Interim status of the forest clearing

September 15 – Here again the current state, which was last passed from the forest:

  • Today the tree houses „Fabacea“ and „Kontiki“ as well as the Skypod (platform hanging free in ropes) in the barrio „Norden“ were evacuated. So there is no longer this barrio, but quite a lot of new anger. One of the expelled residents lodged a lawsuit against the destruction of their living space with our solidary lawyer Christian Mertens; Mertens is ready to support even more residents and others with such a lawsuit. (Specification of personal details required.)
  • In addition, a drivable passage was cleared between the barrios „Beechtown“ and „Cozytown“ north of the meadow. There were only footpaths so far.
  • Today (September 15), the barricades were cleared between the gravel pit of Collas and the central crossroads in the forest called „Jesus Point“. Firstly, this means further access to the forest and, secondly, it is particularly threatening for the barrio „Kleingartenverein“ (allotment garden) near the gravel pit.
  • Yesterday, the half done treehouse ‘Amagir’ had been evicted and got destroied in the barrio „Norden“.
  • Since yesterday there is a driveable track from the main path to the Barrios “Oaktown” and “Gallien”. They end at the tree house “Mona” (Oakt.) Or between “Tower” and “Paradise” (Gallien). Every aisle they hit through the forest means tree felling. It is enough! Gallien reports 40 felled trees. To cover that up, stumps and roots were torn out and the holes were filled with sand. However, evidently there was no eviction in Gallien.
  • Yesterday in Oaktown the tree houses Pyra, Mona and Stube were evicted. From the cabin Simona the roof was removed, the rest of the hut seems to stand still. There are still two people in the tunnel under the hut. The rest of Oaktown stands (i.e., Floki, Tower, Mouse-House, Nest), the Skypod “Raste” and the low tree house “Hundehütte” (also called Anna Campbell) near “Simona”, there is currently no information.
Continue ReadingInterim status of the forest clearing

Press Release 09/13/2018

MASS EVICTION OF FOREST OCCUPATION, LARGE SOLIDARITY PROTESTS

Today the struggle for the Hambacher Forst reached a long awaited climax.

Early in the morning the police gathered its forces from all over the state, and alongside Special Deployment Commando (SEK, German SWAT teams), several eviction-tanks, water-canons, climbing-officers, and technical units, started preparing for their biggest escalation so far, the continuation of eviction of the climate-justice occupation camp in the 12,000 year old forest.
It was clear from the beginning, as information had also reached us the day before, that the early hours would bring with it the deployment of the largest police action in the history of the state of NRW.

Entering the forest from the Secu-road at the eastern entrance, by the Deathtrap/Lollipop occupation, the police had to first evict a sitting blockade of catholic pilgrims, before they could even begin the eviction of the first barricade, which, once begun, took several hours. After having arrested the occupiers of the first barricades, a tripod and a monopod, and violently attacking a protester, they were able to continue with the eviction of the two treehouses at the entrance, Deathtrap and Lollipop. Shortly after the break of noon, the police entered at the northernmost occupation, fittingly named The North, and began evicting people from hammocks, as well as treehouses. The eviction continued through the day, with police being strongly present in all parts of the occupied forest.

In protest of the eviction of the forest occupation, the violent escalation of the police, and the cutting of the forest, despite the formerly announced cutting-stop supposed to last until October 14th, a demonstration of 1600 people walked from the nearby village of Buir towards the forest. A wide spectrum of people, from all over the region, children as well as seniors, showed a strong sign of solidarity with the campaign for the preservation of the forest, and the climate-justice occupation camp. As the demonstration reached the Mahnwache, a smaller protest “headquarters”, the police forbade it to continue. Despite the orders of the police, the demonstration continued to walk towards the Meadowcamp outside the forest, where a group of around a hundred people, in support of the civil disobedience campaign Aktion Unterholz, broke through police lines and entered the forest, in order to block police and RWE equipment, and spread out their ressources.

Despite the eviction of encampments in the occupied forest, the arrest of several activists, and the destruction of parts of the unique eco-system in the forest, the message of the day was as clear as a bonfire in the night: the movement is strong, will keep struggling against the injustice of the state of NRW and energy-giant RWE, and will definitely continue acting for climate justice in the Rheinish lignite-mining area, and all over Germany!

Continue ReadingPress Release 09/13/2018

PRESS RELEASE – 11.09.18

ON THE POSSIBILITY OF “SECURITY STRIPS”, AND AN ALLEGED MOLOTOV ATTACK

The police forces of NRW, it seems, are using every excuse they can, in order to legitimize their destructive escalation in the 12.000 year old Hambacher Forst.
Information has reached us, that the police is considering cutting of so-called “security strips” (clearing meter-wide strips of underwood) on both sides of the L276, a.k.a. the Secu-Road, despite the formerly announced cutting-stop lasting until October 14th.

The background for their decision to cut hundreds of square-meters is an alleged attack on RWE cutting equipment, with rocks and a “molotov-cocktail”, early morning September 10th.
The evidence on the alleged “molotov”-attack is however disputable.

A journalist which was present at the so-called “crime scene” shortly after explains:
“On the ground was some kind of liquid, but there were no glass-shards, no bottles, or any other containers to be seen. Usually when the police is taking pictures of a crime-scene, they don’t remove evidence, but here was nothing to be found.”

The extravagant reporting of the alleged attack, which led only to superficial damages on the RWE equipment, and no one wounded, serves only as a distraction in the debate, from who are the biggest perpetrators here: energy-giant RWE and the state of NRW, led by interior minister Herbert Reul (CDU).

In the row of violent attacks in and around the Hambach Forest occupation, it is clear which party ways the heaviest. Until now the police presence have led to several attacks on activists, supporters, as well as media workers, including the driver of a mobile kitchen being threatened with a gun, and a peaceful activist being brought to the hospital with a broken arm.
Responsible for this violence is the interior minister of the state of NRW, Herbert Reul (CDU), who uses the weapons of the state, to protect the interests of energy-giant RWE, and the coal lobby, while attacking the civil rights of free protest, free assembly and free movement.

Any and all attacks on RWE, and their state-sponsored protectors, is therefore also written in the context of self-defense, against RWEs destruction of nature, living-spaces, as well as the global climate, and against the brutal violence of the police, on civil protest and the whole climate justice movement.

Although not all parts of the movement for the preservation of the forest, and the immediate phase-out of coal agree to the militancy used by some autonomous activists, it is clear that the tactical diversity within the movement has strong value, and is not only legitimate, but necessary in the fight to protect the Hambach Forest.

Continue ReadingPRESS RELEASE – 11.09.18

Press release – 09/06/2018

Evictions going on, Day X was proclaimed

Today, the state police of NRW continued the destructive preparation(destroying of soil structures and barricades) of the forest for the upcoming evictions. The police stormed the forest at 8 am in order to cut walking ropes and bridges between trees and to isolate tree houses this way.

In the subsequent attempt to destroy the stilt construction “Simona”, a hazel tree was felled by RWE workers in the middle of “Oaktown”.

In reaction to the felling of the first tree, the Action Alliance proclaimed “Day X”, the crossing of the so-called “red line”.

Shortly after the proclamation of Day X, which was spread all over Germany and even the world, police left the forest. Although the soil structures all were destroyed, the activists now had the opportunity to move freely again and rebuild structures.

The proclamation of Day X marked the beginning of a new phase in the struggle for the 12,000 year old Hambach Forest. Hundreds of activists will join this struggle tomorrow, not least through the support of “Aktion Unterholz”, which promised to launch a weekend of resistance to support the Hambach Forest in the form of mass actions of civil disobedience. They will break police lines and block RWE and police equipment.

Despite the high likelihood that the police will be present again tomorrow, there is a chance they will restrain themselves. In this case Aktion Unterholz will support the fight in other forms, by helping to rebuild barricades and soil structures.

At 3:00 pm, the various participating organizations of the Action Alliance held a press conference to communicate the situation to regional, national, as well as international media.

They criticize the violent action of the police forces, as well as the protection of the interests of the coal and capital giant RWE. They condemn the Interior Minister of NRW, Herbert Reul (CDU) for ordering these actions.

Furthermore Ende Gelände presented their new action plan for late October, which includes lock-ons this year, reflecting their response to the increasingly extreme situation in the struggle for the Hambach Forest.

While the 6 activists who were arrested on September 5 are back in freedom, the first trial day for the case “Kim Neuland” started in the Düren district court. The case concerns the arrest and 17-day detention of activist Maya (known as “Kim Neuland”) on 17 December 2016, in connection with the resistance against the cutting of the Hambach Forest. The trial will continue on September 14th.

The repression against the climate-justice activists is going on, who are fighting for the preservation of the forest, and against the capitalist extraction of dirty lignite. But as long as the felling of the forest is not stopped forever and the fossil-fueled capitalist exploitation of the planet continues, the resistance will continues as well!

Continue ReadingPress release – 09/06/2018