Raw materials - Protest against gravel mining - Activists build platform in the forest
Protesting against expected clearings for the extraction of gravel, activists have gathered in a forest near the southwestern German town of Langen and built a platform between the trees. The police spoke of around 20 protesters, while a spokesperson for the activists spoke of two dozen demonstrators.
According to their statements, around 30 hectares of the forest have been cleared in the past years for gravel and sand extraction by a company. "Plans for the expansion of gravel pits and further felling on over 60 hectares are already running," it was further stated.
Felix Möhrenfeld from the forest occupiers emphasized: "It cannot be that in times of forest dying and a climate crisis becoming increasingly severe, valuable and intact forest areas like the Langen Bannwald are being felled. We will not tolerate this escalation." The forest is said to have an irreplaceable value for the regional water balance, biodiversity, climate, and air purification.
"Now it's happening! Langener Bannwald is occupied"
A police spokesperson said that sufficient officers had arrived. It was about ensuring safety with possibly "not entirely safe constructions" in the trees. A spokesperson for the occupiers explained that they could only build one large platform approximately four meters high due to the blocked officers preventing later arriving activists from reaching the demo. The action "Now it's happening! Langener Bannwald is occupied" will be continued in the coming days.
- The protest against the clearings in Southern Hesse's Langen Bannwald forest is gaining momentum, drawing attention to the planned extraction of raw materials.
- Despite the police presence, activists have managed to construct a platform deep within the forest, serving as a base for their nature conservation demonstration.
- Hesse's environmentalists argue that the forest, rich in biodiversity and essential for the regional water balance, climate, and air purification, should not be compromised for gravel and sand mining expansions.
- The activists plan to maintain their presence on the platform, leveraging it as a platform for their cause, rallying support for the protection of the threatened Langener Bannwald.
