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La Casa Invisible's patio during the assembly to discuss actions against their eviction. SALVADOR SALAS
La Casa Invisible, a Malaga association with ideas to fight eviction

La Casa Invisible, a Malaga association with ideas to fight eviction

The group, which has run cultural activities at a city centre property since 2007, is organising protests after the city hall announced their eviction due to the condition of the building

Cristina pinto

Monday, 15 November 2021, 14:50

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The countdown for the 'great revolution' has begun. Everything is in place for the protest scheduled for 27 November against the eviction of La Casa Invisible (the Invisible House), a cultural and social centre set up in 2007.

Since then La Casa Invisible has been regularly organising seminars, workshops, debates, dances, music and theatre performances, although it has always had the threat of eviction hanging over its head as it is in effect "squatting" in the city centre building.

Earlier this month Malaga city hall ordered the eviction of the premises, in Calle Nosquera, on the grounds that the building needs renovating.

Last week the organisation called an assembly to discuss protest activities that could be carried out to save their cultural venue.

Andrea was the first to speak up at the assembly and pulled no punches. "Malaga city hall has recognised that it doesn't have a project in mind, whereas we do. It wants to privatise the house and use it for tourism rather than culture," she said.

Members then split into three groups to discuss their options, a separation that allowed for a lot of brainstorming.

Amanda explained what their joint work would consist of. "Our protest won't be a simple march. We are known for peforming and for uniting the cultural with the social," she said. Amanda also detailed how there will be a lorry that will lead the marchers, with music, drums, juggling, a feminism section, among other performances.

On the other side of the courtyard, Cristina was coordinating the art group. There were a lot of ideas being shared and debated. On the one hand, some wanted to focus on the tourism aspect, while on the other there were those who wished to keep their ideas on a local scale. One girl in particular posed an interesting question: "We're talking a lot about tourists, but how can we capture the attention of the locals?"

Tourists and locals

But in the end, everyone's differing ideas converged into one. "We can rally around the arrival of a cruise ship," said one girl, as someone else, in response, suggested: "What about the slogan 'They welcome you but kick me out'?" Many members were on board with this proposition.

One man took the idea even further, suggesting that they fuse them both, as if it were part of Squid Game (Netflix's hit series). "Imagine that the passengers see four symbols when they get off and we follow them around as they visit different parts of the city. We could even provide them with a QR so they can scan and see the landmarks of Malaga heritage," he explained.

Other alternatives were also put forward, some veering almost towards violence. "The situation means that it's urgent that we cause a disturbance. The tour idea is cool, but I think it's better to do something more drastic. Nothing violent, but being a nuisance," one person suggested.

This is how the members of La Casa Invisible are organising the protest set for 27 November. Working, proposing and listening, divided in different groups to reinforce each point and suggesting strategies that could be useful to avoid their eviction.

Their goal is to find middle ground for all ideas and make the collective as equal as possible.

The slogan of La Casa Invisible is clear: "We are 'unevictable'!"

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