Autonomous Factory Rog is no more.
It was destroyed in the early morning hours of January 19, 2021, when masked “security guards” broke into the premises and dragged residents to the streets. Without a bailiff or a legal basis. In the midst of an epidemic when evictions were banned. This was followed by the immediate destruction of buildings, equipment, documentation, books and artwork, while guarded by the police. With batons and tear gas, they drove Rog users away from the entrance when they attempted to save their property and domestic animals from the rubble.
In the following days, the municipal government of Ljubljana (MOL) carried out a propaganda campaign in which they persistently repeated the obvious lie that the factory was empty. In the manner of far-right crusaders, they set themselves to slander their victims, played on prejudices against marginalized groups and framed the community in all kinds of criminal activities.
These actions of the city authorities were never officially recognized and condemned. The deportees did not receive any compensation for the loss of their life's work. Moreover, MOL denied that they ever existed.
The abuses of power and violence were condemned by various collectives, institutions and individuals from civil society, who loudly protested against the autocracy. Now the city authorities want to silence them too.
With a propaganda campaign inviting prominent collectives and representatives of civil society to create a new Rog Center, the city authorities want to show the public the continuity of progressive Rog ideas. As if nothing had happened in the meantime. As if the Rog users weren't still out on the street. It is as if a brutal eviction has vanished and the crime scene is once again a place of progress, democracy and participation.
We can't agree to such an erasure of history.
We can't agree to the process of establishing a new Rog, which is imposed on us from above - by the usurpers of the Autonomous Factory Rog themselves, which is a continuation of the usurpation itself.
Before activities can resume on the premises of the former Autonomous Factory Rog, two processes must take place:
- Confronting the past and settling injustices
This means an open debate in which the actors publicly express their views on the events of 19 January 2021, and which determines an appropriate compensation for the Rog users who were violently and illegally expropriated. Without confronting the past, no project in the Rog factory area can be legitimate. - Facing the future and democratic planning of new spaces
This means an open debate on the future of Rog in which all can participate, not just the obedient partners of the city authorities. So far the founders of the new Rog have always rejected the discussion with critical voices and excluded from their workshops anyone who has different development ideas and actual experience with Rog management. We insist that a public confrontation of visions and arguments on an independent platform is needed. The results of the consensual conclusions should be the basis for further planning of new premises on the site.
Currently the pre-determined program is run by non-voted managers, which is subsequently sold to the public as a participatory. If the creators of the new Rog take their slogans on participation and democracy seriously, public confrontation must be the first step.
Until the completion of these two processes, we insist on the only means that remains at our disposal: a public boycott of the Rog Center and all activities related to it.
First signatories:
- Avtonomna Tovarna Rog
- Avtonomni kulturni center Metelkova Mesto
- Mladi za podnebno pravičnost
- Ljubljana Odprto Mesto
- Sindikat Radia študent
- Univerzitetna redakcija Radia študent
- Mladinska Aktivistična Organizacija
- Aktiv delavk in delavcev v kulturi
- Ženski pevski zbor Kombinat
- Poligon kreativni center
- Študentsko društvo Kult.co
- Akademski kolegij študentom
- Študentsko drustvo Socioklub
- Protestival
- Oddelek za etnologijo in kulturno antropologijo Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani
- za Pedagoški inštitut, prof. dr. Igor Ž. Žagar, v.d. direktorja
- Študentsko društvo Iskra
- Lista demokratičnega študentstva
- Rdeče Zore
- Hupa Brajdič
- Kvadratni Meter
- Center za družbeno raziskovanje
- za Društvo Areal Janko Belin
- Katedra za duševno zdravje v skupnosti, Fakulta za socialno delo
- Študentsko društvo Sociopatija