Leith Hill, England: Forest Occupied

The Fort

A coalition of environmental activists and local residents has occupied a forest in Surrey South of London to block Europa Oil from cutting a hectare of protected Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that is also part of the local Green Belt. They have built a massive fort-like structure on the planned location of the drilling site, surrounded by tree houses and platforms and are also maintaining a roadside camp. The support of many locals has been exceptional, with meals cooked by a different local family each evening being brought to the protest site. The camp occupation is run by a small group of mostly older activists, with the fort being a closed to the outsiders high security installation. More direct-action and eco-defense activists are welcomed to exchange their skills and keep the struggle against fossil fuels going at this beautiful and still natural location.

Links:
saveleithhill.com
voiceforleithhill.co.uk
www.bbc.com/news/video_and_audio/features/magazine-39117535/39117535 (Video)

Continue ReadingLeith Hill, England: Forest Occupied

RWE Engages in Illegal Logging

The cutting season has ended as of beginning of this month. Yet today unauthorized and illegal cutting took place in the vicinity of Death Trap tree-house, close to the security bridge. This cutting has been taking place without any escort by the police and when confronted by activists photographing and filming this, the persons engaging in out of season cutting hid and tried to get away without being photographed.

…well the NRW parliament (North Rhine Westphalia) did after all just declare that its possible to deforest and mine without any long-term legal and financial consequences…

Continue ReadingRWE Engages in Illegal Logging

Report-back from Bure Antinuclear Mobilization


From February 14 to 18, a large anti-nuclear mobilization took place in Bure (France) resisting the French State Company Andra’s plans to build an underground nuclear storage site in the occupied Lujec Forest. Over couple of days several night marches took place from the “Maison de Résistance” (House of Resistance) to the temporary nuclear storage site and progressively fences surrounding the storage site were brought down.

On Feb. 8th, the mobilization culminated with over 1000 supporters taking part in the march to the occupied forest with its many barricades/guard-houses, living structures through-out the forest and a growing number of tree-houses. The visitors shared a collective dinner with the occupiers and then marched to the Andra’s storage site where they had to cope with riot police shooting tear gas projectiles, concussion grenades and blocking the road with a mobile tank with attached fence-barricade that was bolted to the road as the crowd approached. The protesters responded by setting up their own barricades and lighting their creative floats on shopping cards, with one appropriately named Fénix, on fire and engaging the police in a four hour battle. During that time the remaining fences were taken down, used as additional barricades and as shields from the police projectiles. Only two people were arrested and later released and several sustained injuries from the “FlashBang”concussion grenades. Regardless of the repression and the state imposed violence the atmosphere remained festive and full of solidarity.

An ongoing call has been issued out for support of the forest occupation due to the ongoing risk of police actions to dislodge the forest defenders. This anti-nuclear struggle is located in Bure, department of Lorraine, approx. 3 hour drive south from the borders with Belgium and Germany.

Video from February 18th – Mobilization and Action: <a : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u23hqajNbBo
Video of Previous Fire-lit march to the waste-site: https://vimeo.com/204436168

Photos from the Occupation and Actions: https://www.flickr.com/photos/127928013@N04/

Continue ReadingReport-back from Bure Antinuclear Mobilization

NEXT RED LINE ACTION: SUNDAY 19.2 12:00

RWE’s destruction of the Hambacher Forest and the emissions from its power plants and their impact on the climate and general health is too destructive to allow and as stated by official estimates, to continue into the 2020’s.

As a response once again a human red line will be made at the edge of the clear cutting of the forest to show the public opposition to this destruction and to express support for the Hambach Forest Occupation.
Please come wearing red, with red fabrics and signs and lets draw a human red line to send an urgent message of That is Enough!, Yo Basta, and No More.

Directions: The meeting point will be at 12:00 at Grilplatz Manheimer Burge on the country road heading straight North into the forest out of Buir’s Train station where you should have no problem following the crowd between 10:30-11:30.

For more info you can also contact Michael Zobel, the certified forest guide conducting the walk.
info@nullzobel-natur.de

More Photos from Previous Red Lines Actions available below:http://www.flickr.com/photos/127928013@N04/sets/72157676647031073

See You in the Forest

Continue ReadingNEXT RED LINE ACTION: SUNDAY 19.2 12:00