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.

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.

Ticker (check also twitter @HambiBleibt @Oaktown1312 )
5. September
11:53 Around the tripod at the “Jesuspoint” a big operation is happening. Climbing cops are there. A heavy machine drove over what they previously called a dangerous “bomb”. They did not call a bomb disposal engineer.

11:46 Ground structures in Lorien have been removed. One tripod is still standing.
11:35 Since last night at 4:30 2 people have been in the Gesa (detention center) in Aachen. One of them has been allowed to use the phone now, for the first time. They did not get any food. Come to the Gesa! Bring tobacco and vegan snacks.
10:55 Cherry picker wanted to evict the lowest platform in Lorien. When someone occupied the platform, the cherrypicker stopped. The ground in oaktown is being evicted very thoroughly by the police. A small tripod in Lorien has been pushed over by an eviction tank, a big tripod is occupied.
10:34 Climbing cops at the tripod. Person is buried in hole, 2,5m deep,with the left arm in a lock-on. Cherry picker in oaktown
10:14 Eviction team of the cops gets to the tripod and monopod structure at the jesus point.
9:32 the eviction of everything on the ground in oaktown has started. In the background the cops and RWE are called names by activists.
9:27 Police heard the name Mike in oaktown: Is he not living on the meadow?
9:25 Person, who had been arrested near the flying field, was set free.
9:16 Police has found an art installation and is getting support from a bomb disposal team
9:09 One person arrested near the flying field
9:00 Riot cops and security at oaktown. Calls and howling sirens from everywhere
8:58 Technical unit at the tripod at the entrance of the forest near Deathtrap. They brought a cherry picker with them
8:04 Meadow surrounded by cops
8:00 Cops at the meadow drive aimlessly from left to right. Historical barricades are being evicted
7:40 Lorien is surrounded. Eviction works started around the lake at oaktown
7:31 Armoured cops (about a hundred) enters the forest at Deathtrap very carefully. A lot of eviction vehicles and security guards, but still manageable. Inspection of the forest on the main roads
6:00 meadow calm, some vehicles at deathtrap