October 30th, 2014
RWE Wachschutz injures activists. One person losing consciousness due to beating by the security. Activists choked and arrested with cable ties.
Today was another blockade of cutting and logging in the Hambacher Forest, within the campaign “No Tree is Falling”.
At this blockade the RWE Security attacked the activists with batons and pepper spray. At this point some activists got injured.
In response a second blockade happened to make the security and the loggers aware that they injured activists. At this point security attacked the activists harshly with batons and pepper spray. In addition the logging machine was heading directly towards the activists. During this attack three activists were injured, one of them losing consciousness for a moment. Also the RWE private security arrested three people, they choked them and bond them with cable tie. Activists defended themselves. After one hour police showed up and arrested 3 more persons. The police came from Düren and also the Arrested people will be brought there.
Come around and support the Blockades. Show Solidarity everywhere, thats what the people need here.
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The Hambacher forest is the site of an ongoing land defense campaign in Germany. The forest sits at the edge of a lignite (brown coal) mine and is under imminent threat from mine expansion.
News Ticker:
– several ambulance cars driving in the forest.
– police is evicting the blockades together with RWE Security
– The „Pile“ (Fort on the way to the Squatted Trees) is surround and activists are on Tripods and Trees.
12:00: Policenews: Activists got arrested because of breaking Civil Laws. Probably to MünchenGladbach, Bergheim, and Düren. (Not Confirmed)
– around 100 Cops are in the Forest.
– Police and RWE Security tried to evict the „Pile“ with heavy Machines, although activists where in the blockade and there life was put at risk.
13:00 Work was stopped. Police said they want to finish the eviction until 15:00. 4 Persons are in the „Pile“
13:05 Until Now 6 Persons got arrested. But they‘re still in the Forest.
Black flag flying Song
13:50 Police is driving with heavy eviction machines in the Forest. Also more Cops are on the way in the forest.
14:00 Logging Work is started again. Trees on the way to Treeblockade are cuted to make way for the eviction.
14:10 Activists are transported out of the Forest. Cherry Pickers are driving in the Forest.
15:30 Seven more Police Cars drove to the forest. Now there are 3 Riot Units in the Forest.
– In the „Pile“ Blockade are actually 4 activists. One in the Trees, One in the Tunnel, Two on Tripods. The „Pile“ is completely surrounded by police
– At the Treeblockade until now there is no Security and Police. Only the way for heavy machines is ready.
15:45 Eviction of the Pile started. Cherrypicker is build up.
16:07 Police in Plain Clothes is watching the Meadow occupation.
16:30 Activists locked themselves to the barricade (Pile)
16:50 One Person got evicted from Tripod at the „Pile“
– Another Unit of Riot Police drove to the Forest.
– Tree Blockade „Grubenblick“ is surrounded.
– Cherry-Picker and Floodlight is at the Blockade.
– One Person is in the Trees above the „Pile“
17:30 I seems like the Police is stopping the evictions.
– The „Pile“ is evicted. One Person is still in the Trees. 3 more Persons got arrested.
18:00 The Barricade is pushed together by the police with heavy machines. The police is touching the tree on which the last person is sitting. Due to that the police risk the life of the activist. That has been pointed out to the police several time but the dont stop the work.
– Climbing Police arrived at the Tree Ocupation „Grubenblick“.
18:20 Nine Policecars are on the way to the part of the forest near the meadow.
20:30 The Searching on the Meadow by the Police is finished. More Information soon.
21:45 In the last 3 hours the following things happened:
– The Treeocupation „Grubenblick“ is evicted. The activists got arrested.
– The activist on the tree at the „pile“ blockade is still up there. Climbing Police is on the spot. At the Moment the Cherry-Picker is raised up.
– The first Person got released at the police station in Düren.
modified slightly from Hambach Forest Blog