances, consumer goods in shops, etc., are steadily rising.

The gentrification push that Ljubljana is currently experiencing is partially linked to some of the sinister global processes. When contemplated through thick veil of web-based platform or television screens they might appear far away, but in fact they affect everyday lives of many in the here and now. Tourist entrepreneurs of Ljubljana and their friends real-estate dealers have made a good use of the "War against Terrorism", a name currently in fashion for the system of permanent war profiteering that the so called West is imposing on the so called global East and South. The former have succesfully placed Ljubljana on the list of safe tourist destinations, easily accessible to the middle classes of this world. It turned out that the fluency in security discourse and adoption of a role of servile European police on the Balkan route did not merely provide boost in confidence to the Slovenian nationalists, it also brought hefty profits to the members of real-estate and tourist industry elite. In their eternal search for profit transnational investors have now thrown the nets of touristification on new destinations in the Balkans and eastern Europe. While in the past the latter were not really represented in the shiny catalogues tailored to the regular consumers' eyes, now it turned out that they too possess all the necessary qualities for a good catch. They offer perfect sceneries for all those beautiful and unique photos, political elites tend to be very cooperative, history is marketable enough and basic infrastructure already in place. Above all they are financially accessible to the wider Western masses.

Gentrification and touristification of Ljubljana is thus not a localized phenomenon, rather it is a particular expression of the systematic urban transformation that takes place in cities around the world and is locally implemented by eager political subcontractors in the offices of municipal authority. The latter's efforts never stop and the eternal stream of urbanistic interventions, social cleansing of unwanted segments of population, repression, surveillance, municipal ordinances is turning the city into a tourist resort in which a big part of its residents is forced into the role of tourist service workers. Indeed, crumbs that fall from the table of tourist industry are selectively left for some grateful souls to feast on. Lacking the original landmarks Ljubljana cunningly turned into its original characteristic its alleged similarity to Vienna, Prague, or Venice. Original, image or copy - in any case the local population is subjected to the devastating pressure of capital that now no longer can be hidden behind the fairy tale of reconstruction, renewal and modernization.

While the most visible expression of the elitization of the city is the obsession with 'reconstruction', everyday lives of the residents are much more tangibly affected by various ordinances, laws and by those who use repressive measures to apply them. Let's not go now into details of an elitist law that prohibits the sale of alcohol drinks after 9pm or of the repressive regime of public order under provisions of which anyone can be deemed to be an offender at any time no matter what he or she is really doing. It is the cyclists who are currently the prefered target of the repressive attention that has gone beyond any bearable limit. Curiously, just as cycling is promoted everywhere the surveillance of those that do cycle their way around the town increases enormously, which often results in fines and annoying contact with officers of this or that kind. Effectively a climate of fear and surveillance was imposed on and everyone needs to thread carefully when going about his or her ways around the town. In a similar manner the city takes an issue with street performers, loud bars and random groups of people who are just enjoying themselves on those few benches that remain of public space in the centre. Yet, at the same time much of the remaining pedestrian public spaces (that hasn't been occupied by tables, privatized passages or other commercial program...yet) is filled with concerts, promotions, films etc that of course enjoy the benefit of all the official paperwork. This programme is tailored to the taste of decent families and couples who can afford it. Everywhere the space that would not be contaminated with the interests of capital is disappearing.

The sterilization of the city centre marginalizes the general population as one can only make beautiful photos and have an odd overpriced drink here. As a consequence the centre is empty of local residents except of those that are employed in servicing the tourists in extremely precarious working conditions. People are moving to more peripheral neighbourhoods which, incidentally, the development managers and investors have already cast their eyes on. After the centre is done, it will be their turn. Already the plans to "raise the level of living" and to develop are spreading to the old residential areas making obvious the plan of political and investment elite - the centre to the ring road! But for what price? Many of us can no longer live in the city or are increasingly struggling. The situation is even worse for those that municipality does not recognize as full residents of Ljubljana as by this token they are denied some of the benefits that the "proper locals" still have access to (kindergarten, car parking license, access to social housing, social and housing assistance ...) .

After a decade in which the city centre underwent a huge change in scenery now the second round of gentrification kicks in as street reconstruction gives way to production of the new life itself on the streets and markets. Now brutally and for the first time gentrification will bump into our sleeping neighbourhoods, kindergartens, schools, parks and playgrounds. It depends on us whether we will leave those places to capital or we will protect them so that also in the future they can enable communities to grow and develop.

Autonomous spaces as well are subjected to pressures from investors and local managers which they try to resist to the best of their abilities. To many in Ljubljana autonomous spaces are of the utmost importance as they are essential to preservation and further development of the possibility of a certain mode of life. Often it it because of them that many people still remain in Ljubljana even now and invest their diverse potentials into it. Autonomous spaces, however, are not enough: many communities need their own spaces, where they can meet and enjoy freedom outside the constraints of municipal authoritarians. This is true not only for marginalized groups of drug users, migrants, homeless people and alternative culturo-political groups, but for the whole spectrum of young, precarious, not-well-off families and others who share a vision of a city where we can feel at home wherever we are and whichever language we speak. We don't want to learn how to be afraid of gangs of nervous youth, high on dreams of national and racial purity that the obsession with clean and orderly city will produce only much too quickly.

Against the vision that the masters of Ljubljana have in store for us we put our own vision and it is simple enough: public kindergartens, schools, functional neighborhoods, affordable housing for all who need it, accessible public transport, accessible health network for all, public areas, recreational areas, autonomous spaces, parks. All of this has to be open to all the communities that live in this city, no matter for how long they are staying. Our vision is a city that speaks many languages and the only people that feel unwelcome are racists, profiteers of all kinds and political charlatans.

Taking as our point of departure that the autonomous spaces were created by the people of Ljubljana out of real social needs and wishes that gentrification denies and represses, we are forced to finally face it in a serious manner. To many the autonomous spaces enable free(r) development of relations that undermine the dominant patterns of power, aggression, exclusion, ownership, sexism and hierarchy. For those of us who are no longer young and do not have a start-up or a career, autonomous spaces are that rare community in our cities, which helps us to keep our mental and physical sanity and power even in times of advancing social devastation. More and more people might in the future recognize autonomous spaces as such and this might also include those who don't have previous intimate relations to those spaces. Maybe even a perspective that they have much more in common with autonomous spaces than with the city which Ljubljana is turning into can gain some ground.

When we use all means to defend the autonomous spaces we at the same time express our desire to connect with other initiatives and people in the city that do not recognize themselves in the Ljubljana tourist resort. Based on the recognition of common interests, respect and autonomy, we can open the front against the destructive processes that this city needs so much. Let's find each other!

Protect your city from the greed of its masters!

Anarchist Initiative Ljubljana
September 2018

 

Beri tudi/read also: Avtonomni prostori na udaru: Za skupnostno nepokorščino in proti pasivnosti

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