Metakoncept.hr

The Medika initiative is a response to Zagreb's (Croatian capital) ignorance of the public's need for an autonomous self-maintained space for alternative culture. Medika is the name of an old abandoned factory in Zagreb that was squatted until the 24. November 2008 and was then evicted without prior notice (almost illegally) by mercenary police hired by the city itself. Real police was barley involved in the eviction, only taking in the tenants of the squat (they were never actually arrested) and holding them until the eviction was done.

But they bit off more then they could chew. Among the people evicted from the squat were groups of painters, jugglers, musicians and several activist NGOs whose requests for a space for their activities were systematically ignored for years.

The evicted put together their resources and, two weeks later, the first Medika Initiative was organized. It was planned as a protest against the eviction but the city intervened in the last minute and legalized it making it a presentation of alternative culture that went on inside the abandoned building rather then a protest. With the guidance of Attack, Zagreb's cultural activist NGO that has been fighting for a legal autonomous cultural center for years, the Medika initiative is currently involved in undergoing negotiations about the legalization of Medika with the city.

Metakoncept is part of the initiative, acting as technical support and creating an internet identity for the initiative and the Medika squat (or rather culture center) itself.

We are all hoping that negotiations will end with success because Zagreb is in desperate need of non-mainstream culture.

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