Pre-alarm: RWE prepares for action

From some observations in the last 24 hours, we conclude that RWE is preparing for a major police operation. Opinions differ as to whether they plan to create facts before the verdict is pronounced, but it is certain that they want to be ready to start swiftly after the verdict is pronounced. We expect Monday, but Saturday would be possible too. In the past every day including Sunday was cleared, so a start on Saturday would be imaginable.

Get ready to join us. As soon as we know more, we’ll let you know.
And come on Friday at 10 clock to the Verwaltungsgericht (Administrative Court) in Cologne (Appellhofplatz) to accompany the verdict!
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Court Proposes Settlement

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For the entire text (in German) quoted below, go to wdr.de

Open cast mine Hambach: in-court settlement failed

Settlement on the open cast mine Hambach failed
RWE rejects proposal
Court decision until Friday

In the trial about the lignite mine Hambach on Tuesday (Nov. 21th,2017) a settlement failed. The Verwaltungsgericht (Administrative Court) of Cologne had proposed to continue the open pit without felling the forest. The judges expected a coal exit in the foreseeable future.

RWE and a representative of the Land North Rhine-Westphalia stated that this would not be feasible. The BUND as plaintiff, however, supported the settlement. Another proposal by the court, to postpone the extraction limits of the opencast mine and to save the forest from digging, was rejected. By contrast, the BUND (Federation of Environment and Nature Conservation Germany) as a plaintiff could imagine a settlement in which the old Hambach Forest would be left out. Until Friday (24.11.2017) there will now be a judgment.

Protests outside the courthouse

On Tuesday morning, about 100 opponents and supporters of the opencast mine demonstrated before the start of the trial in front of the Cologne administrative court. Several environmental groups had announced protests for the preservation of the Hambach forest.

Between 2020 and 2030 almost all trees are to be cut, in order to advance the open-pit mine as planned shortly before the village of Buir. “Then we’ll look directly into a 440 meter deep hole, where almost the entire city of Cologne fits in and that is so unimaginable crazy, well that’s just terrible,” a 50-year-old man says. With his citizens’ group “Buirers for Buir”, Andreas Büttgen supports two new claims of the BUND. He wants to save the Hambach Forest and thus stop the open pit.

Judgment on Friday 11/24 at 10 o’clock, Verwaltungsgericht Köln.
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What to do on Day X? Or how we prevent eviction and deforesting together

The mood is tense. If RWE wants to enforce the planned clearing, they would have to destroy most tree houses. At the same time we are more than ever, louder than ever and more diverse than ever. This is our chance to prevent the clear-cutting, and thus set a clear sign against lignite mining and exploitation and for climate justice and non-hierarchical resistance. We have to be many for that!
To be informed in case of eviction register on our SMS alert list
 and stay up to date by means of the blog. But what to do when the SMS arrives? This text helps to prepare you for eviction in the Hambach Forest, so that we can prevent it together!
For almost all options, it is helpful to have an affinity group. It would be ideal if you organize yourself in your city with people to support the forest occupation together. There are already many groups working on climate justice, such as the local groups of Ende Gelände.

Various police operations can occur in the Hambach Forest:

Continue ReadingWhat to do on Day X? Or how we prevent eviction and deforesting together