November 08, 2008
CASTOR-BLOCKADE WITH CONCRETE BLOCK NEAR WÖRTH: A group of young people at about 12.45 pm Saturday made the railway line unpassable for the Castor train shortly after it crossed into Germany, 500 metres north of Berg station. Three men and women fastened their arms in the massive block placed under the track sleepers. The train has been stopped for now.
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November 06, 2008
BLOCKADES HAVE BEGUN: The railway line used to take nuclear waste into the Wendland was symbolically blockaded at three overpasses on Thursday by abseilers. Police seized and held a prominent French woman climber in “preventive detention”, a law that has been ruled invalid by the highest court. The environment organisation Robin Wood suspended three abseilers from three bridges between Lüneburg and Wendisch Evern, saying they would stay there until the waste train came or police removed them. The French activist is used to being under permanent police surveillance because of her frequent spectacular climbing actions. On Thursday evening dozens of supporters demonstrated for her release outside the Lüneburg police directorate.
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November 05, 2008
TRAIN STOPPED BY PROTEST: Three high school pupils stopped a train bringing the special trucks for the Castor transport to Gorleben for half an hour near Hitzacker on Monday by sitting on the rails. They had to be carried away by police. About 100 demonstrators were near the track. Police were reported to be confused at first until they asked for reinforcements, which took half an hour to arrive. The three were encircled by police and had their IDs taken down. Pictures at http://de.indymedia.org/2008/11/231196.shtml
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GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS OCCUPY DUMP TOWER: 40 Greenpeace activists occupied a winding tower of the Asse II nuclear dump near Wolfenbüttel on Wednesday morning (pictures at http://de.indymedia.org/2008/11/231338.shtml), attaching a banner that said nuclear waste must be removed from the former potash mine, which is heavily taking water. The action is to last several days. Police have not demanded that the protesters leave the tower and so far everything has been peaceful. From January the mine, which was considered a model for Gorleben, is to be controlled by a different government authority, the Federal Agency for Radiation Protection. Background on Asse II at http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/nuclear-worries-increase-german-waste-dump-mine-floods and http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/german-nuclear-dump-was-illegal-start.
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ATTACKS ON POWER COMPANY’S VEHICLES: The «Hamburger Morgenpost» newspaper has published text purporting to claim responsibility for attacks on vehicles of the Vattenfall power company connected with the Castor transport. Windows of a car were damaged and both front tyres stabbed. Police say they have no claims of responsibility for two other attacks. In one case a vehicle loaded with four gas bottles was set on fire, causing an explosion that injured no one. But the pressure wave was said to have caused tens of thousands of euros worth of damage. Five vehicles were totally destroyed and a nearby building damaged. Police were able to stop another arson attack on a Vattenfall vehicle when a witness called them after seeing the attempt. Police assume all attacks were carried out by the same group of people.
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POLICE IN GÖTTINGEN ROUGHED UP TWO ANTI-NUCLEAR ACTIVISTS who had hung a banner about the coming Castor transport over the entrance to the local railway station. One had his wrists painfully twisted, the other was clapped in handcuffs immediately. Police went to the home of one of them searching for the banner. The activists comment that it’s interesting to see how nervous police can get about a banner and how they fear public scrutiny. Pictures at http://de.indymedia.org/2008/11/231320.shtml.
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