The Free

Hambacher Eviction Resistance Continues, Tree by Tree: More Solidarity Welcome

#Hambacher Forest: Thousands marched in solidarity, hundreds take over the forest

On the fourth day of the eviction of the Hambach Forest occupation, activists and supporters from all over made it clear to energy-giant RWE and the government of NRW, that the squatters inside the forest are not alone in their struggle!

Originally published by Hambi Bleibt. Edited by Enough is Enough.

Already from early in the morning, it was clear that the weekly “forest walk” was going to be something special.

09:39 September 16: Activist started #AufBäumen this morning. While #RWE and cops evict, cut trees and destroy #HambacherForest, activists are planting new trees. #HambacherForst #Eco #HambacherWald #HambiBleibt Image by @_mtiemann pic.twitter.com/ZijD8Fxcio

— Enough is Enough! (@enough14) 16. September 2018

Despite the fact, that police beforehand had made it official that the “forest-walk”, led by Eva and Michael Zobel, would not be allowed to enter the forest, thousands of people, from all stages of life, went towards the nearby village of Buir, completely filling up several trains on the way there. After hours of continuous arrival of motivated “forest-walkers”, the march began moving in the direction of the forest, waving flags, yelling slogans, and showing their solidarity with the climate-justice activists inside the occupation, and protesting for the preservation of the 12,000 year old forest, and against the extraction of lignite-coal by energy-giant RWE.

11:01 Cops are busy evicting tree houses in #Oaktown #HambacherForest – #HambacherForst #HambiBleibt Image by @infozentrale pic.twitter.com/B6PdXGWhj0

— Enough is Enough! (@enough14) 16. September 2018

When arriving at the protest vigil, many hundred people chose to break off from the march, and while yelling “we want a forest walk!” managed to break through police lines, entering the forest.
Here people spread out, surrounded the occupations that were being evicted, in order to support the activists, and some places even managed to force the police to leave the premises. At one point a few hundred activists managed to completely surround an eviction tank near the Cozy-town occupation! Others went through the forest, erecting barricades, and playing cat-and-mouse games with the officers still present.
Although police violently arrested several activists, these moments gave people the strong experience of how active self-empowerment and solidarity is the strongest weapon against repression, making it clear that if we are determined enough, we can overcome any obstacles.
They may have the money, but we have the masses!

13:37 According to @AktionUnterholz there are 7000 people at the #HambacherForest walk today. – #HambacherForst #AktionUnterholz #Aufbäumen #HambiBleibt. Video by @MonaNeubaur pic.twitter.com/EsQmWnyIbl

— Enough is Enough! (@enough14) 16. September 2018

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While some people were taking back the forest, attempting to halt the destruction of the unique ecosystems of the Hambach Forest, the action group “AufBäumen Gegen Kohle” had planned a “tree-planting action”, where a large group, equipped with shovels, watering cans and seedlings, attempted to plant new trees at the edge of the forest, bringing new life, to make up for the mass-murder committed by RWE.
Their peaceful protest however was met with very aggressive behaviour from the police, pushing and punching activists to keep them from getting to their goal.

14:59 Hundreds left the registered Forest walk that was not allowed into #HambacherForest by cops. Many people now went into the forest as a wild spontaneous demo. #HambacherForst #HambiBleibt Video by @infozentrale pic.twitter.com/eDnQ1GTfVp

— Enough is Enough! (@enough14) 16. September 2018

At the end of the day, despite the presence of large amounts of activists and supporters, police forces managed to evict the rest of the treehouses in Oaktown, including Mousehouse, Floki and Nest. One activist in Oaktown, however, impressively managed to stay up in a tree throughout the day, where they still remain to this moment.
The police also began the eviction in the so-called “WWestside”, which includes the treehouse-villages Beech-town and Cozy-town. From here two people were evicted and transported away to the pre-charge detention centre.

13:53 Cops continue with evictions this Sunday. People at sit-blockade chant “#HambiBleibt!” (Hambi stays). #HambacherForest #HambacherForst Image by @KimKolumna pic.twitter.com/ofl2BhRpRY

— Enough is Enough! (@enough14) 16. September 2018

Throughout the day, the police kept press-workers at a distance, making it hard (almost impossible) for journalists to properly show the brutal reality of the police’s destruction of the climate-justice occupation in national and international media. It seems clear, that for interior-minister of NRW Herbert Reul (CDU) and the government of NRW, the protection of the interests of energy-giant RWE and the coal-lobby, has higher priority than the protection of the “freedom of the press”.

15:28 Cops are powerless. Hundreds reach the next “village” in #HambacherForest #HambacherForst #HambiBleibt #eco #antireport Video by @infozentrale pic.twitter.com/lOOIglTnWl

— Enough is Enough! (@enough14) 16. September 2018

The support and solidarity in the last days has been truly empowering, giving us the energy to keep going. Although tomorrow Monday brings with it for many people the beginning of another working week, we are hoping to see all of you here, to help keep the resistance alive! Hambacher Forst stays, to infinity and beyond!

17:15 #Lastweet Cops now attacked people with pepperspray in #HambacherForest #HambacherForst #HambiBleibt https://t.co/dfa6WVwJXT

— Enough is Enough! (@enough14) 16. September 2018

Ongoing prison Strikes: Update info from #prisonstrike media team

Statement regarding the ongoing Prison Strike in the US.

Submitted to Enough is Enough.

New confirmed prison action reports

(full list & details below)

Missouri: at least one prisoner on a hunger strike at Leavenworth (USP).
New York: strike activity at Coxsackie Correctional Facility, strike activity and boycotts at Eastern Correctional Facility.
Ohio: at least one block engaged in a 3 day fast on first days of the strike and a commissary boycott throughout at Ohio State Penitentiary, plus a work stoppage in late July in response to preemptive repression by staff.
Texas: More prisoners involved in the hunger strike at Michael Unit.

Statement from prison strike media team

September 9th has passed, but it is up to the people in each prison who are participating in boycotts, hunger strikes, work strikes or sit-ins to determine the right day and time to close out their actions — from the outset, Jailhouse Lawyers Speak and national organizers have endorsed local strikers to set their own end dates, or strike indefinitely. Continue reading “Ongoing prison Strikes: Update info from #prisonstrike media team”

Anti Fascist Feminists to the Front –Call to Action..#London #Antifa

via Freedom News.

Summer is over and the far-right have not gone away.

On October 13th (Facebook event page for antifascist counter protests: https://www.facebook.com/events/257939294927379/, EIE) the far-right Democratic Football Lads Alliance plan to march in London. In the last year thousands of them have taken to the streets, uniting racists from UKIP to Generation Identity. By manipulating information and outright lying the far-right now present themselves as free-speech campaigners and protectors of women and children from sexual abuse committed by ‘Muslim’ and ‘Asian’ men.

Back in the real world.

We know that sexual assault and abuse aren’t isolated acts of violence. Rape culture is rampant and widespread. Most sexual violence is committed by people who are in our everyday lives – our spouses, partners, ex-partners, bosses, priests, sports coaches etc. Ignoring this fact contributes to why people of all genders, including the very women and girls fascists claim to protect, are still not believed supported when they speak out. What the #metoo movement has made clear is how utterly normalised and widespread sexual and gendered violence and harassment is.

Racism and sexism go hand in hand.

So, why do the far-right use the terms “grooming gangs” and “industrial-scale abuse” for Asian and Muslim men, but make no mention of sexual abuse in the Catholic church or international sports teams? By scapegoating migrants and refugees the far-right deliberately ignores the fact that sexual abuse happens in every country, culture and community – and in our own homes. Sexual violence will not be stopped by racist solutions such as tightening national borders or making the problem only about men in minority communities, nor a return to “traditional’ gender roles for women. The far right do not have genuine answers, because this would mean them recognising and confronting the fact that white men continue to hold more power, structurally, in all spheres of our society – whether in politics, our communities or workplaces.

When the far-right are left unchallenged their confidence grows, their messages becomes more hateful and their ideas more accepted. This is how fascism has begun in the past.

Feminists to the front on 13 Oct

The Women’s Strike Assembly are calling for a joyful and militant feminist presence to confront the Democratic Football Lads Alliance on Oct 13th. We will disrupt the far-right’s attempt to use our experiences of sexual violence for their racist agenda. It is time to put an end to the lie that all the victims are white women and all the perpetrators are black and asian men. Far from being weak and in need of ‘protection’, women and non-binary people in every community are the ones holding families together, putting food on the table and making ends meet. We are powerful, even more so when we take action together.

We are calling on feminists of all genders to come to London on Oct 13th. We need your help to mobilise at least 500 women, trans and non-binary people to form a feminist anti-fascist bloc to lead the counter-demonstration and show the far-right what a feminist response to structural and systemic violence actually looks like. We will hold space, make noise and keep each other safe. There is transport from other cities being organised. On the day there will be childcare and food provided, and there will be information nights across the country in the next month.

Now is not the time to be silent and stay at home.

Let’s make feminism powerful again. Anti-fascism must be feminist, and feminism must be anti-fascist.

Contact: info(at)womenstrike.org.uk

Endorsed by:

Women’s Strike Assembly – London, Birmingham and Cardiff
Kurdish Student Union UK
Plan C – London, Birmingham, Essex and Cambridge
The x:talk project
Sister not Cister UK
Fourth Wave: London Feminist Activists

To add your organisation or group to this call out please email: info(at)womenstrike.org.u

#NoPasaran: Unity demo to oppose the far-right in #London – #antifa #Oct13

London, UK: A coalition of groups including London Antifascists have made a call-out for a unity demonstration against the far right Democratic Football Lads Alliance (DFLA). Saturday October 13 in…..

Rise for Climate On 7 continents, in 95 countries, with 900+ actions..JOIN HERE

On 7 continents, in 95 countries, with 900+ actions, people worldwide demanded real climate action from their local leaders.

Together they showed the world what real climate leadership looks like. People everywhere are turning away from the age of fossil fuels and it’s time for politicians to follow. There’s no time to lose.

In 2018 the world experienced unprecedented climate impacts. From catastrophic heatwaves and devastating droughts to deadly wildfires and extreme storms — the world saw the first glimpses of what the future could be without urgent action to solve the climate crisis. ….

Stay involved

FULL DETAILS HERE https://riseforclimate.org/

Bayer Beware: Lawyers Claim To Have “Explosive” Monsanto Documents

source: Zero Hedge Lawyers involved in a California lawsuit against Monsantoclaim to have “explosive” documents concerning the Bayer-owned agrochemical giant’s activities in Europe, according to Euronews.

“What we have is the tip of the iceberg. And in fact we have documents now in our possession, several hundreds documents, that have not been declassified and some of those are explosive,” said US lawyer Robert Kennedy Jr, adding

“And many of them are pertinent to what Monsanto did here in Europe. And that’s just the beginning.” Continue reading “Bayer Beware: Lawyers Claim To Have “Explosive” Monsanto Documents”

Korean women leading anti-Beauty Slaves Movement against misogynist culture, extortionist products and surgery

South Korea’s ‘take off the corset’ movement should inspire feminists everywhere towards radical action against reactionary misogynist society linked to the extortionist beauty products industry and culturally forced surgery.

”They are cutting their long hair short or completely shaving their heads. They are burning skirts and high heels. They are abandoning bras. Students are discarding skirts as uniforms and instead wearing pants that are more functional. And they are uploading their pictures on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook — basically everywhere on the internet, encouraging other sisters to follow suit”.

A before-and-after transformation picture captioned, “I became a human after ditching the regime of looking sexy or fragile.”

via Feminist Current.. shared with thanks

This resistance movement was inspired by radical feminist critiques of beauty practices coming from the West, but today, Korean radical feminist campaigning from within one of the beauty industry’s global strongholds serves as a galvanizing force for feminists everywhere, who are seeing their sisters reduced to empty shells who aim only to be beautiful in the eyes of men.

Young women in South Korea calling themselves “beauty resisters” are fighting back against the powerful and incredibly profitable beauty and cosmetic surgery industries.

The #MeToo movement has reached countless women around the world, morphing into various campaigns specific to what women are experiencing under local forms of patriarchy. In April, The Telegraph reported on a growing movement against “cultural violence against women” in South Korea, which rose up in response to the fact that women in the nation were undergoing more plastic surgery than anywhere else in the world. Emanuel Pastreich, head of the Asia Institute, told Julian Ryall:

“Korean society has become completely distorted by this rush to undergo surgery and, speaking personally, I believe it is very sad that it has shifted to the point that women are seen merely as sex objects that have to undergo the scalpel to be perfect.” Continue reading “Korean women leading anti-Beauty Slaves Movement against misogynist culture, extortionist products and surgery”