IndyMedia - Vrij Media Centrum Nederland

Wanneer: 01/11/2017 - 11:41

We not only want the immediate coal phase-out. We want a different society. And we want to visualise this during our diverse forms of protests during the “Ende Gelände” action from November 3rd to 5th. When we block lignite mining infrastructure in the Rhineland while the UN climate summit is taking place only 50 kilometres away, we not only take the phase-out of coal into our own hands – we also, in our actions, create a community of solidarity. We want to overcome forms of oppression like racism, sexism, heteronormativity, ablelism, exploitation of animals and of nature.

We are building a climate of justice – diverse, deafening and determined
Thematic fingers at the November action and a manifesto from the blockades

Climate change exemplifies where exploitation of human and natural resources on behalf of profit maximisation is leading us to. We go to the very place where climate change and further social injustice are produced, and we stand up against this together: As a broad alliance of anti-racists and anti-fascists, (queer)feminists, labour union members, people who live in communities of solidarity and agricultural cooperatives, animal right’s defenders and all those who strive for global justice.

In August, people who moved towards pits and railways in action fingers with thematic focus points demonstrated already the connections of climate justice with the right to self-organisation, with gender justice, worker’s struggles, alternative concepts for mobility, solidarity agriculture and the fight against local and global eviction, e.g. due to sea level rise. This November, we want to demonstrate once more with our mass action of civil disobedience what climate justice means to us: The action fingers will this time focus on overcoming national borders, protecting forests and enforcing worker’s rights. Everyone is invited to join these thematic focus points with slogans, symbols, glitter and banners to visualise the broad thematic horizon of “Ende Gelände”.

„Queer we go“

... was the shout in one of the fingers in August. The queerfeminist approach to the action continues and will manifest itself this November as a queerfeminist bloc in one of the action fingers. Sexist, patriarchal and capitalist structures are root causes of climate chaos and social injustice. Both climate justice and queerfeminism aim to overcome all forms of oppression, and therefore go hand in hand: We cannot have climate justice without social justice. With a queerfeminist bloc, that will be part of a thematic finger, we want to demonstrate how our struggles are connected.

In this bloc, we want to create a place where participation is not defined by the bodies we have, and where our success is the result of collective determination. The queerfeminist bloc is open to all genders: To all those who think that queerfeminism needs to be an essential part of climate justice and of our actions. We meet after the info plenary on Friday evening and after the action plenary on Saturday evening to prepare for the action together. You are invited to come and join with your affinity group!

A manifesto from the blockades

A lot of discussion has taken place in the thematic fingers during the action days in Rhineland already. Now, the climate justice movement is again coming together in November. From the open cast lignite pits in Rhineland, we will send images of courage and hope around the world. But this time, we not only want to send pictures, but also words. We want to create a manifesto from the blockades: A text in which we lay out the next steps towards climate justice – for all those who want to walk this path with us in the future. So that next year, we can be an even more diverse and even stronger. It will be a rejection to all those who try to impede us in moving forward – a manifesto for a climate of justice! On Saturday, 4th of November 2017 you can bring in your feedback and ideas for the manifesto. On Friday and Saturday, the procedure will be explained at the info and action plenary.