We went to this squat last night which apparently is a very high profile situation. This $30million dollar building has been taken over by a group of intellectuals and the owner, Béatrice Cottin, an 87-year-old heiress to the French Bank of Foreign Commerce approves of their presence. Ms. Cottin is currently in a nursing home and this building (one of her many residences in Paris) had been vacant for 44 years. The squatters just pushed open the door one day to find it completely vacant--so they moved in. Affordable housing is a huge problem in Paris and living here is not only a political statement regarding this issue but also to call attention to the tens of thousands of vacant spaces around the city. Unfortunately Ms. Cottin's children are trying to kick the squatters out and claim their mother is not mentally stable enough to decisions. The group of people living there are about 35 a highly educated group including architects, journalists, a violinist and students of France's best universities. Here is more info:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6980028.ece
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