Police in Aarhus cleared an occupied former allotment garden area at Åbrinken on Tuesday, arresting 16 people and bringing four occupants down from trees with a crane.
The operation began at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, September 22, while most of the occupants were asleep. DR reports that Østjyllands Politi had prepared the action since September 10, mapping the site and the trees. The activists had pitched tents between the disused houses and built huts in the trees.
Police inspector Brian Voss Olsen of Østjyllands Politi told DR that the municipality had asked the group to leave before September 10. Twelve days passed while officers planned for a moment with the fewest people present. According to him, the preparation made the clearance as gentle as possible.
The site lies between Åbrinken and Brabrandstien and is owned by Aarhus Municipality, as reported by Politiken. The police action followed a request from the municipality to have the area cleared. The municipality began clearing the site after the arrests.
Fifteen people were arrested during the early morning operation, according to the daily report from Østjyllands Politi. All were taken to the police headquarters in Aarhus and charged under Section 264 of the Danish Penal Code, which covers violation of the peace of the home. A sixteenth person was arrested around 12:30 p.m. after climbing a tree and refusing to come down.
Four people in the trees refused to leave and were brought down with a crane operated by special units from Copenhagen. Per Brian Voss Olsen, officers spoke with the four from the cranes, and they came down voluntarily. Police described the operation as peaceful and orderly.
Charges and aftermath
The detainees were not brought before a judge for custody hearings, as the cases are expected to end in fines. Politiken reports that the 15 people arrested in the morning were to be questioned and then released. The newspaper cites Østjyllands Politi’s Politi Update as its source.
According to TV 2 Østjylland, sympathizers held a demonstration outside the Aarhus police headquarters after the arrests. Officers removed the activists’ belongings and remained in the area during the day to prevent more people from entering.
The group behind the occupation calls itself Abrinken and took over the area on August 21, 2026. On its website, the group says it is dissatisfied with the municipality’s plan for the site. It also states that it wants to reclaim its right to urban space.
