Demonstration in support of Hambach Forest Activists occupy construction crane in Bonn
Bonn · Coal opponents with banners climbed up a construction crane at Bonn’s central station. Opponents of the energy company RWE had already demonstrated in many cities on Saturday.
Five demonstrators climbed onto the boom of one of the construction cranes at Bonn central station on Sunday morning and hung a banner with the words “Climate Justice Now! #Hambibleibt.” The demonstration ended after around two hours. The operator of the construction site is not filing a criminal complaint.
Bonn police were on site during the demonstration. According to a statement from press spokesman Robert Scholten, the coal opponents did not endanger themselves or others during the demonstration climb. Nobody was injured during the action. The demonstrators formally registered a “spontaneous demonstration” with the police after their protest. This will now be examined by police for compliance with assembly laws. A total of five demonstrators took part, whose identity was established by police.
Under the slogan “Stop coal”, environmentalists also protested against lignite mining in Cologne on Saturday. The demonstrators also demanded an end to the production of “climate killers” oil and gas. Police said the demonstration was peaceful. There were further demonstrations in NRW, including in Paderborn, Münster and Aachen.
Last week, police cleared the camp of deforestation protesters in Hambach Forest.
The Greens in North Rhine-Westphalia want to move their party conference with numerous delegates to Hambach Forest on 7 October. They say the meetings are to take place in a tent on a piece of land belonging to the environmental association BUND at the edge of the opencast mining area.
Original text: Anja Wollschlaeger. Translation: kc