The violence against them is violence against all of us. The repression that hits them is addressed to us all. It is a clear attempt to intimidate us and thus an attack on the entire climate justice movement. They try to set an example against the refusal of personal data, that, for example, at the last Ende Gelände action again proved to be an effective means. They try to take any form of resistance from us: in case of militant resistance we are isolated, criminalized and isolated. By their massive repression against our civil disobedience, we not only experience direct police brutality through brutal evictions and painful ED treatments, but we are also locked away indefinitely.

But as long as there is this injustice there will be resistance! If more and more of us are imprisoned, we have to be all the more determined against lignite power generation and the enforcement of corporate interests by the state.

It has not been just oaks for a long time. It’s about testing and organizing resistance. And in order to keep it up despite intimidation, we will stay in action. That’s why we call for an action Saturday. In solidarity with all the prisoners of the anti-lignite movement, but also with all others who are held in inhumane conditions all over the world.

On February 3th, thousands of people will make it clear throughout Germany in loud and colorful protest: “You can not break our resistance!” No matter in which city you are, it’s time to take action. Whether in the form of vigils, demonstrations or the blockade of your local RWE power plants or offices, be creative.

Not only will RWE infrastructure be disturbed, it will also show how intersectional our struggle is. Therefore, the actions will also be pointed against repressive institutions such as jacks and courts, because without them it would be impossible for climate-damaging companies to continue destroying our climate despite our widespread protest. On Feb. 3th we’ll show that we remain active despite and especially because of these intimidation attempts. Our solidarity against their repression. Especially now. System change, not climate change.

Free the Hambi 9!

Here you find ideas for the action day:
http://hambachforest.org/blog/2018/01/27/take-action-freehambi9/

Write letters to the Hambi 9!
Infos on how to you can find here (scroll down for english version):
https://abcrhineland.blackblogs.org/

#FreeHambi9 #JetztErstRecht #hambibleibt

The call to contribute ideas is aimed particularly at groups and individuals who are active in Ende Gelände, feel part of EG or want to be active, in the next year.

Here are a few questions as a suggestion:

• Where do we stand as a climate justice movement, when we look back at the last year? What has happened? What have we achieved?
• Where do we stand in the bigger fight for a world without dominance and exploitation?
• What next steps will enable us to be in a better position after 2018 than now? What could we do then that we can not yet do now?
• What are the political hurdles for 2018 / Which political issues can we address? Who do we want to work with?
• Should we continue our struggle next year with an escalation against lignite? What other topics are there besides lignite, where Ende Gelände, as an alliance of mass action, could sharpen the social conflict?
• Which locations are key for our resistance?
• What capacities do we see in our structures and groups?

If you want to work on it in your group together, perhaps you will find these resources for strategy development useful:

– Campaign planning

– Spectrum of Allies

– Tactic Star

As always, possible alliances with other actors are important. In the European context, information exchange takes place at a delegates meeting of the Climate Justice Action Network (CJA) in mid-January. Delegates from various European climate groups (for example, Limity jsme my, Ende Gelände or Code Rood) will meet in Amsterdam. Similar to the Ende Gelände call-out, there was a desire to exchange plans for 2018 in writing as early as possible (texts and registrations to contact@climatejusticeaction.net ).

Also currently being subjected to repression are the G20 protestors who, despite the intimidation of the Police, took to the streets to demonstrate for global solidarity. The fact that now the summit opponents in general are portrayed as “violent offenders” fills us with concern. The “Fabio Case” (link in German) shows in a frightening way how the investigation even calls our right to demonstrate into question. Therefore, it requires critical counter-publicity and solidary support of those affected. Together with the campaign of the Roten Hilfe we say: United we stand – wir halten zusammen! (link in german)

What will we talk about?

We will evaluate the last two actions, both the action, but also how our structures worked.

Do you have to bring something?

Yes. Please bring a sleeping bag and pad. We will provide food

It’s your first Ende Gelände meeting?

There won’t be any special introductions for new people, but you are obvioulsly highly invited to attend, no matter if you came to any of our actions or not. We always try to provide a smoth entry into our structures.

Please let us know that you will come

That we know how many people will attend, please register until the 26th of November. Already too late, better too late than never: https://kound.de/NaAk/Kassel_2017/anmelden.html

Find more informations

here: https://2017.ende-gelaende.org/events/ende-gelaende-buendnis-nachbereitungstreffen/

Early in the afternoon of November the 5th, a group of activists from the green finger reached one of the colossal bucket-wheel excavators. At that time, the Ende Gelände activists had already brought the Hambach lignite mine to a halt. Thousands of brave men and women were in the pit facing the giant machines. The Ende Gelände alliance had reached its goal once again.

In this year the CO₂ levels rose higher and faster than ever before. The official response of governments and corporations was to haggle over a way-too-slow coal phase out in German exploratory talks, and to suggest text contributions at the climate conference in Bonn. Although these are supposed to implement the Paris climate agreement, they are failing to produce the real solutions that are desperately needed.

Too slow and not enough for us!

All that politic wheeling-and-dealing and the delay tactics are a tradition of the last decades. We have known for thirty years that we must act straightaway. Yet the destruction has only increased, year after year. That’s why Ende Gelände blocked the open pit in the rhenish lignite mining region in another massive civil disobedience action. One day before the UN climate conference in Bonn began, thousands of brave people descended into the Hambach pit – the deepest man-made depression in Nordrhein-Westfalen. In that way, we showed the whole world what the climate policy of the pretended “land of the energy revolution” actually looks like.

Singing, dancing and bold down the pit

Despite heavy rain 4500 people gathered for the demonstration in Buir, about six kilometers away from the pit edge. Singing and dancing we began our protest march. We did not care much for the police, neither at the time they stopped us to take away our “dangerous” straw mattresses, nor later, as we ran through the police chains. The activists also walked near the rests of the Hambach woods, one of the oldest natural forests of Europe, now damned to succumb to the coal excavators. Clear and cool in mind, we all knew our goal: to block the excavators looming in the distance.

The fossil energy corporation RWE tried this year everything to prevent the occupation. One day before the action RWE was still excavating meter-deep troughs and heaping up walls. All access roads to the pit were destroyed, obviously to get rid of us. But we won’t leave in peace those making profit with coal. Avoiding the police chains, 3000 activists reached the pit. In the middle of that moon-like landscape we joined in a circle and held hands. The coal excavators and the conveyor belt had to stop. For one day, the destruction ceased.

We can’t be stopped. We will block the excavators over and over again.

This year, not only did we have more participants in Ende Gelände than ever before, but it was as well the most international coal resistance action of the last years – with large groups of participants from France, the Netherlands, Italy, England, Czech Republic, Sweden, Denmark and other countries. They all stood together in the dust of the pit and endured pepper spray and a disproportionate use of police horses. At Ende Gelände, CODE ROOD, the occupation of the coal harbor Amsterdam, at No Grande Navi, the blockade of the cruiser harbor in Venice, or at the first czech climate camp this summer, an international movement for climate justice is building up, coming together and gathering strength.

We also gain confidence from the fact that Ende Gelände could be so successful without the support of a host climate camp. Many people from Bonn and Köln gave activists a place to spend the night in the cold November. We came in their living rooms and were glad to take our hosts with us down the pit. The newspaper taz wrote “Ende Gelände stands again at the top of the German climate movement – but their first line broadens”.

We are not drowning, we are fighting!

All talk about climate protection is hypocrisy as long as we keep extracting fossil fuels: they must stay in the ground, and indeed starting right now. Phasing out coal and all fossil energies cannot be negotiated. This measure is necessary to give those affected by climate change – now and in the future – a chance to live a good life.

We thank the Pacific Climate Warriors, who manifested their solidarity in a ceremony in Mannheim, for their unbroken fighting spirit and their willingness to share their story with us. Countries such as Germany must face their historical responsibility in global warming. It is a farce to discuss the implementation of the Paris Agreement in Bonn, 50 km away from the spot where monstrous quantities of the most dirty of coals are being excavated. We don’t let that pass away without a remark. We unmask the hypocritical climate policy of Germany and take coal phase out into our own hands.

This year once again people waiting an at a collection point after being arrested had to fully undress (even though there is a court ruling which has declared this practice illegal) and in some cases their right to a telephone call was denied.
This year there were also once again no interpreters for non-German-speakers.

This police behaviour is unacceptable! We are therefore asking everyone to complain about this behaviour, by telephone, by fax, by e-mail or by letter.

Contact details
============
Polizeipräsidium Aachen [Aachen Police Department] / Polizeipräsident [Police President Mr.] Weinsbach
Hubert-Wienen-Straße 25
52070 Aachen
Germany
E-Mail: poststelle.aachen@polizei.nrw.de
Fax: 0241 – 957 720 555
Tel.: 0241 9577-0
Tel Public Relations Operation Section: 0241 – 9577 21 001
Tel for local residents: 0241 – 9577 21003
Contact number: 0241 – 9577 86300
Press number: 0241 – 9577 21200
Tel Custody: 0241 – 9577 13501

Suggestions

Here are some suggestions in case you don’t really know how to go about this. Of course you can decide you want to do it anonymously or in your own name.

1) Write an official letter to the police to complain about a breach of duty (“Dienstaufsichtsbeschwerde”)

This is something you can write and send in, e.g. by fax, letter or e-mail. It can look something like this:

To/An Dirk Weinsbach, Polizeipräsident
– sent by e-mail to: poststelle.aachen@polizei.nrw.de –

Betreff: Dienstaufsichtsbeschwerde

Meine Beschwerde richtet sich gegen die im Rahmen von “Ende Gelände” eingesetzten Einsatzleiter*innen der Reiterstaffel und die
Gesamteinsatzleitung. Bei dem Einsatz wurde mit Pferden in eine Menschenansammlung hinein geritten, die sich friedlich verhielt. Dabei wurde eine Demonstrantin verletzt. Mit Pfefferspray wurden sitzende Menschen durch die Polizei angegriffen. Ein Demonstrat wurde zur Seite genommen und von drei Polizist*innen verprügelt und so in den Magen geschlagen, das der Demonstrant Blut erbrochen hat und ins Krankenhaus musste.

Ich frage mich wie es zu solchen Szenen in einem angeblichen Rechtsstaat wie der BRD kommen kann.
[oder andere Ausführungen, sie dürfen ruhig auch länger sein]

Ich bitte um eine Stellungnahme der Einsatzleiter*innen und möchte über den Fortgang der Dienstaufsichtsbeschwerde informiert werden.

Datum, Unterschrift/Name, Kontaktadresse

This is theTranslation:

Subject: Dienstaufsichtsbeschwerde

My complaint is directed at the leaders of the mounted police used at “Ende Gelände” and overall operation leaders. During the operation, horses were ridden into a crowd which was behaving peacefully. One demonstrator was injured as a consequence. People sitting down were attacked by the police with pepper spray. A demonstrator was taken to one side and beat by police offers and hit in the stomach so hard that he vomited blood and had to be taken into hospital.

I am amazed that such scenes can take place in a supposed democracy governed by the rule of law such as Germany
[or other exclamations, you can certainly make them longer].

I request a statement from the leaders of the operations and would like to be informed about the process of the complaint.

Date, signature/name, contact address

2) Fax

If you have access to a fax machine or online fax, you can also write something by fax, e.g. „don’t ride police horses into crowds”. Often lots of pages with lots of black and white are good for the police’s ink cartridges and help get them to understand that they should think again about the use of horses in crowds.

3) Anrufe

If you call, think in advance about what you want to say and what it would be better to keep quiet about. Don’t say anything about being at Ende Gelände and about what you did on the day so that the police can’t use the telephone call to bring accusations against you.

You could ask for example who ran the operation, why police horses were used, why the police used chemical weapons (pepper spray) against peaceful demonstrators and whether that shows respect for the right to demonstrate and resist. Other questions could be whether investigation proceedings are already in place regarding the mounted police officers.

Do complain about the disproportionality and ask what is being done to prevent this happening again. Real concern is very helpful.

4) Aachen

If you live near Aachen, you could visit them and run a small demonstration, vigil or another action at the police headquarters – that’s where you can find the decision makers responsible.

These are all just suggestions. Get yourselves organised, get creative! Repression, injuries and penal procedures may only affect a few people, but they are meant to hurt all of us.

7:00h Bad Godesberg Train Station

7:15h Köln Ehrenfeld Train Station

Be on time!

Link to Newsletter #24

Plan your journey and most importantly, tell us, if you are coming. Use therefore our registration tool.
Doing so you are helping us organize food and accommodation without getting stressed.

You never attended a Ende Gelände preparing meeting? You are even more invited!

The meeting will start Friday at 18:00 and will end with lunch starting at 14:00 on Sunday.

We are looking forward to meet you!