German police deployed pepper spray, batons and water cannons in a stand-off against eco-zealots during a Saturday protest over a main railway link between Hamburg and Hamburg.
The eco-mob Ende Geolande led a group of hundreds who attempted to blockade the Kattwyk Railway Bridge which connects to the city’s harbour.
Extinction Rebellion was also present and said that they were blocking the central hub for German foreign trade to bring attention to modern colonialism’s consequences.
One of several blockades that involved more than 1000 people in different places, the sit-down at the bridge was part of an effort to “interrupt cargo traffic” and protest against “the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructures and colonial supply chain”.
Protesters have a main complaint about a number of new LNG (liquified petroleum gas) terminals that are being built to “cover the German Coast”.
Police say that some eco-warriors used pepper spray against officers to stop them from moving along the bridge. This led to clashes.
According to police, they had used pepper spray in the back and then tried water cannons and batons to dismantle the blockade. The protestors stated in an update that they used pepper spray back, before using batons and water cannons to break up the blockade.
British forces’ tough approach to police is quite different from the British, where officers often just ‘observe,’ while Insulate Britain’s’sit down protests’ cause tailbacks up to nine miles along major roads or Just Stop Oil fanatics stick their hands on historic artworks in the National Gallery.
Ende Gelande stated that police retaliation against protesters who used pepper spray on Saturday was an example of ‘new peak violence and arbitrariness in our climate protests’
Charly Dietz, spokesperson for Ende Gelände, added: ‘The climate crisis is getting worse and worse. Instead of phasing out natural gas completely, German coastline will be covered by LNG terminals.
German police deployed pepper spray, batons and water cannons in their fight against eco-zealots during a Saturday sit-down demonstration on Hamburg’s major rail supply line.
After trying to blockade a nearby harbor, an eco-protester in Hamburg is forcedfully dragged off by the Hamburg riot police
As activists take part in the System Change Camp Hamburg, police officers remove a climate protester.
In protest of climate change, demonstrators occupy rail tracks to block Hamburg harbor during the System Change Camp
Extinction rebellion also participated in the action. They stated: “We are blocking a key hub of German foreign trading here to draw attention on the consequences of modern colonialism.”
Police claim that eco-warriors spray pepper spray at officers trying to push them forward, which led to clashes.
Pictured: The Hamburg harbor sit-down (pictured), was part of a string of protests involving over 1,000 people. It was intended to “interrupt cargo traffic” in protest at the expansion of colonial supply chains and fossil fuel infrastructure.
The protesters stated in an update that 5pm local time was the latest. Authorities were blocking water from being delivered to the demonstrators while keeping out medics and members of the media.
Ende Gelande, a protester who allegedly used pepper spray to disperse the crowd on Saturday said that police’s retaliation was “a new peak in violence and arbitrariness in our climate protests”.
Charly Dietz, spokesperson for Ende Gelände, said: ‘The climate crisis is getting worse and worse. Instead of phasing out natural gas, German coast will be covered by LNG terminals. (Photo: Saturday protesters at the railway bridge that leads to Hamburg harbor.
“Of all the things, the large companies that are killing climate change are getting billions in subsidy, while increasing prices and rising fossil fuel inflation pose a threat to many.
“This clearly shows that we aren’t in an energy crisis but rather a capitalist distribution crisis. We are standing up to corporate power by blocking the ports of Hamburg and resisting it.
Hamburg saw hundreds of protesters gather for a “protest camp” this week to draw attention to climate change. They launched a number of disruptions and blocksades to try to raise awareness. Many of these were stopped peacefully by the police.
They took action as the Rhine’s water level fell once again Friday due to dry weather. Some vessels were no longer capable of sailing, according to brokers and shipping operators.
Rhine cargo shipping continues but vessels are sometimes required to sail at least three-quarters full. This means that cargo owners may need to buy four ships to carry their cargo.
Contargo, a container logistics company, said Friday that it will largely cease its operations on the Middle Rhine and Upper Rhine rivers. It will transport what it can overground to its terminals at the Lower Rhine. However, it warned that it had limited trucking capabilities.
Economists believe that Rhine disruption could affect Germany’s economy by as much as half a point this year.
Ende Gelände has been organising mass civil disobedience since 2015, when it first began targeting coal mines in Rhineland, Lusatia and Leipzig.
Photos from Saturday’s sit down protest show police officers removing some disruptors (who wore yellow face masks and white protection clothing) from railway tracks at Kattwyk Bridge.
This is in stark contrast with the way British police dealt with protests like this over recent months.
It comes after Security guards at London’s National Gallery simply watched on last month when eco-zealots covered John Constable’s priceless painting The Hay Wain with their own version and stuck their hands to the frame with glue.
The security guard finally had enough. He first removed the hand of the man from the painting (left), then proceeded to take the young lady out of the precious Renaissance art (right). The protesters were then taken into police custody.
In stark contrast to Britain’s reaction, the no-nonsense Italian security guard pulled the couple out of the exhibit room.
Metropolitan police officers did not remove the eco-mob, which forced Lloyd’s of London’s City Headquarters to close eight hours later after they blocked all 25 doors and scaled the exterior.
Britons were also stuck for nine miles in tailbacks, and more than an hour waiting to get through the queues. This was after Eco activists such as Insulate Britain climbed the M25 gantries and stuck their heads on roads.
Germany is not the only European country in which furious citizens and authorities took tougher, faster actions to prevent protesters disrupting events or bringing down roads.
An Italian security guard seized a Botticelli painting from a Florence gallery, and took it away.
“Last Renovation”, an environmental collective, demonstrated along the route and blocked the Tour de France in Gramat between Lacapelle Marival Rocamadour on Friday, 23 July, before they were pushed away by spectators.
Fans of the Hero Tour de France took matters into their own hands, removing eco-protesters from the path that threatened to disrupt the event and blockade the roads. Pictured: People push the protesters away from the path of the oncoming Tour de France, between Lacapelle Marival and Rocamadour, in Gramat
Shortly after the youth activists began their protest at the Uffizi Gallery, a security officer stormed up to them and took their hands off of the Renaissance masterpiece.
The unnamed man and two women were from climate activist group Ultima Generazione (‘Last Generation’) and had rolled out a banner which read: ‘Last Generation No Gas No Coal’.
After the guard took the activists from the painting, the police removed them from the gallery.
Tour de France supporters became angry with eco-protesters sitting on the roadsides, threatening to interrupt the historical bike race.
A group of climate activists was carried by police from Madrid’s Parliament building to Madrid.
Protesters are taken out by police during an act of Scientist Rebellion, which denounces the climate condition on April 6, in Madrid
The Riot Police quickly arrived on the scene and dispersed protesters. Some officers picked up some of the activists and took them with them in June. After the demonstration, 10 demonstrators were taken into police custody
Eight climate activists from French campaign group Dernière Rénovation (Last Renovation) sporting T-shirts emblazoned with the message ‘we have 978 days left’ to tackle environmental decline tried to stop the race during the 20th stage between Lacapelle-Marival and Rocamadour.
However, their efforts to cause havoc on the stage were stopped by witnesses who stormed on to the street and pulled them away from the bikes’ path before police arrived to arrest them.
Spain’s authorities have reacted to eco protestors who tried disrupting major events or vandalizing public buildings.
In protest against Spain’s inaction on climate change, hundreds of climate activists covered Madrid’s Parliament building with red paint.
Riot police quickly reached the spot and dispersed all protesters. Officers picked up and carried away some of the activists. Following the protest, at least 10 people were detained.