+ + + News from the forest occupation in the Hambach Forest + + + infrastructure development is progressing + + + police and RWE are tolerating the occupation for now + + + great encouragement from local residents + + + RWE wants to keep the ball low and the local RWE funded press is silent + + + support is still needed + + +

The occupation in the Hambach Forest, against clearcutting for lignite mining is gioing on for 20 days now and there’s a lot going on. In addition to the four platforms in the trees, a kitchen, a solar shower, a free-shop and a provisional compost toilet have been built. A Celtic roundhouse as a community space is under construction, as are several treehouses. Other buildings are planned.

But not only the establishment of a good infrastructure has progressed, the occupation gained much popular support. There’s a lot of positive feed-back, but it also shows how scared people are of the power company RWE. Many dare only behind closed doors to give us encouragement, or giving others financial donations to bring them to the forest, because they don’t dare to go themselves.

The squatters had the opportunity to establish “diplomatic relations” to RWE, the police and the local forester.
So some empolyees of RWE Power came to visit and were very concerned that people could fall into the hole (as the open-cast is called). In addition, they told that the occupation would be “tolerated”, as long as “the ball would be held low.” That seems to be their main interest, and for this purpose RWE employees were instructed to leave us alone and not to provoke.
The RWE folks also had very interesting theories about the origin of the high air pollution in the vicinity of the mine, which is originating from the Hambach Forest.

Also very interesting was the conversation with the police. They also do not wish to escalate and don’t want to evict us, at least not “as long as everything is staying peacefully.” They don’t want to be the horse in front of the cart of RWE, nor RWE-oponents. Let’s see if that’s prevailing when RWE wants the forest and some higher police agencies are responsible …
For the local police station, the forest occupation so far is merely an administrative offence, namely “wild camping”. And this is not enough to seriously interfere.

Finally, there is a little anecdote from the conversation with the forester, who said that we would probably drive Flora and Fauna crazy. Really surprising that we didn’t hear those comments about the machinations of RWE Power. Says the old adage? “Whose bread I eat, his song I sing.” This also fits very well that the entire local press had not yet written about the occupation, even though they were already on site. Sure, otherwise there is just no more ads by RWE.