Mike Hembury

In Germany, thousands took park in an historic mass civil disobedience action against coal

After the recent successful defence of the Hambacher Forest against the threat of destruction by coal giant RWE, more than 5000 people joined a mass civil disobedience action on October 27 and 28 in the coalfields of the German state of North-Rhein Westphalia (NRW).

The action was called by Ende Gelaende, an anti-capitalist environmental group committed to non-violent direct action tactics. It aims to win an immediate end to coal production at Europe鈥檚 biggest open-cast mine, the Hambach lignite (brown coal) mine.

In Germany, 50,0000 marchers celebrate unexpected win for Hambacher Forest against energy giant

An unexpected High Court ruling in the German state of North Rhein Westphalia (NRW) has blocked energy giant RWE from further destruction of the Hambacher Forest for the next couple of years. The decision has been hailed as a major victory by the newly-revitalised German environmental and climate justice movement.

German forest defenders say: 鈥楬ambi stays!鈥

The struggle to defend a 200-hectare forest has sparked Germany鈥檚 biggest environmental protests for at least a decade.

The Hambacher Forest (aka 鈥淗ambi鈥) is the last remaining corner of a much larger area of woodland that has been eaten up by a huge open-cut lignite mine, owned by European energy giant RWE.

Lignite is the dirtiest form of coal in terms of pollution. The lignite-fired power stations around the mine form the biggest sources of airborne pollution in the European Union.