EVICTION IN THE EAST AND THE WEST, SOLIDARITY CONCERT IN FRONT OF THE FOREST

With tired eyes we are writing the press-announcement for the day. Since morning the eviction of the treehouse-village. With four cherry-pickers the police attempted to bring down the people from the traverses and tree-houses, but through lock-ons, the good and motivated mood of the activists and the supporters, four treehouses stayed occupied and undestroyed. The eviction and Gallien has been going for two days, and the police still has a lot to do, to completely remove the activists.
The activists remain resistant! That was also apparent in Oaktown: one climate-justice warrior keeps Oaktown alive. Lying in his hammock, only equipped with a bag full of books, he managed not to give in to the police forces. In stead, the police, at least for now, seem to have given up, bringing him down from the tree.

In the Westside of the occupation, the eviction notice was read out loud for the second time, and the eviction begun. Through several sitting-blockades and newly erected barricades, activists (including people from Aktion Unterholz) delayed and complicated the eviction.
RWE begun cutting a path to the trees around Beechtown in the Westside. As people loudly yelled “stop it!”, a moment came, where the machines actually stopped.
Maybe employees of RWE have begun thinking about their actions inside the 12,000 year old Hambach
In Cozy-town the mood of the activists in the trees is holding up, despite the violent destruction in the forest. Singing they showed their opposition to RWE and the police, and were forced to experience the destruction of their home, and the kidnapping of their comrades. Here the eviction is drawing into the night, as police has put up spotlights around the occupation. Four tree-houses here are still occupied.

A cello-player also loud and clearly showed their solidarity with the occupiers of the Hambach forest. Playing a symphony from Bach, she was a wonderful example of the movements diversity. Only through the support from all edges, the eviction was possible to delay.
Also our punk supporters came numerous to the forest. With a solidarity-concert from punk-bands Zen Mob and Mülheim Asozial, and singer-songwriter Conny, they made their feelings about environmental-destruction and climate-justice clear. “Beer against diggers, beer against Germany, beer against diggers and Germany!” blasted through to the otherwise calm evening-atmosphere on the Meadow.

We want to make another thing clear: Even though the situation may seem calmer in the media, the insane eviction is violently continuing!
Police made sure that press-speakers were continually being kept away from the crime-scenes of RWE, but nonetheless all day more people are arriving, who are no longer willing to see the eco-terrorism of RWE and interior-minister of NRW Herbert Reul (CDU). Your presence and support gives the activists in the trees new power, motivation and courage, to continue in the common struggle for climate-justice here and now!

Thanks to the strong atmosphere of the solidarity-concert tonight, we are ready for the next days, ready to continue opposing RWE and the police, and continue drawing a clear line for the people on the outside: Hambi stays, today and forever!

Come by, bring all your friends and comrades! Show your solidarity with the Hambach Forest! #hambibleibt

Activists on the treehouse Nonames near Gallia have given a press conference

Despite the massive restriction of the “freedom of the press” by police in the Hambach Forest one (and only one!) press team actually managed to hear and record the statement from the activists. Here you find the link to the video! Unfortunately it is in German.

Today (monday) at 12h a second press conference will take place at the same tree house! So come by and don’t let the police keep you away from doing your important job!

THOUSANDS MARCHING IN SOLIDARITY, HUNDREDS TAKE OVER THE FOREST

On the fourth day of the eviction of the Hambach Forest occupation, activists and supporters from all over made it clear to energy-giant RWE and the government of NRW, that the squatters inside the forest are not alone in their struggle!

Already from early in the morning, it was clear that the weekly “forest walk” was going to be something special.
Despite the fact, that police beforehand had made it official that the “forest-walk”, led by Eva and Michael Zobel, would not be allowed to enter the forest, thousands of people, from all stages of life, went towards the nearby village of Buir, completely filling up several trains on the way there. After hours of continuous arrival of motivated “forest-walkers”, the march began moving in the direction of the forest, waving flags, yelling slogans, and showing their solidarity with the climate-justice activists inside the occupation, and protesting for the preservation of the 12,000 year old forest, and against the extraction of lignite-coal by energy-giant RWE.

When arriving at the protest vigil, many hundred people chose to break off from the march, and while yelling “we want a forest walk!” managed to break through police lines, entering the forest.
Here people spread out, surrounded the occupations that were being evicted, in order to support the activists, and some places even managed to force the police to leave the premises. At one point a few hundred activists managed to completely surround an eviction tank near the Cozy-town occupation! Others went through the forest, erecting barricades, and playing cat-and-mouse games with the officers still present.
Although police violently arrested several activists, these moments gave people the strong experience of how active self-empowerment and solidarity is the strongest weapon against repression, making it clear that if we are determined enough, we can overcome any obstacles.
They may have the money, but we have the masses!

While some people were taking back the forest, attempting to halt the destruction of the unique ecosystems of the Hambach Forest, the action group “AufBäumen Gegen Kohle” had planned a “tree-planting action”, where a large group, equipped with shovels, watering cans and seedlings, attempted to plant new trees at the edge of the forest, bringing new life, to make up for the mass-murder committed by RWE.
Their peaceful protest however was met with very aggressive behaviour from the police, pushing and punching activists to keep them from getting to their goal.

At the end of the day, despite the presence of large amounts of activists and supporters, police forces managed to evict the rest of the treehouses in Oaktown, including Mousehouse, Floki and Nest. One activist in Oaktown, however, impressively managed to stay up in a tree throughout the day, where they still remain to this moment.
The police also began the eviction in the so-called “WWestside”, which includes the treehouse-villages Beech-town and Cozy-town. From here two people were evicted and transported away to the pre-charge detention centre.

Throughout the day, the police kept press-workers at a distance, making it hard (almost impossible) for journalists to properly show the brutal reality of the police’s destruction of the climate-justice occupation in national and international media. It seems clear, that for interior-minister of NRW Herbert Reul (CDU) and the government of NRW, the protection of the interests of energy-giant RWE and the coal-lobby, has higher priority than the protection of the “freedom of the press”.

The support and solidarity in the last days has been truly empowering, giving us the energy to keep going. Although tomorrow Monday brings with it for many people the beginning of another working week, we are hoping to see all of you here, to help keep the resistance alive!
Hambacher Forst stays, to infinity and beyond!