First published in German on 11th February.

In several incidents during the last week, defendors of the lignite open cast mine damaged or destroyed material of the occupations. Among others, several climbing ropes were cut, the tires of a car owned by a person living in the occupation were stabbed and a tent in the new inhabitalbe barricade (“the Hedgehog”) was slit. Therefore, security-patrols through the occupied forest were actively convoyed by occupants to make sure they wouldn’t cause any more damage. In the course of this the atmosphere repeatedly became quite tense and unfortunately some quite ridiculous trials of strength took place. Securities used phrases as “You all don’t have any balls!” and “You are pussies!” (directed to those occupants they interpreted as male).

Sabotage by activists is an attack against the existing system of power – therefore we see it as legitimate. The destruction of our material by security forces and their supporters is a form of repression directed top-down within society’s hierarchies. What we condemn is not the destruction of property itself but the reasons, for which it’s being done.