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Coal has to stay in the ground to prevent a hazardous climate catastrophe. Everyone knows, nothing happens. The German government continuously supports the climate-wrecking industries and violates its own insufficient climate goals. Rather than to power down coal power stations it wastes valuable time setting up a committee, staffed with coal phase-out brakesmen. The time is up: people suffer globally from droughts, lose their homes on account of extreme weather events or die a horrible death because of climate-related infections or starvation. It is our obligation to stop climate destruction where it is manufactured: here and now.

Ende Gelände calls out to stand up against the extraction of coal at the Hambacher Forst this October and to confront the absurd growth compulsion. The break-off edge of the coal mine is coming closer, big shovels absorb the landscape. Only a small fraction of the once enormous forest has been preserved – until now. While the “Hambi” shrinks, it becomes an increasingly vivid and wide shining symbol of resistance against the fossil fuel industry, especially after the successfully prevented deforestation in 2017. Thousands of people will support this struggle for climate justice in October through a mass action of civil disobedience.

Hambi stays!

For decades, RWE clear cuts the Hambacher Forst, one of the oldest mixed forests in Europe, to extract the underlying brown coal. Many stand up for the protection of the forest and an immediate coal exit – and we have been successful! In autumn 2017, the climate justice movement has completely stopped any clear cutting for the first time during during the squat – through lawsuits, demonstrations, occupations, tree houses and blockades. And we will do it again!

In October RWE intends to start another season of clear cutting to eradicate the remaining forest and extract even more brown coal. This last piece of forest is a core element with high biodiversity and provides home to most original species of the forest. Therefore, every tree counts!

Here it becomes obvious how profit-driven economy destroys livelihoods – in the Hambacher Forst and worldwide. Before the coal companies took over the forest and brought their devastating excavators with them, it belonged to local communities which treated it in sustainable ways – back then Hambi was common property. Therefore our resistance is also a protest against global injustice, produced by capitalism. While climate killers continously enrich themselves, people in the global south suffer the most from climate change impacts. But also over here people are displaced, expropriated and endure serious harms to their health.

We do not take this any more!
The preservation of the Hambacher Forst is our emergency measure for climate justice. From October 25th – 29th we will stand in the way of the giant coal machinery which threatens Hambi. But that’s not all: we will come to stay. Together with people from the woods and surrounding villages we will stop Europe’s biggest CO2 source. For a good live for everyone, we must consign coal to history.

Our type of action is an announced mass blockade and there will be many opportunities for participation. We will remain calm and level headed, no escalation will come from us, we do not pose a threat to humans. We will create a situation transparent for all participants in which we will look out for and mutually support each other.

At the end of October we will call: Ende Gelände – Hambi stays! Our goal – End coal! Join us to block coal infrastructure – for an immediate coal exit, for the preservation of the Hambacher Forst and for a climate of justice!