Attention This article was published on September 8th. The situation has changed, go for the last news to the blog, please. But the rest of this article is still actual.
Day X is here! How do I become active?
Day X is here! The soil structures of the forest occupation have already been destroyed, the first tree houses too and the FIRST TREE IS FALLEN. Eviction always means felling as well, which means, at the latest now we must become active and try to prevent and to disturb the evictions and deforesting in various ways. (For more information and suggestions see DAY X
Come into the forest, whether alone or with your affinity group, carrying out solidarity actions (climbing actions, painting banners, hanging up posters, sabotage, demos, lectures… whatever, everything goes!) And spread the word of the destruction of the Hambach Forest – a 12,000 year old Forest and place of resistance to lignite and the capitalist system, which is a thorn in the money-hungry eye of the German constitutional state.
How do I get into the wood?
At present, the large police force around the forest makes it difficult for people to get in. By detours and in the shelter of the night, it is still possible.
In addition, there is the player Aktion Unterholz, which plans to go daily into the forest with a large mass of people from Day X + 1 (the first day after Day X was called) and to try to block the eviction tanks and forest machinery. Here you can join in and spontaneously join the resistance. There will also be more general actions. More information below and here: Aktion Unterholz
Solidarity actions
Write us if you are planning a solidarity action or send us your photos so that we can publish events and photos on the blog. Please also use the hashtags #hambibleibt #hambacherforst when sharing photos or tweets on Twitter.
What do I need?
A current packing list:
We are not willing to accept without resistance, what is happening in the forest now. If the occupation is not being continued, the gates are wide open to RWE to destroy and extinguish this unique forest and the creatures living there, in the name of greed, to dig up and sacrifice it to the lignite.
Meanwhile, this forest has become the focal point of a whole movement and by the occupation and all its associated actors, a public debate has been initiated on various political and social levels. Let us fight together, show our indignation and our solidarity, form gangs, and not leave our wild, woody and wonderful Earth to the capitalist rulers without fighting for her!
This letter was also distributed to trade unionists, see Action Marximal Confusion
Dear trade unionists, dear employees of RWE,
I write to you as an activist from the Hambach Forest. I know there were almost always bad words between us in the past. But we wonder if it must be like that.
After all, you’re just scared not to be able to care for you and your families if you should lose your job. That’s more than understandable. And we want our children and grandchildren to have a livable planet as well. This may be understandable for you.
Actually, like us, you’re scared of RWE. We, because they are going to destroy our homes and our future. You, because they may no longer give you what you need to live. We could have a common opponent. Actually, it has always been the role of a trade union, to represent the interests of employees in relation to their company? And let’s be honest, we all know what will happen in the next few years. Sooner or later, RWE will exit from the lignite and collect millions of compensations and severance payments. You as a simple employee will not see anything like that. And you can be sure that no one on the management level will get into any existential problems.
So start doing what a union should do. Demand to be involved in the severance payments, to continue to be paid after the coal exit, even if your workforce is no longer needed (because, honestly, who likes working above all?). Increase the weight of your demands with strikes or sabotage. After all, the 40-hour week and the weekend were not won because the unions sucked up to the companies.
Maybe you can just come and visit us and talk over a tea, beer or juice about how we can help each others to keep your and our livelihoods? Maybe we can ally against the corporation that attacks us and sweats you? And if not, can we at least try to understand our mutual fears and reduce personal enmity, even when we afterwards are back on different sides?
And maybe we realize that we both want the same world? A world where you even have a right to a good life if you can not or do not want to sell your labor right now?
I do not want you to be our enemy. Our enemies are named RWE and capitalism. And you are suffering from them just like us.
But if you come to destroy our homes we will fight back. Not out of hatred for you. But out of necessity. I’m sure you understand that. I’m sure if someone came to your house, ripped off your house and threatened your family, then you would defend yourself with all means available. And if someone tries to destroy my home and threatens my (chosen) family, I will also resort to any means to resist to it. I hope that this does not lead to troubles between us.
Optimistic greetings, an activist
The local initiative Buirer für Buir, activists of the occupation in the Hambach Forest, Ende Gelände and the Aktion Unterholz invite today to a joint press conference. It will take place at 3:00 pm in the Protestant Gemeindehaus (parish hall), Bahnstraße 42 in 50170 Kerpen-Buir. Then we drive together to the Hambach Forest, where we are available for interviews.
Today’s clearing work again sharpen the conflict over the Hambach Forest. The Federal Environment Ministry, the unions of police (GdP) and services (Ver.di), local residents and environmentalists demanded in recent weeks a coal moratorium and a deforesting stop. The Berlin coal commission threatens to fail, several members announced in the event of cuttings their exit from the panel. Nevertheless Mr. Reul, Minister of the Interior, ordered on behalf of the state government a large-scale police campaign, in order to enforce tree felling for RWE.
On Sunday, September 9, the initiative Buirer for Buir is calling for a demonstration in connection with a walk in the forest.
The occupiers of the forest are preparing to prevent the evacuation of over 60 tree houses during several weeks.
Ende Gelände announces blockades of coal infrastructure at the Hambach opencast mine on October 06 and October 25-29.
Aktion Unterholz will stop the destruction of the forest from tomorrow, Friday, 07-09-2018, with civil disobedience.
Representatives of the broad spectrum of protests comment on today’s developments as follows: “The escalation of the conflict by RWE represents a deep cut in our quality of life for the village of Buir. In addition to the forest and our neighboring villages, we also lose our peace. The Hambach Forest, for us a symbol of a future-oriented society, now threatens to become a memorial to the destruction of our future. We feel left alone by those responsible in the federal and state governments – forgotten,” says Andreas Büttgen of the local initiative Buirers for Buir.
“We defend the forest against RWE and Minister of the Interior Reul. In the trees we fight for climate justice and against capitalism. It will not be easy to get out of the forest,” says activist Momo of the occupations in the Hambach Forest.
“With the evictions and the felling, RWE clearly transgresses a red line for the climate. It is a scandal that the state government protects this way corporate profits and not the climate. We call for the carbon phase out, as an immediate measure of global climate justice,” said Karolina Drzewo, press officer of the alliance Ende Gelände.
“The destruction of the Hambach Forest is intolerable. We will therefore prevent the eviction and clearance of police and RWE from tomorrow on with actions of mass civil disobedience. By this form of action, we take our future into our own hands”, says Anna Schönberg of Aktion Unterholz.
Contact:
For background discussions, interviews or any questions, we are always happy to help.
Buirer für Buir: Andreas Büttgen, +49 173 5146141, info@nullbuirerfuerbuir.de
Waldbesetzung: Momo, press_hambachforest@nullriseup.net
Ende Gelände: Karolina Drzewo, +49 152 04560800, presse@nullende-gelaende.org, ende-gelaende.org
Aktion Unterholz: Anna Schönberg, +49 1775944678, presse_unterholz@nullriseup.net, aktion-unterholz.org