View source for Earth:Ende Gelände 2019

{{Short description|Civil disobedience event in Germany}}
{{Use list-defined references|date=December 2021}}
[[File:Ende Gelände Protest auf der Nord-Süd Bahn vor dem Kraftwerk Neurath.jpg|thumb|About a thousand Ende Gelände 2019 activists blocking the {{ill|North-South industrial spur{{!}}North–South industrial spur|de|Nord-Süd-Bahn (Garzweiler)}}, thereby cutting the Neurath power station (in background) off from its supply of lignite from {{nowrap|21 June 2019}} to {{nowrap|23 June 2019}}.]]
'''Ende Gelände 2019''' was a series of large-scale events of a movement for [[Earth:Climate justice|climate justice]] in Germany.

As a continuation of the [[Earth:Ende Gelände 2018|previous year]]'s actions, the non-violent direct action civil disobedience events targeted the coal-fired power plants of RWE Power AG and demanded the "immediate [[Earth:Fossil fuel phase-out|fossil fuel phase-out]]" based on climate justice and [[Earth:Climate change mitigation|climate change mitigation]].<ref name="aufruf_2019" />

Between 21 and 23 June 2019, protests centered on the Garzweiler open pit mine of the {{ill|Rhenish lignite mining area|de|Rheinisches Braunkohlerevier}}.<ref name="Gerich_2019" /><ref name="Leipziger_2019_1" /><ref name="Leipziger_2019_2" />

Protests also took place in the {{ill|Lusatian lignite mining area|de|Lausitzer Braunkohlerevier}} between 29 November and 1 December 2019.<ref name="PR20190923" />

== In the Rhenish lignite mining area ==
=== Background ===
In January 2019, the German [[Earth:Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment|Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment]] recommended in its final report that coal should be completely phased out as a power source in Germany by 2038, which was criticized by both scientists, such as Commissioner [[Biography:Hans Joachim Schellnhuber|Hans Joachim Schellnhuber]], and environmental organizations as inadequate to prevent [[Earth:Global warming|global warming]] from reaching an irreversible [[Earth:Tipping points in the climate system|tipping point]].<ref name="spiegel-2019-01-26" /> In February 2019, the climate protection report 2018 was published, according to which Germany was forecast to miss the self-imposed climate protection targets for 2020.<ref name="zeit-2019-02-06" />

On 20 June 2019, the then-heads of state and government of the EU could not agree on {{CO2}} neutrality by 2050, because {{wipe|Poland}}, Hungary and the [[Place:Czech Republic|Czech Republic]] objected to it.<ref name="zeit-2019-06-20a" />

The youth climate movement Fridays for Future Deutschland (FFFD) called for an international protest event for climate protection in Aachen on the 21 June 2019, which drew {{val|40000}} people from 17 countries.<ref name="zeit-2019-06-21a" /> It was assumed that participants in the Fridays for Future demonstration would also participate in actions of Ende Gelände.<ref name="taz-2019-06-21" /> In advance, the police had warned of an instrumentalization of Fridays for Future by Ende Gelände 2019, which was seen by many as a "deliberate attempt to divide the movement," but instead it led to public statements of solidarization of Fridays for Future with Ende Gelände,<ref name="zeit-2019-06-20b" /><ref name="Burger_2019" /> stating that civil disobedience was a legitimate form of protest to save the future, but, in the demonstration on 22 June 2019 in Hochneukirch/Jüchen in the direct neighbourhood of the open-pit mine,<ref name="Barknanger_2019" /> that Fridays for Future would remain on the legal side.<ref name="faz-16247808" /><ref name="tagessch-103" /><ref name="Burger_2019" />

=== Activities ===
[[File:EndeGelaendeGarzweiler2019.jpg|thumb|Activists entering the Garzweiler II open pit mine near {{ill|Keyenberg|de}} on {{nowrap|22 June 2019}}.]]
[[File:Ende Gelände part of the Red Finger at the brim 22-06-2019 28.jpg|thumb|Ende Gelände 2019 activists of the "red finger" near the Skywalk at the edge of the Garzweiler open-pit lignite mine on 22 June 2019.]]
[[File:Ende Gelände Red Finger breakthrough to the brim 22-06-2019 38.jpg|thumb|The "red finger" moving forward on the 22 June 2019.]]
On Friday, 21 June 2019 the Ende Gelände 2019 activities began with a blockade of the North-South (Nord-Süd Bahn-Kohlenbahn in German) train connection between the Garzweiler open pit mine and the Neurath power station.<ref name="zeit-2019-06-22a" /><ref name="Burger_2019" /> On Saturday, 22 June 2019, blockades of the Hambach track and occupations of the open pit mine took place,<ref name="Burger_2019" /> causing RWE to power down four of six power plants.

Meanwhile, a Fridays for Future (FFF) demonstration was held on 22 June 2019 on the edge of the open pit mine and near Keyenberg, a village scheduled for dredging for open pit mining in the near future.<ref name="zeit-2019-06-22b" /> According to the organizers, this event drew some {{val|8000}} people.

Die Zeit reported that the blockade of the Hambach industrial track ended on the morning of 23 June 2019. It was followed by the occupation of the Garzweiler II open pit mine at noon. The railway line to the Neurath power plant was not cleared at this time.<ref name="zeit-2019-06-23" /> Mid-day, Ende Gelände 2019 issued a press release stating that the blockade had ended. More than {{val|6000}} activists participated in the protests.<ref name="pm-2019-06-23" />

Police violence was reported in connection with the protests.<ref name="taz-2019-06-23a" /> Police officers used [[Engineering:Baton (law enforcement)|baton]]s and [[Chemistry:Pepper spray|pepper spray]] injuring activists so intensely that they had to be treated in hospitals. The injuries included a [[Medicine:Basilar skull fracture|basilar skull fracture]].<ref name="Selle_2019" /> The police said they would take the allegations seriously and investigate accordingly.<ref name="taz-2019-06-24" /><ref name="Selle_2019" /> In addition, participants were prevented from freely leaving the train stations in Hochneukirch and Viersen, for up to 13 hours, due to what the police called "capacity issues".<ref name="pm-2019-06-23" /><ref name="taz-2019-06-23b" /> The police reported eight injured police officers,<ref name="taz-2019-06-23a" /> probably due to falls while trying to stop protesters.<ref name="sz-2019-06-23" />

After Ende Gelände had already stopped its activities at the Garzweiler open-pit mine, at 5 am (CET) on Monday, 24 June 2019, another group blocked the Hambach industrial spur and seven women occupied an excavator at the Hambach open-pit lignite mine until midday.<ref name="Zeit_2019-06-24" /><ref name="RP-Online_2019-06-24" />

== In the Lusatian lignite mining area ==
=== Background ===
About 1.4&nbsp;million Germans joined the third global climate strike on 20 September 2019.<ref name="fff-streik3" /><ref name="tagesschau-2019-09-20" /> On the same day, the fourth Merkel cabinet proposed its climate package, which was criticized as being insufficient by scientists, environmental organizations and the opposition. Ottmar Edenhofer, director of the [[Organization:Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research|Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research]], described it as "document of political dispiritedness" with which the set goals for 2030 could not be reached.<ref name="zeit-2019-09-20b" /> During the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit on the 23 September 2019, the most important countries also did not bring forward any measures that were ambitious enough.<ref name="zeit-2019-09-23" />

=== Activities ===
[[File:Ende Gelände November 2019 demonstration Koppatzer Straße 32.jpg|thumb|Finger of the {{lang|de|Anti-Kohle-Kidz}} shortly before a blockade near {{ill|Koppatz|de}}.]]
On Friday, the 29 November 2019, protesters again demanded more climate protection during the fourth global climate strike. In Germany, about {{val|630000}} people participated in this event.<ref name="zeit-2019-11-29" /> On Saturday, several thousand activists from Brandenburg and Saxony started blockades in the open pit mines {{ill|Welzow-South open pit mine{{!}}South Welzow|de|Tagebau Welzow-Süd}}, {{ill|Jänschwalde open pit mine{{!}}Jänschwalde|de|Tagebau Jänschwalde}} and United Schleenhain.<ref name="zeit-2019-11-30" /> Fridays for Future and the initiative {{lang|de|Alle Dörfer bleiben}} supported the activities.<ref name="rbb-2019-11-30" /> As planned, after several hours the activists stopped the blockades in the afternoon. According to the police, three policemen were lightly injured, otherwise the protests remained peaceful despite threats of violence from right-wing extremists in the days before the event.<ref name="zeit-2019-12-01" />

== See also ==
* Ende Gelände
* [[Earth:Ende Gelände 2018|Ende Gelände 2018]]
* [[Earth:Ende Gelände 2020|Ende Gelände 2020]]
* [[Organization:Extinction Rebellion|Extinction Rebellion]] (XR)
* [[Earth:School strike for climate|School strike for climate]] / Fridays for Future (FFF)
* [[Organization:Earth Strike|Earth Strike]]
* [[Earth:September 2019 climate strikes|September 2019 climate strikes]]
* [[Earth:Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment|Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment]]
* Energy transition ([[Earth:Energiewende in Germany|in Germany]])
* [[Earth:Fossil fuel divestment|Fossil fuel divestment]]
* Climate disobedience

== References ==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="aufruf_2019">{{cite web |title=Aufruf 2019 |language=de |publisher=Ende Gelände 2019 |url=https://www.ende-gelaende.org/de/aufruf-2019/#1 |access-date=2019-06-23}}</ref>
<ref name="pm-2019-06-23">{{cite web |title=Press announcement 2019-06-23 13:15 |language=de |date=2019-06-23 |publisher=Ende Gelände 2019 |url=https://www.ende-gelaende.org/de/press-release/pressemitteilung-vom-23-6-um-1315-uhr/ |access-date=2019-06-23}}</ref>
<ref name="spiegel-2019-01-26">{{cite news |title=So reagiert die Regierung auf den Kohlekompromiss |language=de |date=2019-01-26 |work=Spiegel Online |url=https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/soziales/kohleausstieg-peter-altmaier-olaf-scholz-andrea-nahles-die-reaktionen-a-1250155.html |access-date=2019-06-23|last1=Hagen |first1=Kevin }}</ref>
<ref name="sz-2019-06-23">{{cite web |title=An der Kante |language=de |publisher=Süddeutsche Zeitung |date=2019-06-23 |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/klimaschutz-an-der-kante-1.4495787 |access-date=2019-06-23}}</ref>
<ref name="taz-2019-06-21">{{cite news |title=Radikalisieren verboten! |language=de |newspaper=Die Tageszeitung (taz) |date=2019-06-21 |url=https://taz.de/Aktionen-von-Fridays-for-Future-in-NRW/!5601982/ |access-date=2019-06-23|last1=Müllender |first1=Bernd }}</ref>
<ref name="taz-2019-06-23a">{{cite news |title=Besetzung läuft noch immer |language=de |date=2019-06-23 |newspaper=Die Tageszeitung (taz) |url=https://taz.de/Klimaprotest-von-Ende-Gelaende/!5604961/ |access-date=2019-06-23|last1=Schipkowski |first1=Katharina }}</ref>
<ref name="taz-2019-06-23b">{{cite news |title=In Garzweiler verweilt |language=de |newspaper=Die Tageszeitung (taz) |date=2019-06-23 |url=https://taz.de/Kohleprotest-in-Nordrhein-Westfalen/!5604931/ |access-date=2019-06-23|last1=Schipkowski |first1=Katharina }}</ref>
<ref name="taz-2019-06-24">{{cite news |title=Aktivisten erheben schwere Vorwürfe |language=de |newspaper=Die Tageszeitung (taz) |date=2019-06-24 |url=https://taz.de/Polizeigewalt-bei-Ende-Gelaende/!5605436/ |access-date=2019-06-24}}</ref>
<ref name="zeit-2019-02-06">{{cite web |title=Deutschland verfehlt Klimaziele für 2020 |language=de |date=2019-02-06 |work=Zeit Online |url=https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2019-02/klimaschutzbericht-ziele-2020-immissionen-klimawandel |access-date=2019-06-23}}</ref>
<ref name="zeit-2019-06-20a">{{cite web |title=Festlegung auf neues Klimaziel 2050 scheitert |language=de |date=2019-06-20 |work=Zeit Online |url=https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2019-06/eu-gipfel-entwurf-klimaneutralitaet-2050-gescheitert |access-date=2019-06-23}}</ref>
<ref name="zeit-2019-06-20b">{{cite web |title=Die Zeit des Belächelns ist vorbei |language=de |date=2019-06-20 |work=Zeit Online |url=https://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/2019-06/fridays-for-future-internationaler-streiktag-klimaproteste-sichtbarkeit/komplettansicht |access-date=2019-06-23}}</ref>
<ref name="zeit-2019-06-21a">{{cite web |title=Sie meinen es ernst |language=de |date=2019-06-21 |work=Zeit Online |url=https://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/2019-06/fridays-for-future-klimaprostest-aachen-fs-3 |access-date=2019-06-23}}</ref>
<ref name="zeit-2019-06-22a">{{cite web |title=Hunderte Aktivisten blockieren Gleise zum Kohlekraftwerk |language=de |date=2019-06-22 |work=Zeit Online |url=https://www.zeit.de/wissen/umwelt/2019-06/rwe-blockade-kohleausstieg-neurath-klimawandel-aktivisten |access-date=2019-06-23}}</ref>
<ref name="zeit-2019-06-22b">{{cite web |title=Tausende Menschen protestieren im Braunkohlerevier |language=de |date=2019-06-22 |work=Zeit Online |url=https://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2019-06/kohleausstieg-klimaschutz-braunkohle-garzweiler-demonstrationen |access-date=2019-06-23}}</ref>
<ref name="zeit-2019-06-23">{{cite web |title=Tagebau Garzweiler vollständig geräumt |language=de |date=2019-06-23 |work=Zeit Online |url=https://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2019-06/klimaschutz-proteste-aachen-ende-gelaende-fridays-for-future-raeumung |access-date=2019-06-23}}</ref>
<ref name="Gerich_2019">{{cite web |title="Ende Gelände" besetzt Tagebau Garzweiler - Polizisten bei Sturm verletzt - Bei den Demos im Rheinischen Revier haben Aktivisten von "Ende Gelände" den Tagebau gestürmt. Mindestens zwei Polizisten wurden wohl verletzt. |language=de |author-first1=Simon |author-last1=Gerich |author-first2=Lucas |author-last2=Bayer |author-first3=Holger |author-last3=Dumke |author-first4=Marc |author-last4=Wolko |newspaper=Berliner Morgenpost |date=2019-06-22 |url=https://www.morgenpost.de/politik/article226242653/Aktivisten-von-Ende-Gelaende-besetzen-Tagebau-Garzweiler-Polizisten-bei-Sturm-verletzt.html |access-date=2019-06-22 }}</ref>
<ref name="Leipziger_2019_1">{{cite web |title=Ende Gelände legt Rheinisches Revier still - Tagebau Garzweiler blockiert, Hambach Bahn sowie Nord-Süd Bahn besetzt |language=de |work=Leipziger Internet Zeitung |date=2019-06-22 |url=https://www.l-iz.de/melder/wortmelder/2019/06/Tagebau-Garzweiler-blockiert-Hambach-Bahn-sowie-Nord-Sued-Bahn-besetzt-281943 |access-date=2019-06-22 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190622232807/https://www.l-iz.de/melder/wortmelder/2019/06/Tagebau-Garzweiler-blockiert-Hambach-Bahn-sowie-Nord-Sued-Bahn-besetzt-281943 |archive-date=22 June 2019}}</ref>
<ref name="Leipziger_2019_2">{{cite web |title=Kohlebahn seit 15 Stunden blockiert: 6.000 Aktivist*innen in Aktion |language=de |work=Leipziger Internet Zeitung |date=2019-06-22 |url=https://www.l-iz.de/melder/wortmelder/2019/06/Kohlebahn-seit-15-Stunden-blockiert-6-000-Aktivistinnen-in-Aktion-281916 |access-date=2019-06-22 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190622232715/https://www.l-iz.de/melder/wortmelder/2019/06/Kohlebahn-seit-15-Stunden-blockiert-6-000-Aktivistinnen-in-Aktion-281916 |archive-date=22 June 2019}}</ref>
<ref name="Barknanger_2019">{{cite web |title="Fridays For Future" sammelt sich zum Protest am Tagebau |language=de |author=dpa |location=Jüchen |work=Barknanger Kreiszeitung |date=2019-06-22 |url=https://www.bkz.de/nachrichten/fridays-for-future-sammelt-sich-zum-protest-am-tagebau-28394.html |access-date=2019-06-22 }}</ref>
<ref name="faz-16247808">{{cite news |author-first=Sarah |author-last=Obertreis |title=Der lange Zug von Aachen |language=de |trans-title=The long train of Aachen |newspaper=[[Social:Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung|Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]] (FAZ) |date=2019-06-21 |url=https://www.faz.net/1.6247808 |access-date=2019-06-21 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190621224322/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/fridays-for-future-der-lange-zug-von-aachen-16247808.html |archive-date=21 June 2019 |quote=„Wir erachten zivilen Ungehorsam als legitime Protestform. Er ist zwingend notwendig zum Schutz unserer Zukunft.“ […] „Fridays for Future wird auf der legalen Seite bleiben.“}}</ref>
<ref name="tagessch-103">{{cite web |title="Fridays for Future": Internationaler Klimastreik in Aachen - "Fridays for Future" in Aachen "Oma, was ist ein Schneemann?" |language=de |work=Tagesschau |publisher=ARD |date=2019-06-21 |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/fridaysforfuture-aachen-103.html |access-date=2019-06-21 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190621174631/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/fridaysforfuture-aachen-103.html |archive-date=21 June 2019}}</ref>
<ref name="Zeit_2019-06-24">{{cite web |title=Erneut Bagger in Braunkohlerevier besetzt - Im Rheinischen Revier haben sich Aktivisten an einem Bagger in 70 Metern Höhe festgemacht. Bereits am Wochenende hatte es Protestaktionen gegeben. |language=de |work=Zeit Online |date=2019-06-24 |url=https://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/2019-06/klimaproteste-braunkohle-aktivisten-bagger-hambach-garzweiler |access-date=2019-06-30}}</ref>
<ref name="RP-Online_2019-06-24">{{cite web |title=Klimaproteste im Tagebau Hambach: Sieben Frauen besetzen Bagger und werden festgenommen |language=de |date=2019-06-24 |work=RP Online |url=https://rp-online.de/nrw/panorama/tagebau-hambach-sieben-frauen-besetzen-bagger-und-werden-festgenommen_aid-39632959 |access-date=2019-06-30}}</ref>
<ref name="Burger_2019">{{cite news |title=Die Garzweiler Gratwanderung |language=de |author-first=Reiner |author-last=Burger |series=Kohleproteste in NRW |newspaper=[[Social:Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung|Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]] (FAZ) |date=2019-06-23 |location=Hochneukirch / Keyenberg, Germany |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/fridays-for-future-polizei-warnt-schueler-demonstranten-16250311-p2.html?printPagedArticle=true#pageIndex_1 |access-date=2019-07-14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190714145542/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/fridays-for-future-polizei-warnt-schueler-demonstranten-16250311-p2.html?printPagedArticle=true%23pageIndex_1#pageIndex_1 |archive-date=14 July 2019}}</ref>
<ref name="Selle_2019">{{citation |author-first=Anett |author-last=Selle |title=Polizeigewalt bei Ende Gelände "Natürlich kommt es zu Fehlern" Felix K. sagt, ein Polizist habe ihm bei den Protesten von Ende Gelände den Schädel gebrochen. Die Aachener Polizei erklärt, jede Anzeige werde geprüft. |language=de |newspaper=Die Tageszeitung (taz) |date=2019-07-10 |url=https://taz.de/Polizeigewalt-bei-Ende-Gelaende/!5606268/ |access-date=2019-07-17}}</ref>
<ref name="PR20190923">{{cite web |title=Pressemitteilung vom 23.09.2019 |language=de |publisher=Ende Gelände |date=2019-09-23 |url=https://www.ende-gelaende.org/press-release/pressemitteilung-vom-23-09-2019 |access-date=2019-09-26}}</ref>
<ref name="fff-streik3">{{cite web |title=#AlleFürsKlima |language=de |work=fridaysforfuture.de |url=https://fridaysforfuture.de/allefuersklima/ |access-date=2019-11-30}}</ref>
<ref name="rbb-2019-11-30">{{cite web |title=Anti-Kohle-Protestwochenende bestimmt die Lausitz |language=de |date=2019-11-30 |work={{ill|rbb24|de}} |url=https://www.rbb24.de/studiocottbus/wirtschaft/2019/11/ende-gelaende-kohle-protest-klimastreik-in-lausitz.html |access-date=2019-11-30}}</ref>
<ref name="tagesschau-2019-09-20">{{cite web |title=Millionen fürs Klima |language=de |date=2019-09-20 |work=Tagesschau.de |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/klimastreiks-friday-for-future-105.html |access-date=2019-11-30}}</ref>
<ref name="zeit-2019-09-20b">{{cite web |title=Bewerber um SPD-Vorsitz greifen Union wegen Klimapakets an |language=de |date=2019-09-20 |work=Zeit Online |url=https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2019-09/klimapolitik-beschluss-klimaschutzpaket-reaktionen-klimakabinett |access-date=2019-11-30}}</ref>
<ref name="zeit-2019-09-23">{{cite web |title=Von der "Klimakanzlerin" ist nichts zu spüren |language=de |date=2019-09-23 |work=Zeit Online |url=https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2019-09/klimagipfel-der-vereinten-nationen-angela-merkel-rede-greta-thunberg |access-date=2019-11-30}}</ref>
<ref name="zeit-2019-11-29">{{cite web |title=Hunderttausende demonstrieren für das Klima |language=de |date=2019-11-29 |work=Zeit Online |url=https://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2019-11/fridays-for-future-klimaprotest-demonstrationen-klimaschutz |access-date=2019-11-30}}</ref>
<ref name="zeit-2019-11-30">{{cite web |title=Blockaden für den sofortigen Kohleausstieg |language=de |date=2019-11-30 |work=Zeit Online |url=https://www.zeit.de/politik/2019-11/ende-gelaende-lausitz-klimaproteste-demonstration |access-date=2019-11-30}}</ref>
<ref name="zeit-2019-12-01">{{cite web |title=An den Orten der Zerstörung |language=de |date=2019-12-01 |work=Zeit Online |url=https://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2019-11/ende-gelaende-lausitz-tagebau-klimaaktivismus-kohleausstieg-kumpel-bergarbeiter/komplettansicht |access-date=2019-12-01}}</ref>
}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.ende-gelaende.org/en Ende Gelände]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ende Gelände 2019}}

[[Category:Climate change policy]]

{{Sourceattribution|Ende Gelände 2019}}