TREEHOUSES BEING EVICTED, TREES CUT, TODAY MARKS DAY X
The polices forces of NRW have currently begun the eviction of treehouses in the Hambach Forest occupation. They will now be violently removing activists and destroying the infrastructure of the occupation, in order to prepare for RWEs continued clearing of the 12.000 year old Hambach Forest.
In this way Herbert Reul (CDU), interior minister of the state of Northrhine-Westphalia, is actively attacking climate justice and democratic civil rights, in support of fossil-fuel giant RWE and the coal-lobby, clearly showing the corruption inherent in the capitalist system.
With the eviction of the first tree houses, the Hambach Forest occupation, alongside several action-alliances (including Ende Gelände, Aktion Unterholz, and Buirer Für Buir) are calling out: Day X is here, and a new phase of the struggle has begun.
In the next days, while RWE employees, with support from the hired soldiers of the German state, attempt to evict the occupation, hundreds of people will join the forest struggle, in order to protect the climate justice protest-camp, and there are many ways to take part. See the text “How do I become active?” for more information.
Leila, an activist from the occupied forest, says: “This is the time for action. RWE wants the protest silenced, the activists imprisoned, the forest cut, and the German state is spending millions of euros in order to support this wish. This capitalist corruption is NOT to be accepted, and we will continue struggling until the last tree is cut, and beyond!”
In September, there are five (!) Sunday walks, every Sunday, always at 11:30 am. Planned is the well-known meeting point near the gravel pit Collas, see maps below. Andreas Büttgen (Buirer für Buir) will guide the first walk, Todde Kemmerich the second one, Eva Töller and Michael Zobel the other three:
“At the end my appeal: come into the Hambach Forest as long as it is still possible, show that you do not want to stand idly by the destruction of the Hambach Forest.”
Enrol here: info@nullzobel-natur.de to indicate that you need somebody for a live translation.
This sunday was a unique walk in that it started in town of Mannheim where the destruction of houses is advancing, bringing attention to the plight of local inhabitants loosing their homes and being resettle by RWE. Then the approximately 300 people walked to the Bund meadow and placed a large yellow X in the paths of the diggers and unfolded and stood with numerous anti-coal mining signs and banners. Then it was through the forest, with several stops including the edge of the woods and then all the way to Oaktown where climbing demonstrations took place and the visitors joined the forest activists for a meal.
The forest walk continues to share the message that has been missing even from the less bias national and international media. Showing that the forest not only continues to be open but that the forest activist and supporters continue to invite and bring people into this vanishing ecosystem to share its beauty, uniqueness and its connection to global climate issues. Forest whose destruction is happening at the same time as that of the local towns and villages as the water table and aquifers are pumped empty to keept the mine dry.
The forest activists supporters and visitors also keep the message alive of the disproportionate use of force against the forest occupation going hand in hand with fear and propaganda campaigns against the activists.
The media can not be counted on to inform about the situation of our friends and comrades such as UPIII who continues to be imprisoned but it is something that it is up to the activists and all people of good will to keep this message going.
There was a common disbelief especially on the part of the younger participants that the towns, roads and forest that they walk on and through will be destroyed and cut. They have a valid reason to be concerned as that is another subject absent from the mass media narrative: How over the 50 millions tons of coal extracted from underneath Hambach Forest yearly is endangering their not just future but their very survival. Feeding runaway climate change, droughts, wild forest fires, Forcing on the future geteration through corporate greed backed up by the state force and repression a Climate Instability reality of violence,repression and food insecurity.
Using the tactic of invaders, occupiers and exploiters local media continues to attempt to redirect attention and blame to the very people that are resisting this war on the Planet and local communities. Attempting to justify the future waves of eviction and repression. Which continue to be unjust and unjustified for all of those that have ever been in the forest, connected with Hambis or who have experience repression and who are not closed off to social and ecological injustice.