In the early hours of Wednesday 30th of march, two occupants of the Lappersfort forest protest site were arrested cycling back to the camp. Based on the fact that they had a screwdriver on them and a bike trailer full of food, they are accused of breaking a fence in order to take food from a skip that they never actually visited.
They are currently in prison awaiting a hearing on Friday morning 9:00. There will be a noise demo tomorrow before the court house; those who wish to come, meet us at the train station at 8:00 or come to the forest tonight. In case they don’t get released, there will be another demo in Brugge on Saturday, meeting at 13:00 at the front of the train station. BRING YOURSELF AND YOUR FRIENDS, BRING YOUR NOISE AND WHATEVER YOU WISH!
These arrests are the latest development in the ongoing campaign of repression against the occupants of the protest site. In February one person was arrested for skipping food and was held for 15 days in a high-security prison after refusing to identify himself in court. After the judge in Gent ordered his release, the Lappersfort lawyer is expecting the judge in Brugge to flex his little muscles and try to make an example of the two people in prison.
Other ‘offences’ occupants have been arrested for in the last five months include: Taking scrap wood from a bin, carrying wood chips in wheelbarrows in the street, handing out flyers at a market in the city centre and putting up posters on a legal postering spot.
The Lappersfort occupants see this as an ongoing campaign of repression to try to force them out of the woods and discover as many of their identities as possible. It is also seen as a criminalization of environmental activism, skipping and generally increasing the power of the police state. THIS IS NO LONGER A FIGHT ONLY FOR THE FOREST, BUT ALSO FOR PERSONAL FREEDOM, SELFDETERMINATION AND THE RIGHT TO RECYCLE.
Lappersfort forest has been occupied since September 2008 to prevent it from being cut down to build warehouses, office buildings and a car park. The owner of the land, FABRICOM GTI, entity of energy-giant GDF SUEZ, has until now offered little contact to the occupiers except to say that they insist on going ahead with their destructive project.
The site is under constant eviction threat. People who want to come and live with us to defend the forest are welcome, and visitors too!
Directions from Brugge Train Station: Exit at the back – where all the construction is going on – turn left and follow the road for a while until the roundabout, turn left under the railway bridge. You’ll see the forest soon on your right!
0032 (0) 471 658 544
(For information in dutch – not yet translated nor updated – www.lappersfort.tk)
lappersfort@gmail.com
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update – 3/4/2009
A trial was held today in the Brugge courthouse for the two Lappersfort occupiers, Sophie and Pitree, who were arrested on tuesday night while riding their bicycles back to the forest. Occupiers and other folk went along to the courthouse to make some noise and show solidarity with their friends.
The judge decided they must be detained longer to give the police/repressive scum more time for “further investigation”. They are maintaining their accusation that the two girls had been skipping at the Delhaize in Assebroek, which is obviously made up and is simply being used as an excuse to hold them longer in prison. The only evidence they claim to have is some footprint on the wall by the skip in question.
As this is being written an appeal process is going on, to request a second opinion from another judge. We cant say yet what the results are, but if the appeal is unsuccesfulk the two will have to wait ANOTHER MONTH WITHOUT TRIAL to receive their next judgement….
The developments of police repression against the Lappersfort occupiers in Brugge could not only threaten the action camp and the forest, but may also set precedents for further arrests and charges involving skipping/dumpster diving…WE SEE THIS AS A CLEAR AND ROTTEN ATTEMPT TO CRIMINALISE A WAY OF LIFE, TURN PUBLIC OPINION AGAINST US,TO WEAKEN SUPPORT AND DEMORALISE THE SPIRIT OF THE ACTION CAMP ITSELF….
SO… AS SOPHIE AND PITREE SIT IN PRISON, WE WILL GATHER TOMORROW (SATURDAY) AT 13:00 AT BRUGGE TRAIN STATION AND NOISILY WALK TO THE BRUGGE PRISON, TO SHOW OUR SOLIDARITY WITH OUR FRIENDS, WITH DUMPSTERDIVERS EVERYWHERE, AND AGAINST THE ONGOING REPRESSION BY THE POLICE STATE…..THE FIGHT FOR THE LAPPERSFORT FOREST WILL NOT BE STOPPED BY STUPID ARRESTS AND POINTLESS REPRESSION BY POLICE ANYWHERE…….
after the demo all are invited back to the Lappersfort forest for some yummy hot soup, campfire and all the rest of it, and are welcome to stay as long as they wish…
RE-CYCLE, CREATE, FUCK THE STATE!!!
RED HET BOS!!