Action Agreement
Ende Gelände (Here and no further) - Keep it in the ground – protect the climate
In the summer of 2015 - during the weekend of 15th-16th August - many people together en masse will disrupt the on-going extraction in the open cast mines in the Rhineland mining area through acts of civil disobedience. We will do this by being present in and by the mines, close to and on the diggers and other technical infrastructure. This is in order to force RWE to stop their 'business as usual'.
Through our action we set a message against further burning of coal - one of the biggest causes of global warming - and it's drastic consequences. We demand the immediate stop of coal extraction, specifically in the Rhineland area, the biggest source of CO2 in Europe. Due to the urgency of the climate crisis we find it necessary to make the step from public protest to civil disobedience.
Our action will take the shape of a mass blockade with various forms of participation. Everyone should be able to participate, whether you are new to this or more experienced. Some will enter the open-pit mine and block diggers and other technical infrastructure, others will protest close to the edge of the mine near the access roads and gates. There will also be a colourful, lively registered demonstration so people can protest with legal permission.
We will carry sacks of hay, foam and air mattresses with us to keep the blockade comfortable. Using banners, creative tools and placards we will shed light on the diverse and devastating consequences of coal extractionism. For example, town signs of places that no longer exist due to the mine will show the connection between forced resettlement, loss of culture and coal extractionism. Inflatable boats show the connection to people who have to leave their country of origin and risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean Sea due to climate change. Wind turbines can be used as a symbol to show the alternatives. Re-planting plants in the pit will show resistance to the vast demolition of fertile soil.
We will be calm and considered. Escalation will not be provoked by us. We will not put people in danger. We will use our bodies to block and occupy, we will not damage infrastructure. We will use tactics to flow through police barriers and security and we will not react to any provocation. Our action will show diversity, creativity, and openness. Our action is not directed against RWE workers or the police. The security of participants in the action and the workers in the mine are of utmost importance. We will also be well prepared for a safe descent into the mine.
We are people from various social movements with different political spectrums. Together we take collective responsibility for a successful action. During the action we want our process to be transparent for all participants and we want to take care of and support one another. With actions training beforehand, we will prepare ourselves together for the blockade. We are in solidarity with everyone who resists against climate destruction due to coal power plants and against the social and environmental consequences of fossil fuels.
We will oppose all attempts, that try to use the resistance against coal extraction for reactionist or nationalist goals. We are building upon the many years of diverse local resistance in affected communities, previous climate camps, forest occupations and the blockades of the coal trains. We are also in solidarity with the growing worldwide protest against energy poverty, against exploitation and displacements because of coal extraction.
Our action in the Rhineland lignite mining area is part of the global cross-border movement for climate justice.