DIRECT ACTION REPORTS IN SOLIDARITY WITH HAMBI 9

Over the past weeks we have seen an increase of direct action against the forces of oppression around the forest as a response after nine Hambi activists were sent to prison for occupying structures during a recent barricade eviction

We have compiled some of the reports published by other websites in relation to Hambi9 solidarity actions. Although the editors of this blog have nothing to do with the actions and all actions have been reported from outside groups, we believe that any memory of any solidarity action should be kept as a show of love towards those who don’t fear the repression and help protect the forest.

DISCLAIMER: We do not promote, nor condemn the actions described in the reports. We are unaware of the identity of the activists involved and we do not have the intention to find out.

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LIBERATE OR DIE: From Cage to Freedom

INTERNATIONAL CALL!

JOIN US FOR A WEEK OF ANTISPECIESIST ACTION, WORKSHOPS AND SKILLSHARING.

We’ve been missing a real activist-run, animal-rights-based, radical action camp, so we decided to make our own. In the Heart of the Hambacher Forest, a landmark of anti-capitalist and climate justice resistance, we will be hosting our first antispeciesist event.

THE LIST OF WORKSHOPS WILL BE UPDATED AS WE GET MORE SPEAKERS CONFIRMED

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– How to pick locks, by UnoffensiveAnimal
– Basics of climbing, by Hambacher Forst Besetzung
– Who is the ALF // History of the ALF, by UnoffensiveAnimal
– Introduction to Hunt Sabotage, by Hunt Saboteurs
– What is the Save Movement, Save Movement UK & Europe
– How to build a lock-on, by Hambacher Forst Besetzung
– Learning from previous struggles: vegan advocacy for animal liberation, by Seb Alex
– Establish the confrontation by direct action. How create a real offensive movement against the speciesist industry? by 269 Libération Animale
– Action climbing training by Earth Resistance
– The strategy of non violent direct action by Earth Resistance
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THIS EVENT IS FREE. With our concept of Anti-Capitalism, we do not believe people should have to pay to learn, share knowledge and take part in actions. Donations are well received as the occupation can always do with some funds, but they are not necessary! (We have been told they really like chocolate, hint hint!)

THIS EVENT IS VEGAN. We would like the space to be vegan and the participants should be able to respect it. We dumpster dive most of our food and although the forest has a divide between freegan and vegan diets, the Antispeciesist Space will remain fully vegan.

THIS EVENT IS ACTIVIST RUN. We are all crew. We all take turns to wash up dishes and to cook dinner, we all collect firewood and build a fire! From each according to their need to each according to their ability, do not be shy to help out!

THIS IS AN ACTION EVENT. On our first day, we would like to discuss different actions that could take place during the week. Depending on the skill level and legal comfort we will make a decision to take action one way or another. Bring ideas and listen to the group, we are sure that whatever is decided will be a wonderful action!

THIS EVENT IS BASED AT THE HEART OF A COMMUNITY. We will be sharing the forest with others and many have lived there to protect the trees for years. Some are VERY camera shy. Taking photos of the occupation is wonderful, but DO NOT take photos of activists without express permission. The same way, phones aren’t very welcomed in plenaries and workshops. Trust us, you’ll feel a massive relieve not carrying it around at all times!

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?
You should firstly bring yourself. Call in sick at work and avoid going to uni, what’s best; being a wage slave or fighting for the animals?

There is a list of things you could bring with you but if you don’t have something specifically DO NOT WORRY, we will find a way.

– Sleeping bag and mattress
– Tent (it would be good to bring them depending on how many we are!)
– Rage
– Head torch
– Love
– Warm clothes
– Boots
– Hugs (but please ask first before sharing them!)

HOW DO I GET THERE?
If you are coming from outside of Germany, Cologne has great bus connections! Check FlixBus and get yourself here! From Cologne, you will need to grab the train line “S-Bahn” to BUIR. S12 to Duren will work, but google map it if you’re lost!

Once you arrive at Buir’s train station, go down the stairs and turn left. Keep walking over the motorway bridge and another 200m until you arrive at a junction signalling left towards Morschenich. Take the left and carry on walking straight until you see an airfield to your right. Then use the sand road to arrive at The Meadow and say hi!

If you need more explanation, click on the link below:

How to get here

WHEN SHOULD I ARRIVE?
Come whenever, come for the event, come before and stay for years or come for the weekend. It is up to you!

IS IT REALLY FOR FREE?
Yes. Food, smiles and a place to sleep, all for free. Fuck capitalism big time. We are here to change the world, not to become part of the system.

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DISCLAIMER: This is an ANARCHO-VEGAN event. Nazis, right-wingers, sexists, transphobes and any other form of oppressive bigot needs to abstain themselves from attending. Also cops not welcome but we know you’ll be there, won’t you?

DISCLAIMER 2: Many people in the forest have “forest names”. You can rename yourself too if that makes you happy! We also don’t tend to ask for real names, ages, place of origin and all that stuff. Also, we don’t usually have IDs in the forest. Up to you to consider your own security, of course.

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Continue ReadingLIBERATE OR DIE: From Cage to Freedom

REALITY OF LIFE IN NRW/RWE LIGNITE PRISONS

My name is Jus and on   2015-07-22 I was arrested during a large scale police operation in Hambacher Forest. That day after 8 hours of being removed from a concrete lock-on on top of the Remis tower I was vacumed up into the North Rhine Westphalia prison system for the next 3 months. For the first 23 days of my imprisonment I ramained on hunger strike protesting RWE continous destruction of Millenarian Hambacher Forest(my, and many other climate and eco activist’s home), its and Lignite Open Cast Mine and its effect on the destabilizing the Planet climate.

During the whole duration of my hunger strike

1.I was kept completely isolated and incomunicado from my lawyer who was not alowed to see me for over 21 days with the prison staff refusing him access claiming that he was not my lawyer and did not appear as such in their files.

2. The jail medical doctor was not only verbally and psychologically agressive and was not interested in the state of my health as much as in coercing me to sign consent forms that would alow the state to force feed me if I lost conciousness. He constantly informed me that hunger striking is not a form of protest but a terrorist tool(echos of RAF prisoners and their deaths in prison). Tried to scream at me, which stopped quickly when being screamed back at and having the door to his repression central “clinic” banged on( All of this is what made it convienient for years for RWE securities to drop of at the local prison long list of our forest activists who suffered broken noses, wrists and arms, as well as head injuries. Then detaining them for months as they recovered with charges of having attacked the security guards. With the later having of course no injuries to show for and being free to destroy last unique habitats on the continents and polute and destroy the whole planet)

3. All my mail was blocked for the duration of the hunger strike, for 21 days for what seemed like months I was completly isolated from the outside as I did not even have any adresses with me to write to anybody on the outside. It felt like I was locked away with the key having been thrown out. Seeing how western parliamentary democracies were not just outsourcing repression and human rights abuses to the global south but were and are more than willing to nourish them at home.

4. I was put in the same prison cells with individuals that not only threatened me with physical violence but who went through a long list of questions that included.
a. list of european capitals and who, especially anarchists, I knew there.
b. what was the state of my funds(excact wording) especially for my defense
c. insisted, yes (really!) that I write them a letter with a description of what I did.
(The above was basically a dynamic of ultra repressive regime’s interogation, complete with confession)

5.  Sleep Deprivation throughout and after the hanger strike by being  woken every half an hour as hunger strike was used as pretext to put me on suicide watch and wake me up every half an hour to check whether I was still alive.

6. With chants of “Seig Heil” and “Allah Akhbar” constantly raging out of cells on both sides of mine , it was I defending the forest from RWE who was classified as an violent extremist and prevented from exercising and sports while both the natzis and the religious fundamentalist were not and were on very friendly  terms with each other and the prison officials.

During all of this and afterwards I have received no support from many of the local more reformists and citizen groups that have affiliated themselves with Hambacher forest. Which to me showed the after-shocks of state and corporate disinformation and media campaigs, it reflected the wider echo like circles of repression affecting those manywith fear, paranoia and distance. Which was to be expected from all who believe the present system can be transformed or salvaged. However I was and to this day consinues to be deeply dissapointing that during my whole imprisonemnt I also did not receive a single letter from local coal and radical prisoner support groups asking if there was anything I could use. Ironic given that being an info nerd I have not only seen but also distributed their fliers and literature containing accounts for donations for prisoner support – The same groups to which I now openly and indignantly not just apeal but demand that they do take a more forward role with the 9 and do not leave them feeling so forgoten! And more than to you it is a message to all to not just be ready but aready form one person cells that recreate and actively continue what larger prison support groups set up to do.  There is no other way as the state driven  solutions to resource collapse, extinction, and  climate chaos are more fossil fuel extractions are more repression and militarization.  As this happen the night of capitalism might be a short one but it will definitevely be a dark and cold one….so bundle up  >:) and make sure that you have matches or a lighter at all times as hypothermia is a really shitty way to go.

However there _was_ a phenomenal ammount of support from individuals and small groups from animal rights, feminists, anarchists, anti-authoritarian struggles and scenes…etc. Many of whom have got to know the ugly face of repression first-hand and who have made the, hopefully, life changing decission not to isolate themselves in a thick cocoon of privalage and distance as the planet continues to burns and the toolbox of repression is ever expanded. It is only for countless peaople like you through out the ages that many of us can choose the direction in which we can walk to and why there is still the present number of species and habitats still precariously holding on in forgotten, defended and hard to get places.

I deeply believe now that empathy and solidarity have this in common that it is not easily possible for somebody who has never been hungry and thirsty to realize how elemental and symbolic food and water can be. Just the same as it is not possible for anybody who has never been alone or been repressed or abused to realize how powerful of an act writting a letter or couple words on a postcard can become.

Continue ReadingREALITY OF LIFE IN NRW/RWE LIGNITE PRISONS

live-ticker: barricade eviction 22/01

22:00 There have been “only” ten activists in police custody in Aachen (* NOT counting from the tunnel person who was taken to a hospital). One activist is already free again, nine have tomorrow morning at ten o’clock a judicial performance demonstration.

20:30 The person from the tunnel system is probably now released from the tunnel and was placed in an ambulance.

18:46 It looks like humans are still being evicted in the underground Lockon today. About 30 emergency services (police, mine rescue, fire brigade) try to find a way to clear the hole.

17:49 Police abandon the mission in the forest for today. Tripod and Monopod at Jesus Point are still standing and still occupied! The human being in the lock on under the earth is still there. Police announce to stay at the hole, but otherwise leave the forest.

18:42 finally it seams like they are still going to get the person out of the hole today. Police, fire workers and special technical forces are there.

Continue Readinglive-ticker: barricade eviction 22/01