Deforestation and Police Operation Nov. 28th – Dec. 6st

News ticker around the beginning of the grubbing south of the former motorway A4
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13:00 Important for people which want to enter the „AREA OF DANGER“ dont forget your toilet brush! (and maybe also not your ID)
12:15 The cops decleared the whole area of Hambach Forest as „Gefahrengebiet“ (area of danger). Which means they can make controlls as they like. They want to search for dangerous stuff (molotov-cocktails, crowfeet, nailboards etc.). The transport of food into the forest is not forbidden.
11:30 Cutting noise is screaming through the forest.
12:00 7 police vans at Gabelstelle Morschenich
11:00 There are controlls of ID in the area of Hambach Forest
10:30 The arrested activist from yesterday is facing the judge which decides if she went to prison or not.

police is also at the hangar with two vans. They tried to steal the camera of one activst filming them but stopped this after their boss called them back.

police is in the forest since the morning at Jesus-Point and in the area of the meadow and is controlling supporters.

3. December

18:30 The police quitted their action for today
17:00 The cuttings are over for today, but the cops are still in the forest.
14:00 The arrested photographer is right now in the hospital. It is the person known as „Braunkohletourist“. He is still under shock, but his body conditions are in contempt of the police violence halfway ok.
13:00 At a controll of ID in the forest the police threatens the people to take them with them for bringing food to the tree houses. The legal situation about that is not really clear.
11:00 The arrested Activist got transported to Aachen.
10:50 The arrested Photographer is free again, and reported about several beats after he went to the ground. His camera got destroyed by the police
10:15 One more Activist got arrested.
09:45 Right now we got the information that the cutting will continue up to Wednesday and will also continue on Sunday – thats their plan!
09:30 One person with camera got beaten down by the police and arrested, 2 more people got arrested.
09:00 Around 30 people are close to the cutting works and watch them.
06:00 The announced solemn vigil on the access road at Deathtrap starts. Around 30-50 People are there, they brought tables and candles with them and they have a huge breakfast.

2. December

Information: Tomorrow, starts a demonstration at 3:00 pm in Aachen for the Hambach Forest. Start at the Elisenbrunnen (fontain)

18:00 The cuttings and the police-action is over for today.
17:00 Up in Oaktown people eating fried veggies. Thanks a lot to all supporters who brought food etc. to the tree houses and to the meadow!
17:00 The police helicopter is back again 😉
15:30 2 Police cars standing at the hangar, close to meadow occupation.
15:15 On the Path between Beechtown and Oaktown stands around in small groups.
13:15 People record Police together with the technical special force and an eviction-tank.
12:15 The Cops corrected some of their information from yesterday: At Jesus-Point were not 5 trees by purpose, just one (because there was a hammock hanging in it), the others just felt down by accident because the cutting person was not able to cut just a single tree.
12:00 People got controlled for their ID s and their backpacks, the legitimation by the law is unclear about that.
11:20 One Activist got hunted through the forest but escaped without any harm.
9:00 up to now everything is calm. The people in the tree houses start already to miss the police helicopter.

December 1st

6:00 pm The deforestation and the police operation are terminated for today.
3:45 pm The two activists arrested at Deathtrap are in custody. More information: https://abcrhineland.blackblogs.org/2016/12/01/zwei-aktivistinnen-in-u-hafttwo-aktivists-in-custody/#english
2:30 pm A total of five trees are felled at Jesus Point.
12.30 Large tree at Jesus Point felled. Reason: a hammock hanging in it. Police and security service at Jesus Point.
12:15 Police group is about 300m in the forest near the meadow. Around the meadow police with telephoto lenses.
9:00 am Police announces to decrease their engagement back to the level of Monday. The so-called mulching works (clearing of bushes and small trees while the large trees are not yet felled) are continued. 2 people are still arrested (the two of Deathtrap).
6:15-8:15 am The first door of the action advent calendar is opened: four activists hang a banner with a large “1” across the road. However, this is only blocked afterwards by the police, who arrives to take it away. The allegation of “country break” for the action is spiced by an administrative offense against an activist who had not locked his car. Extensive documentation will follow.

November 30th

11:00 pm A liberated activist (whose only “crime” was to sleep in a hut on the edge of the forest) reported massive unprovoked police violence at the arrest, although there was no resistance from his side. Apart from regular insults, he was also hit with the flat hand and with cudgels, and there were also kicks.
07:00 pm Police have been withdrawn completely from the forest, the operation is over. Several tents in the forest were deliberately destroyed, a hut at the edge of the forest was massively demolished as well. At Deathtrap theey also made a lot of chaos and destruction. Two people are still in police custody in Aachen.
05:45 pm Three of the people detained in Aachen are free.
05:40 pm According to a tweet from the Aachen police, 2 people were persuaded (??) to descend from the treehouse Deathtrap and were then arrested.
05:00 pm Police retreated from the meadow.
04:30 pm Police climb Deathtrap, due to alleged shooting of pyrotechnics from Deathtrap.
03:50 pm At Deathtrap there is a lot of police, including something that looks like a special unit, eviction attempt is feared.
02:40 pm In a hut on the edge of the meadow camp or at the edge of the forest, an activist was arrested, we don’t know grounds (if there are any).
02:00 pm RWE “cleans” the roads through the Hambach Forest with large equipment. They were not used since the police operation in March, shortly after the deforestation season 2015/2016, in which 6 occupations (for example Crusty Town, Molli) were cleared within two days.
01:20 pm Message from one of the tree houses in Oaktown: “We hear in the background the clearing machines and other vehicles that remove the barricades at Deathtrap. From the trees we see individual police forces with dogs or with helmet and protective shield. A helicopter is circling above. We still have breakfast, in the tree house it is pleasantly warm and by the window the sun is shining. Emotionally we perceive the situation differently. Anyway this is not the first siege in the Hambach Forest. There are enough water and food supplies in the tree. Thanks for the donations! Greetings to everyone out there!”
01:15 pm RWE continues deforestation at the access road from Buir to the exit of the former motorway A4. The entire area of the Hambach Forest and the neighboring meadow are closed off. ID checks are taking place.
01:00 pm According to activists on the spot, police are encircling Oaktown and clearing the barricades on the access roads
12:15 am An activist who was on a tree next to Beechtown was allowed to come down and to climb on Beechtown
11:30 am The meadow is surrounded by police, Beechtown also. At Beechtown, there is a police tank on wheels and a technical unit. According to the Twitter account of the Aachen police, three people were arrested.
About 11:00 am Police report an attack on a vehicle of RWE with stones, which in consequence overturned several times. Four inmates were taken to the hospital.

November 29th

5:15 pm Police forces retreated from the forest
4:15 pm At least 70 vans and an armoured vehicle at the forest entrance at Deathtrap.
4:10 pm At least 37 vans and an armoured vehicle at Deathtrap.
3:45 pm Physical conflicts between police and activists are going on.
3:00 pm Spontaneous demo at the wood entrance to Deathtrap. There are physical clashes between activists and the police.
2:20 pm Barricades at Deathtrap are cleared.
2:00 pm Police on the way between Beechtown and meadow. Under and around Beechtown also police in groups of respectively about six cops. In the area of Beechtown and the former motorway the deforestation is going on.
1:00 pm Supposedly the vans an hour ago were only a regular shift. Police information, should be treated with corresponding caution.
12:00 am Over 15 police vans were seen coming towards the forest, another 5 are near Morschenich. The inmates of the latter seem to prepare themselves for action.
Whatever you do, take care of yourselves and of each other!
11:30 am According to the police, the forest is freely accessible and there are only sending-offs in the immediate grubbing area.
10:30 am Individual people are sent off in the forest. If you get a sending-off in the forest, insist on getting it WRITTEN!
08:00 am Again there is police in the forest, but much less than yesterday. The deforestation is going on. There is police under Deathtrap and Beechtown. Only people with a press pass are allowed to enter the cutting area. A wheel tank is in action to remove the barricades.

November 28th

5:30 pm The large-scale police operation is terminated. We suspect that tomorrow the deforestation will continue, presumably again under strong police protection.
12:20 am All tree occupations are reachable, in some cases there is still a risk of being checked.
10:40 Uhr A copcopter is circling again.
11:30 Uhr Actually there are 2 cutting areas, that are not closed off, one to the west (former Secu Bridge), another one to the east (near Beechtown). In the western area, 2-3 forest workers cut trees, protected by 7-8 police vans and 2 security vehicles (helicopter included). As we hear, this section is freely accessible, after ID check and rucksack search.
10:40 am Beechtown is besieged.
09:30 am Skypod at Deathtrap cut off, Tripod also destroyed.
09:25 am There are police checkpoints on all access roads to the Hambach Forest. If you are coming, take care of yourselves!
09:10 am There is a copcopter in action over the Forest.
08:40 am Police are under Deathtrap (Tree house at the exit Buir of the former motorway A4).
08:10 am Police are under Beechtown.
07:00 am According to the police, the deforestation south of the ancient A4 will start today. According to them, their engagement is intended to protect this work. Action against tree houses / meadow are not planned (Attention, police information, so it should be treated with caution). The grubbing work begins in the east.
06:40 am Approximately 25 police vehicles going in the direction of the deforestation area south of the opencast mine Hambach