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Hundreds of residents from a squatted building in Rome are camped on the street in scorching heat following a fire evacuation. The incident occurred on July 29 when a small blaze broke out in an unoccupied room at Spin Time, a seven-story former office block. Residents extinguished the fire themselves within minutes before authorities arrived, with minimal damage reported. However, police subsequently evacuated the building, and magistrates declared it unsafe and seized it judicially.
Since the evacuation, approximately 300 people—including around 100 children and vulnerable individuals from over 20 countries—have remained camped outside in temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. Maria Cabrera, who lived in the building for nearly 11 years, described the harrowing initial hours when residents lacked basic supplies. A two-year-old girl fainted from heat exhaustion, and residents with disabilities face particular hardship. Volunteers from the surrounding community have provided food, water, and temporary shelter to support those displaced.
Spin Time, occupied since 2013, housed 140 families and operated cultural programs including free workspace and community events. Residents and activists contend the building’s closure represents a politically motivated action. Rome’s mayor offered to purchase the property to allow residents to return temporarily, but the building’s management company rejected the proposal, citing safety code violations after 13 years of occupation. The city announced plans to relocate residents to alternative accommodation beginning the following week.
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Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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