The Socialist (USA), 9. marts 2007
Peter Dollerup is Treasurer for the Socialist Youth Front (SUF) in Denmark and sits on its Central Committee. We spoke with him on March 9, after International Women’s Day protests in Denmark condemned the demolition of the Ungdomshuset (Youth House).
The Socialist: Could you tell us a bit about the politics and background of your organization?
Peter Dollerup: Sure. SUF formed is 2001 in a merger between two youth organizations: The Youth Affiliate of the Red-Green Alliance, which is the most leftwing political Party to hold seats in Parliament, and another organization called Rebel.
The RGA Youth Affiliate was small but had a strong organizational structure, while Rebel had many loosely organized members, so both groups brought different strengths together. There was also a third organization, Red Youth, which participated in talks but did not join in the merger because RGA Youth affiliate and Rebel members wanted to take a clear stand that the old East Block did not represent socialism.
SUF has a minimum program that all members agree to, which is explicitly revolutionary and anti-authoritarian. We have socialists from every ideology except Stalinism. We do not practice “Democratic Centralism.” The Red-Green Alliance is not our mother party. Most parties in Denmark have youth affiliates with seats on their executive committees. SUF believes that change will come primarily from outside Parliament. We are good friends with the Red-Green Alliance though, and we work together on a local basis.
TS: Could you tell us about the Youth House? Why was is so important to so many people?
PD: The Youth House was over a hundred years old. It was originally a union building which hosted meetings for the Second International. Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht spoke there. It is where the Second international declared March 8th International Women’s Day. After the building was taken over by squatters, it became famous throughout Europe as a place for alternative youth culture. Many musical and theatrical acts got their start at the Youth House. The house also served food for the homeless every Wednesday.
TS: How did the squatters acquire the house, and how did the government later take it away?
PD: In the early 1980’s there was a Squatters’ movement looking to reclaim a building in the interests of the people. Before they came to the Youth House, they had occupied an abandoned bread factory, then later a museum. Each time they were evicted. When they occupied the Youth House, they decided to defend it with militant tactics. They barricaded themselves in, threw rocks at the police, and rallied thousands of supporters.
In 1982 the municipal government conceded to their demands and signed an agreement with the squatters. The contract did not give ownership to the squatters, but promised that they could use the building indefinitely, so long as they used the building to promote culture and the arts.
Then, in 1996 there was a fire which caused significant damage to the building. The municipal government said to fix the building would cost half a million dollars so they wanted to tear the building down. The youth however, claimed they could fix it at a tenth of that cost. The government signed a temporary contract with the youth, giving them $40,000 to fix the house. The house was repaired, but when the temporary contract ran out, instead of reverting back to the old indefinite contract, the government claimed the young people no longer had a right to the building.
TS: When did the Father House buy the building? Do you think the government was trying to provoke young people?
PD: The building was actually bought by an organization called Human Inc. in 1999. Nobody knew anything about Human Inc., but it was owned by a member of the Father House, and was later bought by the Father House. I think it was a front group, but I don’t think the government knew.
TS: What is the Father House? Why did they decide to target the Youth House?
PD: The Father House is a Christian fundamentalist sect. They only have about forty members. Two thirds of their members left when their current minister took over because it became more cultish. They are on a crusade against the left in Denmark. They hate gays and lesbians. They hate immigrants, especially Muslims.
And they hate leftists. Their minister thinks she received a message from God to tear down the building. She thinks she is saving souls or something.
TS: She? This Christian Fundamentalist group is led by a woman?
PD: Yes, she took over after her husband died. I think Christian fundamentalists in Denmark are different from those in America.
TS: So if the building was bought by Human Inc. In 1999, how did the situation come to a crisis seven years later?
PD: They tried to evict people in 2000 but they successfully barricaded themselves in. Then the sale was challenged in court and the eviction was put on hold. There was also a campaign to raise money to buy the building back. We raised fifteen million Kroner ($2.68 million). The Father House would have made a seven hundred percent profit, but they turned it down. After losing at the municipal level, we lost in the national court in 2006. On March 1st the Police rammed the building from above and stormed the building from helicopters. They arrested everyone.
TS: So you were fighting to defend the victories of the squatters’ movement from the 1980’s?
PD: Yes, we’ve regressed twentyfive years from the progress won by the squatters. That’s what we’ve been fighting. After the raids, protests broke out throughout the neighborhood. Activists occupied the streets and set up barricades. They threw bricks at the police and set fire to cars. Fortunately there haven’t been any injuries.
SUF does not endorse this sort of violence, but we are not surprised by it either. The violence made the media take us seriously, which forced the government to take us seriously as well. The police arrested over 800 people, two hundred of whom are still in jail. They are arresting people in the area for almost any reason. They have been searching people illegally and arresting people who received text messages about demonstrations on their cell phones.
One police officer claims he can identify forty-four individuals for charges even though they wore masks. Two women were picked up by the police for having prior convictions. Although this is not true, they are still in jail.
TS: It sounds like the police have established martial law. Is there no government oversight?
PD: Yes, that is exactly how it is. Normally Denmark has a functional system. The police and the courts have separate powers, and the police are not supposed to act in this way. The courts are supposed to discipline the police. But now that’s not happening.
TS: How do you think young people will respond to recent events? Do you think protests will continue or will they be demoralized?
PD: Protests will continue. I think many young people are becoming radicalized, especially by the crazy behavior of the police. When the house was torn down, we saw many people crying.
TS: Yesterday was International Women’s Day. Were there events in Denmark to commemorate the day?
PD: Yes, there was a huge rally for International Women’s Day. Many speeches were made about how the Youth House had been a non-sexist environment for women. Three thousand women marched to where the house had been torn down. We hope to find a new building where the mission of the Youth House can continue.
TS: Has the labor movement been supportive?
PD: Yes, the labor federation in Denmark helped us raise much of the money when we were trying to buy back the house. Also, they boycotted tearing the house down. You have to understand, somewhere between eighty and ninety percent of workers in Denmark are in unions. The non-union workers that tore down the building wore masks for fear of retaliation.
TS: Is it common for organized labor in Denmark to stand up for social causes?
PD: The main federation is fairly conservative. They are closely linked with the Social Democrats. But there are many smaller affiliates that have progressive politics.
TS: Your story of resistance is inspiring for those of us in the United States. Thank you for taking the time to talk with us!