This morning (18.july.2012) “take back the land”-activists built a new open-cast mine in the lords “garden” to enable a “closer” inside on the cause. The lord owns the open-cast mine Mainshill and the area of Glentaggart East, currently squatted by the actioncamp, where a new open-cast mine is planned.

Only a part of what the residents have to endure every day was shown to him by this action. What he did not have to see are the healthproblems, the smell of diesel, die danger on the streets and the noise.

Later during this action the police arrived but did not arrest anyone.

One of the activists involved said the shire is realising a profit of millions through the mine in Douglas Valley, but there is no agreement for the mining from the residents: 70% of the people fight against the open-cast mine Mainshill and 650 objections were sent to the council.

A resident said that everything belongs to the lord and that he makes a lot of money – without giving anything back to the community. “He makes millions and we contract cancer and asthma.”

Once more we can see that usually the people suffering from the impact of ecocidal projects are not those benefiting from the projects.

At 10:00 at saturday morning a group of 45 activists invaded Scottish Coal’s Mainshill Open Cast Coal Site near Douglas, South Lanarkshire, and shut it down for the day. Machines including a “prime mover” were occupied and all work was stopped completely. This is the first action at Take Back the Land! – the action camp in the Douglas Valley will be up and running until the 18th July. Come and get involved! More photos below.

Here is the tentative program of theskill-sharing-camp,to give you an idea of ​​what will await you. Please note however, that this is merely the preliminary program. It can’t be definite, firstly because spontaneous workshop announcements are welcome. Secondly because the schedule has not been clarified fully, so there may be shifts.

Friday, 29th June:
17:00: input and discussion on the fundamentals of a free, cooperative and self-determined education and knowledge transfer
19:00: self-organization on the skill-sharing
From 22:00: Cultural Program
Saturday, 30th June:
11:00: Introduction of the Rheinish lignite mining area and the forest occupation
13:00: Sustainable Activism, burn-out prevention
From 15:00: Making banners and putting them up
15:00 : Theory Event: “Climate Protection from below”
Sun, 01 July:
All day: Making banners and putting them up
14:00: cake
From 14:00: Practical Workshop: Repairing bicycles at the autonomous center in Cologne. Complete bicycles can be used well in the forest occupation.
18:00: Introduction: Creative forms of Action
Mon, 02 July:
All day: Making banners and putting them up
10:00: Workshop: Communication Guerrilla / Subversion
14:00: Workshop: Police-/Repressioncontact
Tue, 03 July:
All day: Making banners and putting them up
11:00: Theory Event: “Free people in free agreements”
15:00: Practical Workshop “solder water pipes” in the WAA
22:00: Film Screening: “Just do it” – a film from and about the environmental movement in the UK
Wed, 04th July:
11:00: General introduction blockading techniques
14:00: Workshop: Construction of a blockade-tripod
15:00 – 19:00: Workshop on forum theater
20:00: Talk about health effects of the Rheinish lignite mining area
Thu, 05 July:
11:00: introduction to lock-on blockade actions
14:00: Workshop: “how various lock-on techniques work”
17:00: Lecture: “Democracy – the rule of the people”
19:00: Panel discussion: “democratize power nets or dedemocratize?”
Fri, Jul 06:
The entire weekend from Friday to Sunday there is an “How to go on with the “Grünes Blatt”” meeting. The “Grünes Blatt” is an open journal of the environmental movement. On the meeting we’ll be considering whether and how the “Grünes Blatt” may be edited in the future. The meeting is open to anyone interested. But participants but should be on the entire meeting.
From 10:00: mosaic making: Artists from Buir show how to make mosaics. Here mosaics with threatened animals of the Hambach forest will be designed.
11:00: Workshop: “First Aid on Actions”
14:00: Workshop: “Self-organizing the whole life”
18:00: networking meetings: building a self-organized garden project after the example of solidarity agriculture projects in the area between Cologne and Aachen
20:00: Introduction Event: “Self-organization is more
than dumpster diving and hitchhiking sometimes- on the philosophy of independent life ”
Sat, 07 July:
11:00: reflections on self-organization on the forestoccuation
13:00: Informations about the Rheinish lignite mining area
16:00: Exchange: “Over 26 and still in motion and without a permanent job? How does it work? Tell me about health insurance? What if all others around you are constantly getting younger? … ”
19:00: Discussion “As with the resistance in the Rhenish lignite mining area?”
From 21:00: Cultural Program
Sun, July 8
from 10:00: Brunch
11:00: evaluation of skill-sharing, and discussion about whether the concept should be repeated.

The article to the video can be found here: [hier].