The ongoing court case to stop RWE from cutting one of the last remntants of ancient Hambach Forest took place today in Cologne. The decission was postponed from Monday to Friday to possibly reduce number of supporters showing up in court, resulting in the same number of about 40+ attending the trial. The expected biased pro-coal verdict was read out rather quickly empting a court of sad, some crying and many expecting that precise outcome and getting ready for another winter of repression and resistance. The BUND fur Natur which originated the case against the RWE was hit with the costs of the trial while in the hallway the company bigwigs basked in the lights of TV crews as their power plants pumped more mercury, CO2 and particulates into the atmosphere, poisoning, emptying and destroying communities and habitats. In response to this not just injustice but a mockery of justice and pure capitalist spectacle a demonstration with many banners, signs and a mobile treehouse info-point has formed and walked to the Cologne Cathedral and Train Station, with chants calling for Climate Justice, Saving and Remaining of Hambacher Forest and Stopping of Coal. When arriving at the traditional location for manifestation and actions on the steps in between the “Dome” and the trainstation, speaches of solidarity with the forest were made by supporters and call for resistance voiced by Hambi Folks.
After 5 years of occupation this is a difficult and at the same time mobilizing call for the Hambacher Forest Struggle. Difficult as we are about to face another winter of deforestation, and the biggest lignate clima-killer hole in Europe getting yet larger at the expense of this priceless forest and now also being a home to over twenty treehouses and 5 Barrio occupations. This is also a mobilizing moment as never before have there been so much attention at the climate struggle in the Rhineland coal mining region with many years of persistent resistance, with Climate Camp, Ende Galaende and decentralized actions against this planetary monstrosity of injustice and polution that RWE working in tandem with local state instutions symbolizes. Mobilizing even more so now because of recent state imposed false and destructive solutions offered at COP23. As the realization daunts that we are the last line of defense against a future of climate, food and ecological collapse, self-organized support groups have been forming in Bonn, Cologne and Achen. Preparing demonstrations, actions, info-points and support and resupply visits to The Forest.
Also even though the number of people in the Forest have swelled recently a constant call goes out for people to organize in affinity groups in your locations and support by journeying to the Forest or through remote solidarity actions. If your are in one of the surrounding towns and would like to be part of the solidarity group just send an email containing in the subject line town name and what type suport function would be possible for you to HambacherForst@nullRiseup.net
In Solidarity with all Anti-Post-Colonialist, Anti-Extractionist and Anti-Authoritarian Struggles World-Wide.
Hambi Bleibt!!
Thursday, November 28 was the day when we dodged a bullet. An evictions of the forest after 3 days of cutting were to start involving thousands of cops. Parking spaces were reserved for police use only at the local train station. Then after two days of celebratory actions on Tuesday eve and on Wednesday, something peculiar started happening at Buir train station. Around the places previously reserved for cops, first 3 mobile offices and then crates of equipment were dropped off. The gear contained 5 boxes of batteries for walkie-talkies, portable power cubes and 4 full crates(!) of surveyors tripods.
