We do not carry out the wishes of the police. But not accepting this invitation really would be a shame. React with your experiences with the police. If you like, also to us: hambacherforst@nullriseup.net
Text on the website of the police:
Our Christmas wish: Paint your experience with the police.
Rights of Nature is more than legalistic extension of human “rights”, unto ecosystems and non-human species, its more than granting legal status and personhood to rivers and ecosystem(as was the case with Ganges river in India and a protected area in New Zeland). It is granting full equality and respect for indigenous communities and all their treaties and agreements, it is also a perception of Earth itsel as a living female entity that deserves full protection from exploitation and violence.
Those were the underlying principles behind Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN) International Rights of Nature Tribunal in Bonn, taking place in the LVR Landesmuseum on the 7th and 8th of November 2017 attempting to recognize the rights of ecosystems to exist and the duty of humanity to respect the integrity of their life cycles.
For the two days the testimonies and presentation included representatives of indigenous, grass roots and radical resistance groups on the front lines of ecological destruction. Those were:
Amazon Threats
The tribunal is legally non-binding, paradoxically offering a relatively free space from special interest group interference and disinformation at the same time reminding those present the importance of diversity of tactics, local forms of resistance and necessity to support indigenous communities under attack.
In closing the importance of maintaining biodiversity thresholds was discussed, thresholds below which continuing extinction will remove the functionality of the ecosystem as the whole causing its complete collapse as is presently the case with the largest ecosystem on the planet the Earth’s oceans.
The trial over the lack of enviromental assesent and the encrochement on colonies of endangered Bachstein’s Bat by RWE during this cutting season has been postponed till the end of next month. Bundis NRW the legal challenger in this suit has asked for a posponment to collect more evidence against RWE. By doing so the start of the cutting season will be delayed further until after the end of Conference of Polluters 23 in Bonn. The outcome of this trial will unfortunately only afect cutting in 2017 so even if verdict is against RWE it will only stop them for cutting in December. However there is aready a trial also put forward to look at the cutting and deforestation plan put forth by RWE for 2018. So most likely there will be another trial in December. Save a date for both.
Evicted and Destroyed in the last months police action, Tripod, is back again. Located at the strategic road crossing it has once again become a meeting and rally point for forest defenders from different occupations throughout the forest. The tripod is back with additional barricades, skypods and monopods defending the forest from encroaching cutting.
As many in the forest on those defenses await the next action of police repression, a call of Solidarity with the Mapuche goes from one frontline of ecological destruction to another, to the struggle protecting the planet and Mapuche autonomy from logging and extrationist exploitation. Mapuche people, who have never stopped fighting the colonialist domination, have come under inceased repression involving Pinochet era anti terrorist law directed at the opposition and the political underground. Four prisoners of the Chilean state have just endured over 116 day hunger strike which has won the following concessions: revoking the condition of pre-trail detention and dropping anti-terorist charges. Lots of respect and Solidarity!! Included as well is an invitation to share your stories of resistace and if possible visit Hambacher Forest and the COP Conference of Polluters in Bon Nov 4th.
For the Earth!