Squatters in Prague’s Bubeneč: police clear the Lidl complex again

Police in Prague’s Bubeneč district entered a complex of buildings that squatters had occupied for the second time, a year after the first eviction. According to police, officers acted with the owner’s consent and asked everyone inside to leave the premises.

According to available information, the operation passed without serious complications, but police detained one person and took them away to establish the circumstances. Firefighters and paramedics were also at the scene.

Lidl has owned the complex since 2022, and this is not its first encounter with squatters. Last year, a group of activists began setting up an autonomous social center here without the owner’s consent and planned to hold community projects in the building. The eviction then involved a large police operation: some of the activists climbed onto the roof and refused to leave the building for several hours.

Lidl has previously said it takes the site into account in its future development plans. The company has not yet disclosed what any redevelopment would look like or when it might happen, so the complex still stands unused.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz