De Vloek

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De Vloek, meaning “The Curse,” was a self‑managed social centre in The Hague’s Scheveningen district. It was occupied on 5 June 2002 at Hellingweg 127 beside the North Sea and lasted until 2015. It followed the earlier squatted site De Blauwe Aanslag (1980–2003).

In 2003 the city council tolerated De Vloek as a cultural project. The centre offered workplaces, living space, rehearsal rooms, a concert venue called the Piratenbar, and an organic vegan restaurant named Water en Brood. All activities were run by volunteers with no outside funding, and hundreds of people used the space each week.

In 2013 a street-art project painted a 60‑metre side of the building. In 2014 the council announced plans to demolish the site to build a new sailing centre, prompting a political debate. Supporters, including some local politicians and groups, argued the squat was a valuable cultural space; opponents, including the VVD and CDA, pressed for eviction. To draw attention to their cause, fifteen people briefly occupied Scheveningen Pier in August 2014; they were evicted the same day.

In September 2015, about 44 squatters moved to a former school building in Moerwijk offered by the city, under a 10‑year contract with a break possibility after five years. The deal gave the squatters rent‑free use of the new building, with a requirement to pay for maintenance and electricity. Some saw this as a compromise; others criticized it as a reward for bad behavior.

On 9 September 2015, riot police evicted the Vloek from the original site, amid paint bombs and clashes. A shipping container was placed on the roof during the operation, and several squatters were arrested. The old building was demolished about a week later.

In 2017, four squatters were charged with violence against police for allegedly damaging vehicles with paint bombs during the eviction. The state sought prison time and fines, and the council pursued additional fines for others.