PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT 06.09.18

TREEHOUSES BEING EVICTED, TREES CUT, TODAY MARKS DAY X

The polices forces of NRW have currently begun the eviction of treehouses in the Hambach Forest occupation. They will now be violently removing activists and destroying the infrastructure of the occupation, in order to prepare for RWEs continued clearing of the 12.000 year old Hambach Forest.
In this way Herbert Reul (CDU), interior minister of the state of Northrhine-Westphalia, is actively attacking climate justice and democratic civil rights, in support of fossil-fuel giant RWE and the coal-lobby, clearly showing the corruption inherent in the capitalist system.

With the eviction of the first tree houses, the Hambach Forest occupation, alongside several action-alliances (including Ende Gelände, Aktion Unterholz, and Buirer Für Buir) are calling out: Day X is here, and a new phase of the struggle has begun.
In the next days, while RWE employees, with support from the hired soldiers of the German state, attempt to evict the occupation, hundreds of people will join the forest struggle, in order to protect the climate justice protest-camp, and there are many ways to take part. See the text “How do I become active?” for more information.

Leila, an activist from the occupied forest, says: “This is the time for action. RWE wants the protest silenced, the activists imprisoned, the forest cut, and the German state is spending millions of euros in order to support this wish. This capitalist corruption is NOT to be accepted, and we will continue struggling until the last tree is cut, and beyond!”

Continue ReadingPRESS ANNOUNCEMENT 06.09.18

Live Ticker for eviction/

5.September

20:15 No more police inside the forest. They are still present around though.

19:33 One person that was taken into custody today is in hospital because the police broke their arm.

18:55 The Demonstration „Defending human rights“ will soon be at the edge of the forest.

17:57 Demonstration still going, now with around 700 people.

17:56 Detention support in Aachen is being harassed by police officers. Right now a person was forced to give their identity, and police officers are pushing handcuffed supporters up against a wall. Support your local supporters!

17:22 A-Tripod at Jesus Point has been evicted.
17:21 Demonstration passes through the dangerzone.
17:00 300 people are at the demonstration. The “A” tripod is almost evicted.
16:12 At Cozytown 3 generously filled Shit-Barricades are being evicted. The mood is good. At least for the activists.
16:10 The monopod and the tripod have been evicted. On the big A a person is still standing. He asks for people to be present to support at the detention center, when he will be evicted.
16:10 Updates from EA: 5 people in detention , 3 probably on the way there. Two were brought before the judge, and will be released tomorrow at 24 o’clock. In front of the detention people are waiting in solidarity.
16:05 Still a person on the Tripod (in the shape af a huge A) at Jesus Point
16:00 No more cops in Oaktown and food is ready!
13:30 Eviction of ground structures in T-Town. Nothing new about the tripod.

12:45 A group of 15 artists were sent away in Morchenich. They were on their way to their vernissage. Police talked about “art ban”.

11:53 Big police action around the tripod at “Jesus Point” including climbing cops. A front loader drove over the so called “bomb”, no explosives experts were present.

11:46 Ground structures in “Lorien” were evicted . One tripod is still standing.

11:35 Two people have been in Gesa (pre-charge detention centre at the police station) in Aachen since 4:30 last Night. They haven’t got food yet and were only now allowed to Have a call. Come to the Gesa! Bring Tobacco and vegan snacks.

10:55 A cherry-picker tried to evict the lowest platform in “Lorien” but people occupied it, so the cherry-picker drove off. The ground in “Oaktown” is getting thoroughly searched by the police. A small tripod got knocked down in “Lorien”, a big tripod is occupied.

10:34 Climbing Cops at the tripod. Person in 2,5 meter deep hole is locked on with the left arm. Cherry-picker in “Oaktown”.

10:14 Eviction troops of the police arrived at the tri-/ monopod structure at “Jesus Point”

09:32 Eviction of all ground structures in “Oaktown” has begun. In the background theres activists humiliating the police and RWE.

09:27 Police heard the name “Mike” in “Oaktown”: “Doesn’t he live at the meadow?”

09:25 The person that got taken into custody near the airfield was released again.

09:16 Police finds an art-installation and called explosives experts in.

09:09 One person was taken into custody near the airfield at the meadow.

09:05 Ultimatum from @RWE_AG: 10 minutes to get your private stuff and leave. Ultimatum from forest to RWE to leave or we’ll “Make use of our balaclavas!”.

09:00 Riot cops and securities all over “Oaktwon”. Shouting and sirens everywhere.

08:58 Technical forces with cherry-pickers at the tripod near the “Deathpop” entrance of the forest.

08:04 Forest side of the meadow sporadically blocked by the police

08:00 Police is driving aimlessly left and right at the meadow. Historical barricades are getting evicted.

07:40 “Lorien” is surrounded by the police. Eviction at the Lake of “Oaktown”.

07:31 A large amount of armoured police are cautiously entering the forest at “Deathpop”. A lot of eviction vehicles and securities, but still managable. Police is scouting on the main roads inside the forest.

06:00 Everything calm at the meadow. Some vehicles at “Deathpop”.

2. September

21:35 The police destroyed a fireplace and left the forest. Some police vans left at the security road.

21:20 The police has entered the forest again at “Deathpop”. They’ve already been there this afternoon to cut tarps.

Continue ReadingLive Ticker for eviction/

PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT 2 | 05.09.18

EVICTION OF GROUND STRUCTURES IN THE HAMBACH FOREST, PREPARING FOR SOONLY EXPECTED TREEHOUSE EVICTION

Since 7:30 AM police officers of the German state, in cooperation with RWE employees, have been clearing ground structures and barricades in the occupied Hambach forest.
Huts, shelters, and other necessary infrastructure (including compost-toilets and kitchens) have been destroyed all over the forest.

In clearing the road for their machinery, the police evicted three occupied barricades; two tripods and a monopod. In order to protect the structure, an activist locked themselves on in a 2.5 meter deep tunnel below the tripod.
Although they were equipped with a cherrypicker and several climbing-cops, the cops did not manage to fully evict the barricades before 17:20.

The people evicted from the barricades were alongside other activists violently arrested, and put into detention in the city of Aachen, excluding one activist, who was brought to the hospital in Bergheim with a broken arm, as a result of state violence
Outside the detention center supporters gathered to welcome the activists once released, but even this peaceful support was harassed by the police,

This attack on the movement for climate-justice in the Rheinland marks one of the largest escalations from the German police in the struggle for the Hambach forest.

While the police aggressively attacked the protest-camp, around 700 people attended a demonstration walking from the nearby city of Buir along the forest, protesting the dismantling of civil-rights and the clearing of the 12.000 year old forest, by fossil-fuel-giant RWE. The demonstration, a colourful group of people young and old, was escorted by a large amount of police officers, as well as cops on horses. The demonstration ended at the edge of the forest, and people could enter the forest unhindered.

The frontlines have been clearly drawn, with the state fighting on the side of RWE and the coal-lobby, and activists fighting for the preservation of nature and climate justice.
This day is only one of many more to come, and Day X seems to be coming closer every hour.

Continue ReadingPRESS ANNOUNCEMENT 2 | 05.09.18

PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT 05.09.18

EVICTION OF GROUND- AND BLOCKADESTRUCTURES IN THE HAMBACH FOREST

Currently RWE employees in cooperation with the police forces of the NRW are evicting ground- and Blockadestructures in the Hambach Forest occupation.

Since 7:30 AM, a large amount of police officers have begun a violent eviction in the occupied forest protest-camp, further escalating the situation in the struggle about the 12.000 year old forest.

The huts, tents and improvised shelters being destroyed by the forces of the German state function not only as a base for organizing the resistance, but as a living space for a large group of people.
The repressive police action is therefore not only an attack against the movement for the preservation of the forest and for climate justice, but an attack on autonomous spaces worldwide and alternatives to the capitalist system.

The destruction of the ground structures includes the eviction of an occupied barricade, a so-called tripod, where activists are currently locked on, to further complicate the work of the police.

This violent escalation follows the call from Herbert Reul, interior minister of NRW, for a policy of “zero-tolerance” towards the climate activists in the forest. In this way Herbert Reul actively protects the interest of the energy-company RWE and the coal-lobby.


Pictures: https://twitter.com/SWeiermann

Continue ReadingPRESS ANNOUNCEMENT 05.09.18