Kerpen-Buir (near Cologne), 6-10-2018

Thousands of people left a mass demonstration in Buir to follow Ende Gelände’s call to stream into the Hambach Forest. Many of them are hanging in red hammocks in the trees to shape a symbolic Red Line against coal mining. Ende Gelände is happy to see that people start re-building tree houses and other buildings to continue the occupation of the forest.

We have come her today to celebrate“, says Karolina Drzewo, press spokesperson of Ende Gelände. „However, our struggle is not only about this highly biodiverse forest in front of our doorsteps, it is about global climate justice. If we do not phase-out coal immediately, we continue to destroy the life bases of people in the whole world.“

The energy giant RWE was set to clear the old-growth Hambach Forest for the expansion of its lignite mine. Only yesterday, the senior administrative court in Münster ruled that the utility must desist from clearing the forest on the grounds of a pending court-case brought by environmental group BUND, the German branch of Friends of the Earth. The decision came after weeks of strong protests against the destruction of the forest.

„It is a tremendous success for our movement that the Hambach Forest has been saved“, says Karolina Drzewo. „But we will go on fighting until we achieve an immediate coal phase-out. That’s why we’ll come back soon: In the end of October, we will block operations of the open-cast coal mine with thousands of people.“

Contact:

Phone: 0049 152 04560800 or 0049 0157 50861453

Mail: presse@ende-gelaende.org

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