Cologne, 17/2/2017. Climate action coalition „Ende Gelände“ calls for mass actions of civil disobedience in the Rhineland coalfields in 2017. Thousands of activists from all over Europe are going to block mining infrastructure to stand up for a just energy transition – in August (24-29/8) as well as in November during the 23rd UN-Climate Negotiations in Bonn.

„Those in power do no act. Therefore its up to us to realise the 1.5 degree target that was decided in Paris. Together we will put an immediate coal-phase into practice“, explains Josefine Klinger, speaker of Ende Gelände. „We say No to coal, yes for climate justice.“

The Ende Gelände actions are part of many-fold protests against lignite-mining this year. This Sunday (19/2/2017) local initiatives call for a „Red Lines“ actions at the Hambach mine near Cologne. Hundreds of people from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium will draw a red line along the edge of Hambach Forest, to mark a colourful limit against the further destruction of the forest for lignite mining.

„The red line shows: thus far and no further!“, comments Insa Vries from Ende Gelände. „Be it the edge of Hambach Forest or looking at the 1.5 degree target – we will not tolerate the destruction of landscape and climate by coal mining any longer.“

At the Ende Gelände action last spring, 4000 people blocked a power plant in the Lusatia coal field, and in August 2015, about 1500 people occupied an open-cast pit mine in the Rhineland. And last October, 1000 climate activists dressed in red protested for saving the Hambach Forest.
Pressekontakt Ende Gelände: presse@ende-gelaende.org

„Be the Red Line“-Action:

February 19, 2017; 12 pm (noon)

Meeting point: parking place Manheimer Bürge, Kerpen-Buir, close to train station „Buir“